re: China: Compassion and Confucian Thought Today (Charles Ridley, US)

Charles Ridley responds to Robert Whealey’s post of 5 November:

Although the negative view alluded to by Robert Whealey was stated by Confucius, the central virtue of Confucianism is compassion, often translated as “human-heartedness” or “humane-heartedness.” The Confucian ethic is the foundation ethic of the East Asian societies that were the heirs of Confucianism and is still operative to this day. To be sure, if you were to ask a Japanese on the street what the Confucian values are, he or she would not be able to tell you. Nevertheless, these are the values that are operative in Japanese society. And, of course, the governments of Singapore and Taiwan have made a great effort at cultivating the Confucian values.

At present, the government of China is also restoring Confucianism. I have been working through the latest Chinese textbooks, primarily of elementary schools, and am finding concrete evidence of this revival of Confucianism. In the school readers, there is a considerable emphasis on caring for others.

As far as I am concerned, the Confucian ethic is alive and well.

JE comments: The reigning WAIS King of Punsters, Charles Ridley, titled this e-mail “State of Confucianism.” I like that.