The Core Values of Chinese Civilization
Drawing on the core values of western civilization, the author refines the counterparts in Chinese civilization, summarized as four core principles: duty before freedom, obedience before rights, community before individual, and harmony before conflict. Fo
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The Core Values of Chinese Civilization
The Core Values of Chinese Civilization
Lai Chen
The Core Values of Chinese Civilization
123
Lai Chen The Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Learning Tsinghua University Beijing China Translated by Paul J. D’Ambrosio, Robert Carleo III, Chad Meyers, Joanna Guzowska
ISBN 978-981-10-3366-7 DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3367-4
ISBN 978-981-10-3367-4
(eBook)
Jointly Published with SDX Joint Publishing ISBN: 978-7-108-05292-6 SDX Joint Publishing Library of Congress Control Number: 2016960277 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. and SDX Joint Publishing 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publishers, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publishers, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publishers nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #22-06/08 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore
Preface
In the spring of 2007, I gave a talk at Tufts University on “Confucianism and the Transformations of Contemporary China.” I discussed two issues. One was the characteristics of Confucian values, and the other was the changes of contemporary China. As the audience of American students had no familiarity with the Chinese language, I could not quote from the Chinese classics in the way I do when speaking in China. Therefore, I declared openly at the beginning of the talk that I would not discuss classical texts and instead attempted a comparative approach to elucidating the characteristics of Chinese thought and values. I identified eight total points: Morality is more important than law, this life more important than the afterlife, the community more important than the individual, the spiritual more important than the material, responsibility more important than rights, the well-being of the people more important than democracy, order more important than freedom, and harmony more valuable than struggle. In the summer of 2010, I gave a report on “Confucian Thought and Contemporary Society” for a
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