Confucian and Modern Chinese Society

Hu Jingtao advocated for a “Harmonious society”and “People Oriented Society”, both of which are from Confucian notion. This is the origin of prosperity of confusion in China currently. Accordingly, a female professor named Yu Dan who gave inspiring lectures about Confucian on Television made more people interested in Confucian. Thus, more and more Universities together with elementary schools and kindergartens open Confucian courses.

There are both political and social reasons for the “Confucian Heat”. Firstly, the Chinese government needs to establish a positive and softer image. After Cold War, Socialism gradually lost its international influence. Instead, Socialist countries like China together with its government left people a tough impression of autarchy and suppress. In order to change the country’s image internationally, the Chinese government suggested a regression to Confucian, which will build up a more cultured and pliant image for China.

Secondly, China’s old values fall apart by concussion of materialism. Thus, a healthy moral standard needs to be established to guide the development of the society. In the recent years, lots of enterprises are found violate business conduct and ethics in order to gain high profit. Cases as exporting toxic pet food and produce poisonous milk powder are numerous. In order to promote honesty and integrity, Confucian is brought out as a appealing forcibly of “Xin” (integrity) with hope its high status in Chinese mind could make a change.

But Confucian contradicts with Rule of Law. Confucian values “Rules by Men”, stating that a healthy society is developed by a good governors with noble values. So in Confucian theory, a righteous governor is more important than an un-bias law.