[Confucian.com Exclusive Interview No. 8]
Exclusive interview with Sheng Hong: The true spirit of Confucianism is to follow the way of heaven, not the emperor
Interviewee: Sheng Hong, a representative figure of contemporary “Mainland New Confucianism” and the director of Beijing Unirule Economic Research Institute. He is the author of “Why the System is Important”, “Governing a Big Country is Like Cooking Small Foods”, “Innovating on the Margins of Tradition”, “The Spirit of Economics”, “Creating Peace for All Era”, “Pursuing a Stable Situation for Reform” and “Doing Good by Doing Good”. (co-authored with Jiang Qing), “Old Country and New Life” (co-authored with Yu Yan), etc.
Interviewer: Dai Mumao (Peking University Politics Ph.D., lecturer at Hebei University School of Political Science and Law, volunteer at Confucianism.com)
Interview time:August 5, 2015
[Confucian News]As the most famous “Confucian economist” in contemporary China, Mr. Sheng Hong has always actively participated in various economic and social activities, or established href=”https://jamaica-sugar.com/”>Jamaica Sugar has great influence by giving advice or putting it into practice. For this reason, Confucian.com conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Sheng Hong on August 5, 2015. Teacher. Mr. Sheng Hong answered one by one the current major economic, social, legal, policy, cultural and other issues in China, with unique insights., thought-provoking. The full text of the interview is now released for the benefit of readers.
[Summary of opinions]
1. The Confucian value system is efficient, and economics and Confucianism are not in conflict with each other
2. Some controversial views on Confucianism , it makes sense to analyze it with economics
3. Many Confucian advocates are close to non-restrictiveism, and there are also so-called “socialist reasons”
4. Confucianism still emphasizes morality in areas without legal restrictions, which is different from extreme economic unrestrictionism
5. The state does not allow unrestricted trading of land, which is worse than the well-field system.
6. The so-called rural democratic autonomy is still “organized”, not a true self-organization
7. The compilation of the Chinese Civil Code is not We cannot just copy the East, this will be a big problem
8. American constitutional democracy is based on Protestantism. Kang Youwei saw this
9. Use the world It is possible for socialism to transcend nationalism and solve the world’s national problems
10. The “One Belt, One Road” and “AIIB” are definitely important for the intersection and integration of civilizations. Positive significance
11. South China Sea issue: Instead of fighting for power, China should provide public services
12. Although the current exploration of Confucian resources is still in its early stages, But the interaction with high-level officials has reached a certain level
13. Confucianism has never said that the emperor is a god, but now some intellectuals really have no backbone
[Comments]
The Confucian value system is efficient, and economics and Confucianism are not in conflict with each other
Confucianism.com:There is talk that you represent the approach of “understanding Confucianism through economics”, and you do often use it in your articles. Economic theories and methods are used to “define” Confucianism, and economics is a typical oriental social science. How do you understand the relationship between “Confucian principles” and “social science”? How do you evaluate the idea of ”using China to explain China”?
Sheng Hong: Economics is a way of derivation based on a basic conceptual system and perceptual logic. It is characterized by being relatively rigorous, and the conclusions it draws can also be relatively accurate. Therefore, economics is a theory with relatively strong explanatory power for some social issues and human behavior. At the same time, because of the way it emphasizes perceptualism, its scope of application is relatively narrow.
Confucianism first developed slowly from history and experience, especially Pre-Qin Confucianism. However, it continued to go beyond, especially in the Song Dynasty, it talked about the principles of nature, and in the Ming Dynasty, it talked about the nature of mind. In fact, this is a path from the metaphysical to the metaphysical, which is relatively open. The approach under this situation is based on the experience summed up and the principles refined based on the actual system. These things are the result of a certain spontaneous order in human society. For example, in the pre-Qin period, the rites of Xia, Shang and Zhou were actually formed through interaction. It constitutes such and such rules, and it must have its own reason, and this reason It can be analyzed using economics. In other words, the reason why this system is good is that it is efficient in the eyes of economics. In this sense, Confucianism forms its value system starting from the collection, Jamaicans Sugardaddy accumulation and refinement.
In fact, whether a system is good or bad can be judged from the perspective of whether it is efficient, and economics can also It gradually developed to this stage. Economics originally studied the allocation of resources. For example, is the allocation of resources optimal? Later, a branch of institutional economics was developed. Its most important significance is to explain why the system is like this. Why is this system better than that system? The simplest method is the economic method, which is cost-benefit analysis. So in this sense, economics can be used to think backwards and analyze the institutional principles and moral values proposed by Confucianism. Economics and Confucianism are not in conflict with each other. The master believes that Confucianism talks about moral values, but we also need to understand that moral values do not understand what she means. “The first sentence – Miss, are you okay? How can you be so generous and reckless? It’s really not like you. There is some so-called economy that may be most effective.
For some controversial views of Confucianism, it makes sense to analyze them with economics
Confucian.com:Can you explain specifically?In what aspects is the economic nature of Confucian values reflected?
Sheng Hong: Just like “ritual”, it is actually the interaction between people The resulting behavioral norms can be said to be a kind of social rule. This kind of system itself, which is voluntarily achieved through interaction between people and voluntarily followed, is said to be efficient by institutional economics. . Why? In fact, institutional economics teaches a very simple truth, that is, the result of unanimous approval is a good result.
For example, two people bargain about a commodity and finally reach a price that is satisfactory to both the buyer and the seller. If the price is acceptable, and both of them sincerely agree, then economics says that this price is the best price. Why, because no one was harmed. Institutional economics believes that such a method of bargaining to achieve a result that is approved by all relevant parties is the best way to form a system, and the system determined thereby is the best system. Then “Li” is such a thing, but it does not necessarily represent a specific price. The price just makes it easier for you to understand this truth.
“Li” means that relevant people agree to a certain code of conduct. You can accept it, and so can I, and neither of us has it. Being forced, you didn’t hold the knife for me to take it, I did it voluntarily. To give a very simple example, for example, if I stepped on your foot accidentally, I would say “I’m sorry”, and then you would say “It’s okay”. This is a very simple standard. This standard is something you can accept and so can I. Accept the norm and this is the best. If I step on your foot and I don’t apologize, why don’t you apologize? Then we will have a conflict. Many Confucian ideas are very, very simple things. As long as both parties involved agree, they are the most effective.
Of course, there are many things that seem to make no sense, and economics can also analyze the truth. For example, Mencius said, “There are three types of unfilial piety, the greatest of which is not having children.” How to explain this in economics? What does it matter if I have children or not? But if we understand that the society in which Confucianism originated and developed is a family-based society, we can understand that this sentence makes sense. A family-based society is judged by maximizing family interests Jamaica Sugar. In traditional China, people believe that a person is not only himself, but also a member of the family.Members, and this family is not just the visible core family member, it is the father, the mother, the child, and it is a chain of blood continuation, which is called a family. This is the main concept, which extends from ancestors to descendants. This is the concept of the Chinese family.
So, what is the best interest for a family at this time? It is this family that must continue. In economics, we should pursue maximizing benefits and maximizing results. For example, if you earn 100 million yuan but die today, how much is your 100 million yuan worth? That’s 100 million times a day. However, if you earn a hundred dollars, but you continue to do so for life after life, which one is more? That is to say, if we not only regard ourselves as individual lives, but also as the continuation of the entire family life, you will It is clear that maximizing the interests of the family must be done at a later stage. From a family perspective, “There are three ways to be unfilial, and the greatest is not having children” is such a reasonable thing! Therefore, there are many such analyzes in economics, which make these controversial aspects of Confucianism seem so reasonable now!
Many Confucian advocates are close to uninhibitedism, and there are also so-called “socialist reasons”
Confucianism.net: As an economist who believes in Confucianism, do you think that in today’s era of capitalist globalization, can Confucianism Do you have economic ideas that are different from emancipation and socialism? If so, what is it?
Sheng Hong: Confucianism actually has many ideas that are very close to non-restrictiveism. Because it emphasizes small government, it emphasizes letting the market play its role and letting the people pursue their own interests. As Confucius said, “What can Heaven say? How can the four seasons move and all things come into existence? What can Heaven say?” What does it mean? He is saying that God does not speak, the four seasons are still changing, all things are still growing, and God does not need to speak. So, if God doesn’t need to speak, what else can the government say? The government does not need to speak, and the people themselves pursue their own best interests. Confucianism emphasizes light corvee and low taxes, emphasizes small government, and emphasizes “benefiting the interests of the people.” This shows that “the government should control less” is very close to economic liberalism.
As for Confucianism and socialism, we actually need to distinguish what kind of socialism it is. For example, “Marxist-style socialism” is very different from it. Because Marxist-style socialism Socialism is not true socialism. It emphasizes planned economy and private ownership. This completely stifles the market system and is the most basic objection of Confucianism. There are also things like private ownership. Confucianism is also opposed to socialism. Therefore, Confucianism is definitely completely different from this kind of socialism. Confucianism may have some socialist tendencies. We must pay more attention to society and some disadvantages in society. The group should treat these weak people with kindness. In this sense, it has the so-called “socialist reason”.
Confucianism still emphasizes morality in areas without legal restrictions, which is different from extreme economic unrestrictionism
Confucianism.com: It emphasizes social equality, maybe social relief, right?
Sheng Hong:Yes. So what is the difference between them? I think, compared with economic unrestrictionism, economic unrestrictionism Yi emphasizes that these matters related to the allocation of resources in society can be completely resolved by the market. However, Confucians believe that this is not the case in most cases. For example, when Zhu Xi and Chen Liang argued, Chen Liang was. Utilitarian Confucianism, he said that anyone who is virtuous is Beneficial, that is to say, it is enough to only talk about profit, and there is no need to talk about virtue; but Zhu Xi said that most situations are like this, virtuous things are beneficial, but sometimes the virtuous things are not seen. Therefore, this is where Confucianism wants to preserve certain problems in the current market. This problem is also increasingly recognized by modern economics, that is, the so-called market failure. I think that the mainstream thinking of Confucianism is different from the more extreme economic liberalism, but it is not the same as most people today. Constraintist economics is relatively close.
Another point of difference is that Confucianism has no legal restrictions on the so-called territoryJamaicans SugardaddyThe domain still emphasizes morality. What does it mean? For example, during the financial crisis in America, there were many financial institutions, Jamaica SugarYesWhether they are hedge funds or investment banks, they apply the rules of the day imperfectly and do things that they clearly know are harmful to others. For example, Goldman Sachs promoted a bond to people, but then maliciously shorted it. Why? It says the rules don’t limit me! I think when the West emphasizes economic unrestrictionism, this “unrestricted” means that I can do it wherever there are no legal restrictions.
Confucianism.com: If the law is not stopped, it is not restricted, right?
Sheng Hong:Yes, if the law cannot be stopped, it will not be restrained. However, law is a relatively narrow social rule that is enforced. “The law is not subject to restraint” means that as long as there are no enforceable rules, I can do it. But what do Confucians think? Confucianism believes that things that are immoral cannot be done. For example, I am a Confucian and I am the person in charge of Goldman Sachs, and I say this cannot be done. Why? Because I think it harms society. Although the law does not prohibit it, and although it is good for me to do this, it is not good for the society, so I will not do it. In the absence of laws, he should constrain himself and consider whether it is good for others and the society when doing something. So, this is the difference between Confucianism and extreme economic liberalism. As for this extreme economic non-restraint, I think the East has indeed not realized its problems, because we have read a large number of classics, and this is how non-restraint is expressed. Their explanation of the concept of “unfettered” is also that “the law is unfettered if it cannot be stopped.” Confucianism says that any work that is consistent with moral character can be done without restraint. There is a difference between the two. Confucianism can still have self-discipline, but from the perspective of extreme economic liberalism, there can be no “self-discipline”.
The state does not allow unfettered trading of land, returning to a system worse than the well-field system
Confucian.com: How to treat the private ownership legacy of New China from an economic perspective? For example, the relationship between collective ownership of rural land and the construction of rural ethical communities. As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Wang Da’s voice from outside. , positive or negative?
Sheng Hong: It’s definitely negative! This is what you call private ownership. Chinese tradition has never been about private ownership.The system was actually the well-field system in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the well-field system was actually a tax system. JM EscortsThere was no currency and there was not a good market. In this case, the authorities have to protect the safety of the farmland. If you don’t protect it, when you grow food, others will take it away from you. Maintaining safety requires capital, and the capital needs to be paid by farmers, which requires public land and the rest is private land. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the well-field system gradually collapsed, and later became public ownership of land. This kind of public ownership of land later developed very maturely. It is a kind of public ownership of land under the market system. This kind of transaction under public ownership is very convenient, and its level of convenience is very rare in the world at that time, and even in the current world. Unfettered trading of land was possible after the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After the Han Dynasty, it was basically finalized. By the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was basically a society of unrestricted trading.
From the perspective of buying and selling levels, land can be divided into several levels, layered in terms of rights and concepts. We have so-called land rights and land rights: land rights and land rights can be bought and sold separately. That is, I have land rights, I can have the permanent right to farm this land, and I have some land rights. For example, the land rent may be 4 taels, and I only pay 2 taels. The other 2 taels are my rights, so I don’t pay them. My rights can be traded independently, and I don’t need to negotiate with the landlord. Such a trading situation is still very rare in the world. There are many restrictions on land transactions in many places, including the UK. But after 1949, the situation was completely reversed, and the state did not allow unfettered trading of land. In my opinion, this is back to a system that is worse than the well-field system. You can call it the well-field system, but it is not as good as the well-field system. This is because under Mao Zedong, citizens were not allowed to leave the village. So later Jamaica Sugar came to Dong Fuxing and said, “National communes are serfdom.” This private ownership system did not exist in Chinese history. In such a National Commune, the top leader is Mao Zedong, and everyone must listen to him alone. In my opinion, this kind of private ownership is both a development and a very bad thing.
The so-called rural democratic autonomy today is still “organized”, not true self-organization
Confucianism.com:So you don’t think that the collective ownership system at that time had any promotion effect on the common ethics of the countryside. Maybe it had no effect at all? p>
Sheng Hong:At the most basic level, there is no influence. Traditional China actually has its own rural ethics. The first is that rural areas are autonomous. The public ownership of land and the unrestricted trading of land. The second is rural autonomy. The government’s power is not truly established until the county level. After the Communist Party took over, it actually destroyed rural autonomy, because the Party organized its political power down to the villages. This rural structure with the Communist Party as the focus of power destroyed the original rural civilization that was based on autonomy and freedom. The organizational environment is created, and the Communist Party promotes a kind of organization. The Communist Party says that their advantage is to organize farmers, but this term should be conversely called Jamaica Sugar Daddy To be “organized”, farmers are actually organized, and the party includes farmers into the party’s organization , but the farmers did not voluntarily be organized by the party. Later, the production teams and the people’s communes were organized. To this day, the so-called rural democratic autonomy still has no real reason for being organized in the countryside. self-groupJamaicans Escort Only by self-organization can there be real rural civilization; without self-organization, there can be no real rural civilization. It destroys the foundation of self-organization and the foundation of real rural civilization. Therefore, collective ownership does not promote rural ethics.
The compilation of the Chinese Civil Code cannot just copy the East, this will be a big problem
Confucianism.com:The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed to strengthen the construction of the market legal system and compile a civil code, and the legal community immediately took active action Up, famous jurists released their own drafts of the Civil Code, and many more Scholars and institutions are busy drafting all or part of the Civil Code, but there are also objections that believe that the time to formulate a Civil Code is not ripe now because China is in the process of major changes and China’s legal community is too Europeanized. Deep, there is no ability to formulate a Chinese civil code. What do you think of this? At the same time, the government is now proposing the concept of “Chinese law.”How to arrange modern rule of law in Confucian constitutionalism?
Sheng Hong: Although China has broken the structure of the past social rules in modern times , in such a vacuum, there must be a legal system, but China does not have the corresponding foundation. If you study the East completely and copy it from external texts, this may be a big problem. My current point of view is that on the one hand, of course we must learn some things from the Eastern Civil Code, which are the accumulation and refinement of long-term social practice in human society. At the same time, I think we should also consider how to restore some institutional resources in China, because China In the past, social rules included not only laws but also etiquette. Etiquette is also a kind of social rule, and this social rule does not rely on coercion to a large extent.
The difference between etiquette and law is that etiquette does not depend on mandatory rules, while law depends on mandatory rules . Obviously, etiquette can solve a lot of problems in China. Why? China is a big country, and Chinese tradition emphasizes civil autonomy and autonomy below the county level. A large number of conflicts that exist in society can first be eliminated through etiquette before they occur, and even after they arise, they can also be resolved through etiquette. That is, etiquette has its own principles and authority, Jamaicans Escort it can rule without requiring the authority. In fact, if you go to the government to sue, the cost is very high. If the problem is solved through autonomous methods in the countryside, it will be easier. So I think we still need to pay attention to the role of etiquette. In fact, there are still a lot of cases of using etiquette to judge disputes in rural China.
There is a film called “Qiu Ju Litigation”, Su Li once wrote an article about it. Qiu Ju was very interested in pursuing the lawsuit and eventually arrested the village chief, but this was not the result she expected. This is the difference between law and etiquette. The etiquette is to find an authoritative person and ask him to tell the village chief, “You are not doing the right thing. Apologize to Qiu Ju.” That’s it. But now there is no such method, so we can only use legal methods. Qiu Ju went to sue the village chief, but he was arrested. But Qiu Ju was also confused. She said that actually I just asked the village chief to apologize to me, and it was not my intention to arrest him.
Chinese intellectuals have ignored the phenomenon of a large number of rituals replacing laws in traditional China, so much so that they believe that traditional Chinese civil laws It’s underdeveloped – of course it’s underdeveloped. Confucianism emphasizes “no litigation.” If you two have a dispute, why don’t you go to the county magistrate to litigate? We settled it ourselves, so there is no lawsuit. No lawsuitIt doesn’t necessarily mean that the conflict has not been resolved, it’s just that they didn’t see it. From the perspective of the West, why does China have no civil law? Of course people have their own civil laws, and the civil laws are in the rituals. I think we need to restore the tradition of etiquette, but of course this will take time. Suppose we make a very complete civil law like the West, but in fact it is still incomplete, and the law cannot be restrained or restricted. The rule of law will never be perfect, and you cannot enforce any rule by law. My attitude is that on the one hand, China must learn from the East, and on the other hand, it must also pay attention to the influence of etiquette. In fact, even in Eastern countries, it is not that there is no “ritual”. The British emphasize customary law, which comes from custom and is something in the countryside. China is very similar to the UK in this regard. Britain has never defeated its own customs. Common law is to apply the basic principles of common law to common law courts. Therefore, when China learns Eastern rule of law, it must have a more comprehensive understanding of the East.
From a Confucian perspective, there is a certain meaning in translating the “law” in the Eastern concept of rule of law into the Chinese “law” kind of limitation. This kind of translation removes the broad meaning of natural law in law, leaving only the meaning of “legal provisions” in China. Therefore, when we establish the rule of law, the West says “law” and China says “law”. The two are not the same thing. Chinese law is the management of legal provisions, while Eastern law includes broader things, including the management of all social rules. From a Confucian perspective, even if there is no etiquette now, it must develop in this direction. If everything must be followed by mandatory rules, this society will definitely not last long. If we realize that Jamaicans Escort the non-mandatory rules of this society, such as the influence of etiquette and habits, will make the society become More efficient.
American constitutional democracy is based on Protestantism, Kang Youwei saw this
Confucian website: JM EscortsIn recent years, “Returning to Kang Youwei” has been a hot topic among Confucianists. Kang Youwei wrote “On Material Salvation”, and his disciple Mr. Chen Huanzhang, the founder of the modern Confucian Church, wrote This book “Confucian Economics”. Regarding the issue of “returning to Kang Youwei”, can you talk about it from an economics perspective?
Sheng Hong:I really haven’t read much of Kang Youwei. I think if Kang Youwei tried to connect China and the West and explore the ideological resources of the Confucian tradition, I think this effort was very good. Moreover, from the perspective of economics, Confucianism has never denied “profit”. They only said that “a righteous person loves money and gets it in a proper way.” “Yan, shame on you.” That is to say, we do not reject wealth. The key is whether the means to obtain wealth are legitimate.
Of course, Confucianism also emphasizes that you should not pay too much attention to material wealth. Material wealth is very good, but you should not care too much about it. . Look at Yan Hui, “With a basket of food and a ladle of drink, living in a shady alley, people are overwhelmed with worries, but their happiness will not change after returning.” That is to say, you should not let the lack of material things affect your energy. Being rich and noble is good, but being poor is not a big deal. It’s just that energy and material things should be decoupled and not tied too tightly. Confucianism is determined to stand on the side of “righteousness” and “profit”. However, standing on the side of “righteousness” does not mean that you don’t want “profit”. It just means that when you weigh the two, and when you cannot get both, you must choose “righteousness”. It’s not that I don’t want “profit”, but I want to go beyond “profit”. So in this sense, this is an inherent Confucian tradition. The two are incompatible, and can even be used to judge what would be better.
For example, Confucius said “benefit without expense”, “benefit” means benefit and income, and “fee” means capital. It’s just that government officials should be “beneficial but not costly”. This means that when the government does something, it should bring benefits to the people, but it should not cost too much. He is also thinking about the “benefit” of the common people and “benefiting the people because they benefit them.” Especially for ordinary people, he emphasizes “benefit”. He does not require the people to only talk about “righteousness” – he has such requirements for righteous people and scholars, but he has no such requirements for ordinary people. Instead, he can still pay attention to the “interests” of the people. So this is actually not a conflict.
Kang Youwei wrote “Confucius’ Reform Examination”, which emphasized the variability of the human system. This is good, because the human system There are limitations to control. An era has its own background and limitations of human understanding, because human sensibility is infinite. Therefore, it is good to emphasize reform. In fact, this idea has been held throughout the ages. It does not mean that this law cannot be changed. Moreover, Confucians do not believe that the actual law is perfect. Confucians believe that only the way of heaven is perfect. , the actual legal determination is problematic. The same goes for “rituals”. Although “rituals” are good things, they will also change. Therefore, Confucius said, “The gains and losses of Yin due to Xia’s etiquette can be known.” He meant that the Shang Dynasty should learn from Xia’s etiquette, but with some changes.
Who told you that Kang Youwei also advocated “Confucianism”? Your grandmother? “She asked with a wry smile, and another wave of blood-heat surged in her throat, making her swallow it before spitting it out.” This also has a positive meaning, because what he saw was the modern Eastern constitutional democracy. A secular state framework based on Christianity was something he saw that few Chinese intellectuals of his generation saw. Therefore, when he wanted to establish “Confucianism”, he wanted to use “Confucianism” as a basis for China’s modern political structure. Until today, the biggest problem in China is that it does not have a transcendent metaphysical foundation. However, most intellectuals in China have not yet understood this truth. They still do not understand that the American framework of constitutional democracy is based on Protestantism. Kang Youwei saw this. Of course, the “Confucianism” he advocates is also worthy of criticism, but at least his awareness is good. Perhaps Confucian ideas are not suitable for reforming religions like those in the East. This may be Kang Youwei’s problem. But he knew that whether it was an Eastern religion or not, a society must have a value basis. The secular political structure must have a valuable foundation. Without it, even learning something from the East will be ineffective.
It is possible to use nationalism to transcend nationalism and solve the world’s national problems
Confucian Net:Ten years ago you co-authored a book with Mr. Jiang Qing discussing “My daughter also feels the same, but she So I feel a little uneasy and scared,” Lan Yuhua said to her mother, looking confused and uncertain. The book on the issue of “Eternal World War” – “Building Goodness from Goodness: A Dialogue between Jiang Qing and Sheng Hong”, earlier discovered the influence of “nationalism” (hegemony) advocated by Confucianism on the construction of an outstanding international political and economic order. Scope meaning, in recent years, scope Focusing on the concept and practice of “nationalism” that has lasted for more than two thousand years in China, there are also monographs such as Professor Zhao Tingyang’s “World System – Introduction to World System Philosophy” and Professor Qian Chunsong’s “Returning to Hegemony – Confucianism and World Order” further analysis. Can you explain the strategic significance and possible prospects of the “One Belt, One Road” and “AIIB” from the perspective of China’s unique position and “nationalism”?
Sheng Hong: Nationalism is actually aimed at nationalism. The cultural tradition accompanying the rise of the East is nationalistic. The characteristic of nationalism is that decision-making is based on the interests of the nation, that is to say, it is beneficial to the nation.If it is beneficial, we should do it; if it is not beneficial, we should not do it. The result of this is that it cannot solve the problem of permanent world war. Because nation-states are composed of people, and people have the ability to play games. Unless you completely wipe them out, even if they suffer defeat or loss this time, they will still rise again or even fight back. This is a fruitless game between humans. Nationalism is to transcend this nationalist concept in civilization and believe that foreigners are the same as foreigners. There are some standards for nationalism. This standard is not based on ethnicity or skin color, but on the basis of cultural values. This is the meaning of the so-called “distinction between Yi and Xia”. Xia and Yi are not divided based on race, but based on the acceptance of moral values. Therefore, Xia and Yi can be transformed. If you accept this moral value, you will become “Xia”; if you lose this value, you will become “Yi”. Therefore, nationalism is based on morality, and using this concept to solve the world’s national problems is a possible way.
Confucianism.com: You said that nationalism is divided by civilization, but if each side does not agree with the other What about civilization?
Sheng Hong: I have actually thought about this issue for many years. I was having a conversation with Jiang Qing Zhong also talked about this issue. Now there is a “clash of civilizations”, that is, there is such an incompatibility of civilizational values. So how to solve this problem? JM EscortsThe several major civilizations formed in the world today all have aspects worth recognizing, but they all have limitations, because They all developed under specific circumstances and followed specific groups of people. They have their own historical paths and specific geographical environments. Therefore, what these civilizations pursue is the so-called highest universal value, but this is just a pursuit. These people are ordinary people with unlimited sensibility. Some of the civilization values they constitute may still have certain shortcomings. These different cultures all developed under specific historical and geographical environments, so they may be different. These differences may be somewhat different in basic principles, but there are many overlapping parts, and there are differences when combined with specific groups of people. specific affinity. There are even great similarities between them, but because they are competitors, such as Christianity and Islam, they support their development through donations from believers, which is very similarJamaica Sugar Daddy Just as different companies produce similar products, they become competitors. Although Christianity and IslamThere is a lot of overlap, but they have become like enemies. Therefore, to resolve conflicts, we must first have more exchanges, exchanges, and integrations among civilizations, and finally gradually form a common global civilization. This takes time.
I often emphasize dialogue among civilizations and the need for constant communication. The most terrifying thing is that each other does not speak to each other, doubts each other, or even There are huge misunderstandings, so civilizations must first emphasize dialogue with Jamaica Sugar and others, understand each other, discover common areas, and preserve differences. place, eventually everyone will form a common value. Of course, this time will be extremely long and may take several generations. Today’s Chinese civilization, including Christian civilization, took a long time to be accepted by so many people. The same is true for Islamic civilization and Buddhism. Before this, there must have been many small civilizations that were integrated by them. Think about how many civilizations the Christian civilization integrated. The Greek civilization and the Roman civilization were all gone, and they were all integrated by Christianity. It also integrated some American, Civilizations in Africa and Asia, none of which were originally Christian civilizations, were eventually integrated. If you want to have a larger global civilization, the same is true.
The “Belt and Road” and “AIIB” are definitely of positive significance to the intersection and integration of civilizations
Confucian.com: What do you think of the “Jamaicans EscortWill the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank promote the integration of global civilization?
Sheng Hong: If you want to communicate and fellowship, you must first interact with each other, so from here In a sense, it has a stimulating effect. Since it is the “One Belt and One Road” initiative, China is going global. We need to facilitate road conditions and reform systems to make trade and investment more convenient. Wouldn’t the result of more convenience be more exchanges between people? So in reality, if there is any global civilization, it must start from the micro level. For example, one day I suddenly became a neighbor with an Arab, maybe a Jew, or a Christian. We lived together. What would happen? Therefore, in reality, we must communicate with each other. Like China in the past, during the Han and Tang Dynasties, especially after the Tang Dynasty, how many foreigners came from the Middle East, such as Arabs and PersiansPeople, they came to China to do business, and many of them have become Chinese. This is the exchange, of course they also retained a lot of things. Like the Hui people, they believe in Islam, but China’s Islam already has many Confucian elements. Therefore, economic exchanges such as the “One Belt, One Road” and the “Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank” will definitely help people-to-people exchanges, and they will definitely have positive significance for the intersection and integration of civilizations.
South China Sea issue: Instead of fighting for power, China should provide public services
Confucianism.com: In the early years, you proposed a plan to solve the South China Sea issue, which seemed to be to win over neighbors by providing a hegemonic new order. The country respects China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea. Undoubtedly, we also hope today that JM Escorts will walk on the high road to avoid the mistakes of the rise of great powers and achieve the development of Chinese civilization. The great revival. But hegemony and irresponsibility, talking about the heart but not the traces, can you talk about how to achieve a positive interaction between Confucian intellectuals and those in power at the level of the heart based on the current evolution of the situation in the South China Sea?
Sheng Hong:I wrote that article twenty years ago. What I emphasize is that we cannot assume that the nine-dash line we advocate is the international legal boundary line. Because according to international law, border lines must be recognized by neighboring countries. But why don’t neighboring countries recognize it? Because the neighboring countries were originally colonies, they had no right to recognize or deny it. They did not go through the process of forming the boundaries of modern nation-states, and modern China is not a modern nation-state. Before modern times, those neighboring countries may have been vassal states in the tribute system rather than modern nation-states. Their transformation into modern nation-states required such a boundary formation process, but this formation process could not pass Reached by force. Therefore, the formation and division of national boundaries in the South China Sea must be based on whether you can provide public goods to the South China Sea.
My suggestion is: instead of fighting for power, China should provide public services. Of course, I don’t know whether the provision of this kind of service can reach the nine-dash line. But I estimate that most of them can be achieved. The biggest problem in the South China Sea is that it has many resources, including oil. If the master thinks that everyone should love his daughter and like his parents unconditionally, he really regrets that he is blind. Love the wrong person, believe the wrong personPeople, their daughters really regret, regret, regret just to fight for these oils, maybe war is not worth it for the harmony between countries. For China, or for any country, oil is an exhaustible resource, but as long as the country does not disappear, borders will always exist. It’s not worth it for you to fight for territory for oil. China is a country with a long history and a country with a global vision. It should not fight for these things, but at the same time, it can work hard for its own interests.
What I emphasize is that the value of the South China Sea as a waterway is much higher than that of oil. So what China actually has to do is to provide security services for the South China Sea waterways, and China can encourage neighboring countries to jointly establish a joint fleet to protect flight safety in the South China Sea, because there are a series of dangers in the South China Sea, such as pirates. If countries continue to fight for each other, it will bring greater insecurity. So I think this is what China has to do. We should not fight for “one city, one place”. That is a very small thing for China, and from a traditional perspective, it is not a big thing. It’s okay, because traditional China does not have the boundaries of a modern nation-state. It is just a tribute system, and there is no clear distinction between China and other countries. The problem is that she basically doesn’t mind the work, which she considers to be a relatively small job. The result of the so-called modern nation-state is that this land is mine and must be protected. Traditional China does not have this concept. But traditional China also has a concept of borders, but there is no such problem of fighting over small places.
I think The current policy of the Chinese authorities on the South China Sea has not taken this approach. The authorities basically emphasize that within the nine-dash lineJamaica Sugar Daddy is my indisputable inherent territory, which is completely declared unilaterally by myself. Such a unilateral announcement can never be recognized by neighboring countries, so this kind of territory is a very costly territory. . Any territory must be truly established with the approval and respect of other relevant parties, otherwise it will lead to years of confrontation between countries. It is not worth it to antagonize neighboring countries by unilaterally declaring a nine-dash line that they do not recognize. So I think there are a lot of problems with this approach now, and it will put many countriesCountries are on the opposite side, including countries like AmericaJapan (Japan). We actually need to inspect this work carefully.
Although the current exploration of Confucian resources is still in its early stages, the interaction with high-level officials has reached a certain level
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Confucian.com:In the process of your interpretation of many issues just now, we can see There is a strong Confucian stance in it. How do you think contemporary Confucian intellectuals should interact with those in power so that they can accept or realize the importance of Confucian views?
Shenghong: JM EscortsFirst of all, we must explore Confucian ideological resources Jamaica Sugar Daddy and cultural resources to achieve comprehensive understanding and true understanding. This is the first thing to do. In fact, when we talk about Confucianism now, we have not yet discovered all the value. It can even be said that we have not yet discovered most of the value. If we rush to talk about the influence of Confucianism on others, we may not be very mature yet. Although the New Confucian Jamaicans Sugardaddy family in mainland China is now very developed and has a strong lineup, Tianze recently wants to build a “New Confucian” Famous Masters” forum, inviting 12 New Confucian scholars to give lectures. However, I still believe that compared to the real exploration of Confucian resources and the real revival of Confucianism, we are still in a relatively early stage.
If Confucians want to speak with confidence, they also need to discover most of their ideological resources and understand them, and at the same time They can also analyze current social problems and propose solutions. I think only at this time can we be considered mature. I think the revival of Confucianism has not yet reached such a height, for example, it has not reached the height of Song Confucianism. The Confucians of the Song Dynasty actually rediscovered the Confucian resources of the Pre-Qin and Han Dynasties, and put forward their own plans and thoughts based on the situation of the Song Dynasty at that time. But we are still far from reaching this level. It is not enough for us to talk about the revival of Confucianism. We have not yet reached the level of complete revival.
Is it possible to interact with senior executives? Of course. We should say that we have achieved a lot by today, because we are also doing it, and we think some things have reached a certain level. But I think these interactions do not require special determination. We can write articles and publish our books. If our books and articles are good, some people will read them. Confucianism says, “Only hear to learn, not listen to go to teach.” That means you can refuse to read my good stuff, it doesn’t matter, but assuming my article is really good, wouldn’t it be your loss if you don’t read it? I have been writing articles, and I will soon publish an “Economic Interpretation of Confucianism”. Of course, this is a record of my lectures at Shandong University, slightly revised. In addition, a book on Confucian constitutionalism will be published. The things we do will have an impact on society. Of course, it must first have an impact on intellectuals. This impact can indirectly spread to the political elites and then have an impact on them.
Things that are ideological and cultural cannot be rushed. They take effect relatively slowly. For example, the influence of Christianity on the Roman Empire took hundreds of years. It was not until Constantine accepted Christianity in the 4th century. So you see, thinking is indeed very slow, but thinking is also very powerless, and it is particularly penetrating. This kind of penetrating power cannot be blocked with a gun or a knife, because it penetrates into the brain. . If it is right, it must be persuasive. What I do now is to read our books, write our articles, and deliver our speeches.
Confucianism has never said that the emperor is a god and man, but now some intellectuals really have no backbone
Confucianism.com:Some people now feel that although our leaders also attach great importance to Confucianism in this round of transformation, some people within Confucianism also I am anxious and feel that the level of Confucian participation is limited and that Confucian concepts have not been thoroughly implemented in the transformation. According to your point just now, we should do what we should do, but don’t be too anxious to try to influence people, right?
Sheng Hong: We still use a lot of analysis, criticism or suggestions on some current work. Confucian resources. You can find out more about the situation. The articles I publish on “FT Chinese Network” are basically articles that comment on the current society and politics. Those articles are very integrated with the current politics and society. I agreeBecause these are some Confucian insights and suggestions for the present, it does not mean that they have not entered reality. It turns out that people can think that Confucianism is talking about modern things. But now we find that Confucian principles can analyze the present, criticize the present, and make suggestions for the present. In the past, talking about Confucianism felt like studying something modern, like archeology. That’s not the case now, it’s now, it’s alive.
And we Jamaica Sugar Daddy When studying Confucianism, we will also have some kind of dialogue with Confucians among political figures. For example, some people say that Xi Jinping also talks about Confucianism in order to emphasize Confucian patriarchy. Of course, this may have been distorted by someone, but Xi Jinping Jamaica Sugar does not think so. But the true value of Confucianism as we understand it is not patriarchalism. Confucianism tells us that all people are ordinary people, and the emperor is also an ordinary person. If the emperor does not obey the way of heaven, we have to give him advice. If he refuses to listen at the most basic level, then we think he is hopeless and hopeless. What about medicine? Then we have to be reactionary. This is the Confucian mentality. Therefore, Confucianism has never said that the emperor is a god.
Look at the modern Confucians who play a political roleJamaica Sugar Learn from the masters. They have always thought that they are the ones who give advice to the emperor, the ones who stand in the hall and argue with the emperor. What are they arguing about? “Son of Heaven, if you fail to abide by the Tao, I will tell you that you must abide by the Tao.” This is the spirit of Confucianism, not the so-called patriarchalism. So we tell you what the true tradition of Confucianism is. We find that Confucianism is really the energy of Chinese civilization. It believes that the highest thing is the way of heaven rather than the emperor. This is the truest thing in Confucianism, and then it is said that the emperor can decide everything. This has never been a Confucian point of view, and Confucianism has never said that. This is the true value of Chinese civilization, and that is why there are beautiful people in modern times. Some intellectuals nowadays are really spineless. Let’s take a look at the situation. Among the Confucians of the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties, how are they like today’s group of people? Which one has a backbone? They no longer have the Confucian spirit.
True Confucianism is to regulate the supreme ruler according to Tao.
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