Smeared Type

I was interested to read recently in “The Week,” that Confucius, China’s greatest thinker, and long regarded as an arch enemy of the Communist system, is now receiving state sanctioned backing for a revival. 

As part of an effort by the Chinese government to restore Confucian teachings, the state is funding a $30 million film about the philosopher, at the same time as Confucian texts are being pushed in both universities and schools.  In addition, Confucius Institutes are being set up in more than 50 countries to promote Chinese culture.  Even much of the prison population is being taught the teachings of Confucius in an effort to reduce repeated criminal activities.  The Beijing Institute of Genomics has recently compiled a massive database of Confucius’s descendants, trying to recognize direct blood line descendants amongst the 1.3 billion Chinese.

Unlike Christ, Confucius was not a religious leader or teacher, but he embraced the idea of harmony and obedience and focused on orderly behavior in one’s life, rather than any hopes or fears for what would happen in the next life.  Maybe this is why the teachings of Confucius are acceptable to China’s Communist leaders, because they require no belief in God, but give some valuable lessons which can address the disparities in status and standard of living that exists for much of China’s population.  These disparities could clearly lead to social unrest and the resulting problems, in the future, which the government would clearly want to avoid.

It appears the government believes that a return to Confucian values of honor and decency will fill the ethical vacuum that is a result of China’s explosion of economic growth and rampant consumerism.

The reinstatement of Confucius is yet another example of China rapidly moving to world power status and creating a “Chinese way” of dealing with modern day issues and problems.

Ellis M. Goodman, author of Bear Any Burden: www.bearanyburden.com