Confucianism and Modern Society
28/05/2009 - 09:00
28 - 29 May 2009
10:00 - 17:00 hrs
Leiden, the Netherlands
Convenors: Prof. Hsin-chuan Ho (European Chair of Chinese Studies, IIAS / Prof. of Philosophy Department at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan) and Prof. Axel Schneider (Prof. of Modern China Studies, Chinese Dept. at Leiden University / Director of Modern East Asia Research Center, Leiden).
Venue: Gravensteen (room 111), Pieterskerkhof 6, Leiden
Please click here for the programme and the abstracts.
In contemporary Chinese-speaking world, one of the most important unsettled issues is the relationships between Confucianism and modern society. During the May Fourth period, Confucianism was blamed for impeding China's modernization. "Overthrow Confucius and Sons!", "Deposit the stitched volumes in the toilet for thirty years!" were the popular slogans then. This campaign against Confucianism still continued after the establishment of People's Republic of China, and reached its climax during the period of Cultural Revolution.
This strong iconoclastic opposition against Chinese tradition in general and against Confucianism in particular somehow finds it parallel in Western academic theories on the compatibility of Confucianism with the modernization process. Max Weber's famous judgment that Confucianism does not serve as an incentive for modernization comparable to the role of Calvinism had played in Europe is but one example for this.
However, from early 20th century Chinese scholars raised doubts concerning this dominant view, reflecting upon the nature of Confucianism and modernity and trying to find ways of reconciling the two. Liang Shou-ming, one of the most important modern Chinese philosophers, pointed out about 90 years ago that Chinese culture is not to be condemned and abandoned, but just premature and unsuited to the times. More often than not these voices were labeled "conservative" by their "liberal" opponents and were hence stigmatized. However, these voices have experienced a considerable boost in the 1970s in the wake of the economic miracles in the Four Mini-Dragons (East Asian Tigers) countries. With the turn to tradition in mainland China during the past 15 years this trend has been reinforced as a previous communist regime is now no longer rejecting Confucianism, but rather seems to partly rely on it to achieve its goals. Some scholars - in East Asia and beyond - now claim that Confucianism is conducive to modernization, others see it as the basis for an alternative East Asian modernity, and yet others rely on Confucianism to criticize modernity fundamentally and to envision a new type of society.
In this context the debate on the compatibility of Confucianism and modernization has gone beyond early, primarily economic concerns and focuses now more on issues of politics and ethics. Can a Confucian vision of heavenly and human nature be reconciled with a modern post-Enlightenment understanding of human nature and particularly of ethics? What can the Confucian view of history, of human existence in time, contribute to our understanding of global modernization processes in the 21st century? Will it undermine positions of ethical and, by implication, political pluralism or rather reinforce them? What is the potential connection between Confucianism and Western intellectual trends critical of liberal modernity such as communitarianism? Are there any resources in Confucianism that could be a driving force for China's modernization?
These are very complicated and controversial issues, however, now is the proper time for us to take stock of ongoing debates and re-conceptualize and rethink the questions: Is Confucianism suited to the times - are the times suited to Confucianism? During this conference we will engage these questions from philosophical, political, sociological and historical perspectives, always with an eye on contemporary debates in East Asia on the relationship between Confucianism and modern society.
Information and registration
Ms Martina van den Haak, MA
m.c.van.den.haak@iias.nl
+31 71 5273317