TAOISM Taoism is a philosophy viewpoint created by Lao Tzu more than 2000 years ago. The highest goal it pursues is Tao. When it refers to a human being and human life, Tao means one grows up and leads life according to what one’s nature is, and thereby reaches wisdom. Taoism demurs from the common human acumen for using one’s potential in the struggle for money, power, etc., which means deviating from nature.
Another important idea of Taoism is that the best governing is a governing without doing anything. It is said that Carl Rogers’ Person- Centered Therapy was inspired by this idea. Taoism might be the closest current in traditional Chinese culture to the Humanistic perspective.
But Lao Tzu lacked confidence in human beings and their society. He did not have a strong belief that human beings could reach the ideal situation of the Tao. So his solution was to divide large-scale society into small societies, not to educate people or make them clever, so that they didn’t have much desire and would not struggle, just like our ancestors in ancient times. Lao Tzu believed that this primitive status was better than contemporary society. So the Taoists including Lao Tzu always try to leave society to continue their discipline, for they think society is a polluted environment. This is quite different Humanistic and Chinese Culture from the Humanistic perspective.
CONFUCIANISM This is the current mainstream in traditional Chinese culture and has dominated Chinese society for 2000 years. Now, there are some people contesting it. One opinion argues that the evolution of Confucianism since the Han Dynasty has deviated from the principles held by Confucius and Meng Tzu, while my thought is that the principles of Confucius, including the different parts that conflict with each other, are an important part of the foundation of later Confucianism.
Confucius thought that the nature of human beings was kind and similar at birth, and that diversity was a later development because of different growing environments. This point is similar to Rogers’ and Maslow’s. But Confucius also emphasized harmony and social order. He began from the family and blood ties. Xiao (subjection to one’s father) and Di (respecting one’s elder brother) were necessary because these people were before us in blood order. Then he went out of the narrow scope of family and applied this idea to the whole society. Society was somehow like a big family. He reasoned that if one could be Xiao and Di at home, then one would never challenge the authority of upper levels throughout society, and the whole society would be peaceful and harmonious.
Whether later Confucianism deviates from Confucius and Meng Tzu or not, at least since the Han Dynasty Xiao and Zhong (loyalty to one’s king or emperor) have become the theme in the organization of social life. This has made Chinese people extremely weak and passive when facing power (especially the power from the highest level) and the existing social order.
CHINESE BUDDHISM This belief system pursues “emptiness”— a spiritual status which gets rid of all kinds of allures and temptations, and is somehow like the Tao, but it depresses much of human desire such as for sex, meat, all kinds of comfort, etc. It even eschews taking bodily showers, I don’t know why. I heard that a famous and respected monk many years ago showered not many times a year.
CHINESE SOCIALISM When we mention Chinese culture, it is hard to avoid talking about China’s characteristic Socialism theory. It is a mix of Soviet Marxism and free market theory. Before 1978, only Soviet Marxism was working. At that time people were very cautious with each other because the “Class Struggle” was thought to be serious and important. This history contributes to a lot of today’s problems.
When the reformation and opening came, the free market system began to work, and people have more and more freedom and thus can stretch their strength in the economic field. But in the field of ideology, the government still keeps strong control (though it is loosening slowly), and people are taught with rigid doctrines. So people’s pursuit of spirit is far from being a freedom, and a valuable ethics system is difficult to build. Therefore, it is not so strange that China’s economy booms while the society is experiencing serious problems with trustworthiness, corruption of officials, the environment, etc. The standard of success is money, house, and car, but a moral sense of how to run and manage them in a life of personal responsibility is not considered very important.
CHINESE HUMANISM The last current in Chinese culture I want to talk about is the Humanistic. This perspective emphasizes the value of human beings, promotes a fair society, reasoning, and human rights. Some Chinese government officials belong to this current. It is undoubtedly the ally of humanistic perspectives elsewhere. Its voice is becoming stronger and stronger.
SUMMARY With Chinese Socialism theory and Confucianism as the two main currents dominating today’s Chinese society, we can predict that Humanistic approaches will face fierce resistance when trying to enter deeper into China and Chinese society. But the sharp contrast gives Humanistic approaches chances to contribute to the establishment of a new ethics system in Chinese society.
PAN CHAODONG is an AHP member in Guangzhou, China, who can be reached at pan_joe2002@hotmail. com.
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