Which school of thought should China build upon for future development?

Throughout Chinese history, two schools of thought dominated the political environment: Confucianism, and Legalism.



Which school will secure the most prosperous future for China? As China works towards establishing a centrally governed Communist society, which school would be best aligned with that goal?

Confucianism asserts that humans are virtuous while Legalism asserts that humans are fundamentally flawed and require strict oversight to control their impulses. However, Marxism requires a dialectical materialist outlook and reality has shown that humans are anything but a monolith. How to best deal with human nature to create a prosperous and harmonious society?

Discuss

GZDRefugee said:

Throughout Chinese history, two schools of thought dominated the political environment: Confucianism, and Legalism.

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Which school will secure the most prosperous future for China? As China works towards establishing a centrally governed Communist society, which school would be best aligned with that goal?

Confucianism asserts that humans are virtuous while Legalism asserts that humans are fundamentally flawed and require strict oversight to control their impulses. However, Marxism requires a dialectical materialist outlook and reality has shown that humans are anything but a monolith. How to best deal with human nature to create a prosperous and harmonious society?

Discuss

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If you assume that we will live in a world of plenty (due to productive robots and AI) combined with a Universal Basic Income (redistribution), there's only one answer.

Both. Neither.

Confucianism had long been subsumed by Legalism to serve as the velvet glove over the iron fist.

Both were instruments of feudal rule.

Whatever the CPC considers is best in the interests of the Chinese people and Chinese Civilisation.
Unlike the fundamentalist christian/white anglo chauvinist ideologues of the West, the Chinese people know that being unchanging and being too reliant on a particular outmoded form of governance or thought is what led to the downfall of the Qing. The CPC understands from having studied the fall of the Soviets and the Qing that human civilisation is dynamic and thus governance needs to be constantly updated and mutable, as Deng once put it: 'crossing the river by feeling the stones beneath'.

AndrewS said:

If you assume that we will live in a world of plenty (due to productive robots and AI) combined with a Universal Basic Income (redistribution), there's only one answer.

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Expanding on this, why would you have to go the legalist route if you have an AI that can see everything and stop you doing anything to harm others like your mother?

And the studies show that after basic material needs are met, it is the quality of your relationships that determines individual happiness. And Confucianism is all about relationships and is really paternalistic like an AI (or maternalistic as I put it)

solarz said:

Both. Neither.

Confucianism had long been subsumed by Legalism to serve as the velvet glove over the iron fist.

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The reality on the ground is that there will be saboteurs and counter-revolutionaries. External powers will attempt to hijack or infiltrate the system. How does a society encourage behaviours that foster stability?

One example is the current trend of wealth worship. The crackdown on flaunting wealth had mixed results.

None of the above.

The choice between "traditional values" from the medieval period and "Western values" like liberalism, socialism, etc. is a false choice.

It's primarily used by Western liberals to shame China into choosing liberalism because surely, nobody wants to live in the 10th century?

But the premise is false from the start - you don't have to be Western to be modern.

China should develop a new philosophical system based on its own cultural values and circumstances, which takes the best of the old systems - like meritocracy, social harmony, and family values - and combines it with what's practical and useful today, like scientific development, collectivist economics, and Chinese nationalism.

If there are aspects of Western philosophical systems that are proven to be great, sure, integrate them. But don't copy the West, and always examine their systems critically and with an eye towards whether it will actually benefit China long-term.

Lots of good answers, keep 'em coming.

Eventine said:

China should develop a new philosophical system based on its own cultural values and circumstances, which takes the best of the old systems - like meritocracy, social harmony, and family values - and combines it with what's practical and useful today, like scientific development, collectivist economics, and Chinese nationalism.

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I agree with this. Going forwards, pragmatism should provide a strong basis for development. However, humans tend to resist change and that must be addressed.

I can't help but feel there's a disconnect between the National Congress and the youth. Many changes in ideology and material conditions will happen during the formative years of future generations. Perhaps they should have a bigger role or voice in the system.

GZDRefugee said:

The reality on the ground is that there will be saboteurs and counter-revolutionaries. External powers will attempt to hijack or infiltrate the system. How does a society encourage behaviours that foster stability?

One example is the current trend of wealth worship. The crackdown on flaunting wealth had mixed results.

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A culture of egalitarianism can be encouraged, look at Australian society prior to the fall of the Soviet Union and before it became americanised, where it was socially frowned upon to flaunt wealth and doing so just encouraged the tax office to scrutinise you and your earnings.

Similarly, the CPC’s promotion of a moderately prosperous society with a low Gini coefficient is laudable and can be seen as a step in the right direction and away from the wealth worship of the Hu years.

GZDRefugee said:

The reality on the ground is that there will be saboteurs and counter-revolutionaries. External powers will attempt to hijack or infiltrate the system. How does a society encourage behaviours that foster stability?

One example is the current trend of wealth worship. The crackdown on flaunting wealth had mixed results.

Click to expand...

There's no "system" that makes you immune to foreign influence. Not even North Korea is able to achieve that.

What you're asking is how to foster a harmonious society through socio-economic policies and effective law enforcement. That is an extremely complex question with no simple solutions.

Philosophies are only able to guide your worldview. You cannot rely on any ideology to give you simple answers to life's complex questions. Only through systematic learning and experimentation can you come up with the correct solutions.