New Confucianism, Science and the Future of the Environment

Abstract

It is argued in this article that the dialogue between science and humanities is not just an option, but rather a necessary act. In China, New Confucianism has accomplished its creative transformation through its dialogue with science, and the development of science and technology has also benefited from humanities – New Confucianism included. In the global confrontation of growing environmental crisis, science alone cannot solve all the problems. What kind of role can New Confucianism play along with science in addressing the environmental issues? How will a re-interpretation of tianrenheyi (unity of man and nature), which is a core Confucian concept, contribute to the critique of anthropocentrism and the cross-cultural reformation of ecological thought? Bearing in mind both the cosmopolitan consciousness and the eco-environmental sensibility, a New Confucian ecological humanism is proposed and analysed in response to the global environmental problem.

The Connectedness with Nature of Chinese Adolescent Tourists: A Q Method Approach

“…Tian ren he yi (oneness of nature with humans) have a strong influence on Chinese adolescent tourists. Our findings echo He's (2018) argument that nature is not just an object of study, but is essential to our knowledge of ourselves for Chinese.…”

The Influence of Academic Independent Directors and Confucianism on Carbon Information Disclosure: Evidence from China

“…According to the Unity of Man and Nature, understanding the human-nature relationship as a consumer-commodity relationship is void of sacredness or moral association of the human-nature relationship [57]. Some studies believe that the supreme essence of the Unity of Man and Nature is to bring peace and security to future generations and promote the sustainable development of global society, and the combination of Confucianism and science can help fix the thorny problem of global environmental degradation [58]. Generally speaking, Confucian ecological thinking can affect the decision-making of managers.…”

Why Confucianism Matters for the Ethics of Technology

“…The idea that Confucianism matters to ethics of technology may seem peculiar, as it has long subordinated the interest in science and technology to the pursuit of ethical perfection, and thus undervalued the role of science and technology. However, with the contemporary New Confucianism (re-)affirming the importance of democracy, science, and technology, alongside Confucianism, for the future of Chinese culture in the mid-twentieth century, they have not only defended the compatibility of Confucianism and modern science and technology, but also argued for the possible contribution of Confucian values for a more humane development in science and technology (He 2018). Hence, the idea that Confucianism does matter to ethics of technology should not be too surprising.…”