The Concept of Harmony in Contemporary P. R. China and in Modern Confucianism

Abstract

The present article deals with the idea of the “harmonious society,” which is at the core of contemporary social ideologies in the P. R. China. This concept is examined from three perspectives: the official state interpretations of the concept of harmony (he 和 or hexie 和諧), and the classical and Modern Confucian elucidations. The author concludes that official political interpretations from the P.R. China mainly follow Xunzi’s classical elaboration of this concept, which is in the legalist tradition and implies autocratic elements, whereas the philosophic interpretations written by the Taiwanese Modern Confucians generally elaborate the Mencian, i.e. the more egalitarian and democratic stream of classical Confucian thought.

Motivations behind individuals’ energy efficiency investments and daily energy-saving behavior: The case of China

“…Especially Confucian values of stability, discipline and social order continues to serve as a „leading source of ideas in China’s policy “ (Zhao 2018 ) and still influence conceptions of „social harmony “. The popular „Doctrine of the Mean “ emphasizes „harmony with nature and a long term perspective “, which enables people to „achieve/maintain a harmonious co-existence with other individuals and society as a whole “ (Rosker 2013 ) and is therefore connected to even influence green purchasing intention of Chinese consumers (Sheng et al 2019 ). In difference to Confucianism Daoism as China’s oldest philosophy does not focus on social hierarchies, but emphasizes naturalness, simplicity, detachment from desires and „wu wei “, as a principle of not-acting to reach the „Tao “.…”

Prospects for Covenantal Pluralism in the People's Republic of China: A Reflection on State Policy and Muslim Minorities

“…In contrast, neo-Confucian philosophy influenced by Mengzi believes in the virtue of goodness and takes the more humanistic approach to harmony. The CCP's ideology of "harmonious society" is based on Xunzi's authoritarian discourse, whereas Taiwan adopts Mengzi's philosophy that emphasizes the autonomy of the individualessential in the development of a democratic society (Rošker 2013). It is interesting to note that while Taiwan and Singapore both practice multi-party representative democracy, Singaporean government exercises much more restrictive regulations on religion than Taiwan (scored 1.7 on GRI, and 0.7 on SHI).…”

Exploring the term “harmony” and its practical significance in Confucian classics with examples drawn from the Liji

“…Yet why is harmony so important? As we know, harmony ( he ) is not only a theoretical concept based on its philological senses, but is also an important practical guide that has been embodied in Chinese familial, social, and political areas for several 1000 years (see Duvert, 2018; Li, 2015; Rošker, 2013; Yu, 2010). Our study in Section 2 also shows the practical importance of harmony ( he ), as reflected in the Liji, in broad human and nonhuman areas in relation to individual, external things, music, interpersonal relations (familial and social relations), politics, the cosmos, and so on.…”