Mick Hartley

The start of the cultural counter-revolution?

“Chinese society today is at its worst ever,” said Kang Xiaoguang, one the country’s leading conservative thinkers and also the main proponent of the revival of Confucian theories.

Citing rising crime rates, unemployment, corruption, a growing wealth gap, the absence of a welfare system, and what he says is a complete lack of a moral or ethical value system, Kang believes China needs to rediscover its cultural roots in order to survive.

“Over the past 150 years China has abandoned its traditional values and has followed a process of Westernisation… a mixture of capitalism and Marxist-Leninism. As a result, there are no moral standards to regulate how people should treat each other, their business partners, their friends and families. We have no way of judging what makes a happy life. Confucius offers traditional values that can help rebuild our moral and social standards.”

Kang’s diagnosis is already gaining influence in high places. For example, proposals for schools to adopt courses in traditional Chinese culture have been given the green light by the Ministry of Education. More than five million children now study Confucian texts and recite ancient poetry.

The precepts of Master Kong (Confucius’ Chinese name) stress ideals of integrity, altruism, respect, and virtue.

Kang however, has much grander plans for the old sage. He has visions of not only the Communist party in China adopting Confucianism as its official ideology, but also the United Nations.

The revival of Confucius mirrors the return of other traditional belief systems and religions such as Taoism and Buddhism. Kang calls it the rise of Chinese cultural hegemony.