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What is meant by "Chinese Spiritual Civilisation"?
"Chinese Spiritual Civilisation" refers to the cultivation and development of moral, ethical, and cultural values within Chinese society. It emphasizes the integration of traditional philosophies such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism with modern social norms to promote harmony, respect, and social stability. This concept is often discussed in the context of national development and cultural rejuvenation. For more information, see the relevant article on Wikipedia.
How does Chinese Spiritual Civilisation influence modern Chinese society?
Chinese Spiritual Civilisation shapes modern society by encouraging citizens to adopt virtues like honesty, respect, and responsibility. It supports the government's efforts to foster social harmony and ethical behavior, guiding both individual conduct and public policy. This spiritual framework is seen as essential for sustainable development and national unity. The principles often align with values promoted in religious texts, such as the Bible’s teachings on ethical living (BibleGateway).
What are the main components of Chinese Spiritual Civilisation?
The main components of Chinese Spiritual Civilisation include moral education, cultural heritage preservation, community service, and the promotion of social harmony. These elements draw from classical Chinese philosophies and are integrated into contemporary policies and education systems. The focus is on nurturing ethical citizens, respecting traditions, and fostering a collective sense of responsibility, all of which contribute to the overall well-being and progress of society.
Deng XiaoPing said that the China he had built had “one hand which is tough while the other is soft.” He meant that China and its people required two hands, one strong and material and one soft and ‘spiritual’. Deng said that “to get rich is glorious”, but then became concerned that in the rush to become rich quickly, ‘spirituality’ had been ignored and forgotten. What was needed to rectify the balance was a “Socialist spiritual civilisation”
Some say that Samuel Huntington’s book “The Clash of Civilisations” raised Chinese alarms, arguing that “only powers with a strong ‘spirituality’ such as the U.S. or the Islamic world would be significant players in the clash of civilisations. The Soviet Union had lost its place for not having a viable ‘spirituality’. Thus China must find a Chinese ‘spirituality’.
Xi Jinping seems to be wrestling with the same problem. China is a military and economic superpower, but its citizens are not motivated by a deep, ‘spiritual’ loyalty to the Party and the government. That is partly because there is an issue: how does an atheistic political system define what is ‘spiritual’. It was never really clear what the ‘spiritual civilisation’ that Deng and Jiang proposed actually meant.
One obvious attempt at definition lies in the stress on secular morality: while pursuing wealth, the Chinese people should avoid corruption and selfishness and obey the Party. In some ways that is an Old Testament morality with a different god!
Others, mainly intellectuals, claim that Marxism had always had a ‘spirituality’ that even includes a ‘mysticism’. But that ‘mysticism’ is surely impossible to define in an atheistic and totally secular political system.