Confucianism alone cannot save the world

Joseph Chan from HK University contributed this to the ST today. Very good piece.

To me the problem with Confucianism can best be studied against Christianity. Confucianism is like a cut flower that we managed to keep alive with great effort. It can't grow but you can cut it back. On the other hand Christianity has adapted to the times and environment no other religion had even come close and paved the way to a technological and law based modernity. Therefore Confucianism alone cannot save the world. It needs a graft.

What interested me most was the writer's ending remarks.

Joseph Chan's critique of the Singapore's meritocracy losing its way was spot on. I agree with him on the Chinese situation too. However I do not agree with his views on America (not shown here). The US should never be understood against any other nation but must be evaluated on its own. That is why her enemies and competitors regularly underestimate her.

Meanwhile Confucianism has beaten Marxism with Chinese characteristic but it must never be publicly acknowledged. Chinese leaders in private plot how they could do the minimum to pacify the people even as they pursue ego building dreams and the revival of the Great Chinese Civilization: the ultimate ego trophy. Of course they also want to be the richest leaders in the world too.