Words of wisdom(3)

Ren stated that from a Confucian perspective, the cost of governance is too high at present, and the burden of administration too heavy. Instead, more space should be encouraged for social self-governance, where people can be bound together with common values originating from Confucianism.

Zhao Shilin, a professor from the School of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Minzu University of China, added that a combination of Confucianism and the present law system can better serve the country as strengthened public morality can further reduce crime and noble leaders can influence their followers.

Source of morality?

There have been a series of moral panics in China in recent years, following cases of elderly people or children being left to die by passersby, teachers sexually abusing students, and similar incidents.

"Many social issues, including the prevailing mistrust between people, will not be solved if we rely solely on reforming systems alone. Rather we need to change our culture as well as our values and ethics, which have been affected by materialism," Yao said.

Yao said this is part of the setbacks China has suffered in pursuit of modernization, which lacked the consciousness that a nation's modernization should be rooted in its culture and in China he sees that as Confucianism.

Yang also noted China is under strong cultural invasion from the West and it is high time to regain national confidence by returning to tradition.

President Xi has emphasized at a conference in August that China's soft power lies in its "splendid culture," which also breeds socialism with Chinese characteristics. The reform plan issued by the Communist Party of China in November vowed to deepen cultural system reform and build China into a socialist cultural power.