Welcome
Welcome to Confucian Liberal. This informal journal seeks to offer policy ideas and philosophical reflection in our increasingly interconnected global community.
The title embodies the twin themes of the journal. First, classical Confucians and modern liberals each believe that government has an important role to play in improving our world. Today more than ever, ensuring our public institutions function efficiently, fairly, and productively is critical to our quality of life. Our online universe, however, offers few places to raise concrete ideas on specific policies that could be adopted in the US and/or China. This journal seeks to partially fill that gap.
Second, Confucian Liberal harkens to the commonalities and differences across cultures and ideas. Confucianism and Liberalism, China and America, past and present: all have been seen as deeply at odds. Yet in a world where goods, ideas, and people cross oceans like streets, we recognize that we have no choice but to toil together. We start from our own places, but in this new small world we dive into the places of others. While differences appear pronounced at first, when we dig deep enough we recognize that our rivers flow from the common wellspring of humanity, good and bad (Tu Weiming.) But we must begin to dig; this journal scratches the surface.
Although policy ideas and philosophy will be discussed, this web log will not contain a political agenda, offer direct political criticism, or organize action of any sort. Rather, it will focus on positive analysis and measured reflection that can help us understand and improve our respective communities.
The reader's criticism is invited -- and needed.
Andy Green
Suzhou, China
The title embodies the twin themes of the journal. First, classical Confucians and modern liberals each believe that government has an important role to play in improving our world. Today more than ever, ensuring our public institutions function efficiently, fairly, and productively is critical to our quality of life. Our online universe, however, offers few places to raise concrete ideas on specific policies that could be adopted in the US and/or China. This journal seeks to partially fill that gap.
Second, Confucian Liberal harkens to the commonalities and differences across cultures and ideas. Confucianism and Liberalism, China and America, past and present: all have been seen as deeply at odds. Yet in a world where goods, ideas, and people cross oceans like streets, we recognize that we have no choice but to toil together. We start from our own places, but in this new small world we dive into the places of others. While differences appear pronounced at first, when we dig deep enough we recognize that our rivers flow from the common wellspring of humanity, good and bad (Tu Weiming.) But we must begin to dig; this journal scratches the surface.
Although policy ideas and philosophy will be discussed, this web log will not contain a political agenda, offer direct political criticism, or organize action of any sort. Rather, it will focus on positive analysis and measured reflection that can help us understand and improve our respective communities.
The reader's criticism is invited -- and needed.
Andy Green
Suzhou, China
posted by Andy Green at
10:34 PM
2 Comments:
Hey Andy,
It is great to read your blog. Unfortunately I feel I need a reading list before I can constructively comment here.
Hope you are doing well,
Richard H.
By
Anonymous, at 7:05 AM
Hi Andy -- congrats on the insightful first entry in your blog. It occured to me while reading it that, as a subset of nationalism, "great-power status" is an example of the century-old use of nationalism by Chinese politicians to "cover" political change. A century ago it was the "unequal treaties". Later it was Japanese aggression. More recently, Japanese rightists and textbooks, shrine visits, etc. Nationalism is a dangerous kind of cover when used to inflame passions, however justified; in this case it seems relatively benign (though "great powers" have not been historically benign at all!). Philip
By
Anonymous, at 7:25 AM
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