China News Service, Kuala Lumpur, March 21: Global empathy contained in Confucianism promotes inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations
——Exclusive interview with Malaysian scholar Zheng Wenquan
China News Service reporter Chen Yue
The first Wuyi Forum series of events hosted by Renmin University of China and others will be held soon. Zheng Wenquan, a Malaysian scholar who will go to Fujian, China to attend the conference, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and believed that Confucianism and China's excellent traditional culture can still play an important practical role in today's world. The global empathy contained in Confucianism It is of great practical significance to promote tolerance and mutual learning among civilizations.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: How did you embark on the path of Confucian research in Malaysia?
Zheng Wenquan:
First of all, Malaysian Chinese generally have a sense of mission and a sense of urgency for the inheritance of traditional culture. Especially for a long period of time, Confucianism has been relatively neglected in Malaysian Chinese education. However, there are still Chinese educators who use their extracurricular time to pass on and popularize Confucian classics to generations of young people.
Jonker Street, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo by Hu Shanmin
In the process of receiving Chinese education and learning Chinese, I came into contact with the Confucian classics "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Book of Changes". Through them, I learned Chinese and then understood the basic thoughts of Confucianism, and naturally developed a sense of closeness to Confucian thought. When I grew up, I studied abroad in Taiwan, China. My instructor also believed that my personal academic interest lay in philosophical research, so I embarked on the path of Confucian research.
My research on classical Confucianism mainly focuses on Xunxue and Zhuxue. Regarding Zhuxue, I pay special attention to rituals, because I found that Zhuxue has both the "Neo-Confucianism" content of learning and the practical "Rituals" that matches Neo-Confucianism. This part has wider spread and greater influence in Southeast Asia. Chinese colleagues are interested in overseas Confucianism, and I have therefore written several books, including "Southeast Asian Confucianism", "Five Essays on the History of Zhu Xi in Southeast Asia", and "Malaysian Confucian Academic History in the Past Two Hundred Years".
Another aspect of my research is focused on the academic and intellectual history of Southeast Asia.
Zheng Wenquan's "History of Confucian Academics in Malaysia in the Past Two Hundred Years". Photo by Zhong Xin
Reporter from China News Service: In what areas are your recent research mainly focused? What practical role do you think Confucianism and traditional cultural studies can play in today’s world?
Zheng Wenquan:
I have recently devoted myself to studying the empathy of global civilization contained in Confucianism. The paper I submitted this time is "Reinterpreting the Mencius-Xunde Controversy from the Perspective of Empathy of Global Civilization." The subject of "empathy" can be said to be one of the "outstanding studies" in current Western academic circles. It has greatly changed the world's perspective on human nature and the world situation. As Jeremy Rifkin points out, the traditional view of human nature as “aggressive, materialistic, utilitarian, and selfish” is no longer fashionable because we now discover that humans are an empathetic species; and as Stephen Ping What Ke pointed out is that instead of asking "why is there war" or violence, it is better to ask "why is there peace". The topic of "empathy" brings not only a shift in the perspective of human nature, but also a shift to a more positive connotation and image of human nature.
In March 2024, the International Kite Festival was held in Pasir Gudang City, Johor, Malaysia. More than 130 contestants from more than 30 countries and regions "beautified the sky" with various kites. Photo by Chen Yue
In the preface to the Chinese version of his book "Empathy Civilization", Jeremy Rifkin puts forward his observations and understanding of Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism. Jeremy Rifkin believes that Confucius’ “forgiveness” or “don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you, do not do to others” describes the same moral function as modern “empathy”. As late as the time of Mencius, Chinese Confucianism had already proposed the phenomenon of "empathy" or "sympathy" that is only understood by modern Western cognitive psychology and developmental biology, that is, "unbearable heart" or "sympathy". The saying of "compassion". Compared with the understanding of "empathy" in the Western world today, Confucian empathy is not based on people's "rights" but on the concept of "responsibility." It is not only the group of people who are empathized with, but the entire universe. This one is more biosphere aware.
In my opinion, the dispute between Mencius and Xunzi from the perspective of empathy is reflected in how to "know" the "nature" of empathy. This leads to the different intellectual styles and approaches of Mencius and Xunzi. . Between Mencius and Xun, there should be no different attitudes toward empathy among current Western scholars. The Chinese studies of Mencius and Xun and the current trend of thoughts and research on empathy in the West are on the same spectrum of empathy.
I believe that empathy and empathy presented in Confucianism advocate communication and communication between people and civilizations based on empathy. As the Analects of Confucius says, "If you want to establish yourself, you can help others; if you want to reach yourself, you can help others." Empathy and empathy can promote exchanges and tolerance among civilizations, and are of great significance to mutual learning among civilizations.
On the evening of March 1, 2024, the centuries-old ancient temple in Johor, Malaysia, held a night tour. The picture shows the famous twenty-four seasonal drum performances by Malaysian Chinese. Photo by Chen Yue
Taking Malaysia as an example, since the 1990s, in response to the "clash of civilizations" theory at that time, all walks of life in Malaysia have actively promoted dialogue between Confucian and Islamic civilizations and refuted the "clash of civilizations" with academic research and practical actions. Anwar, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, had a civilized dialogue between Islam and Confucianism with the famous Neo-Confucian scholar Tu Weiming at that time, advocating civilized dialogue and diversity and tolerance, and promoting mutual understanding and communication between the two civilizations.
To this day, Islamic scholars and Confucian scholars in Malaysia still actively promote dialogue among civilizations. For example, in recent years, I have joined hands with the Malaysian Islamic Science Society to conduct research on ancient Malay culture, explore the multiple meanings of the "classical period" of Malay civilization and its relationship with Islamic civilization, and promote mutual learning among civilizations. I believe this also has practical significance for the harmonious coexistence and joint development of multicultural Malaysia.
Young people on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo by Hu Shanmin
China News Service reporter: What do you think of China’s inheritance and development of traditional culture in recent years?
Zheng Wenquan:
Since the beginning of the 20th century, especially in recent years, China has entered a mature period in promoting and inheriting excellent traditional culture, including Confucianism.
In 2002, Renmin University of China established the Confucius Institute, and I was invited to go there for exchanges. So far, I have maintained close exchanges with the Confucian circles in mainland China. I also feel that China’s research on Confucianism has become more and more in-depth in recent years, and I have cooperated with the Confucius Institute. integration with social development.
I have noticed that in recent years, not only has the Nishan World Confucian Center been established in Shandong, the birthplace of Confucius, to promote dialogue and exchanges between Confucianism and other civilizations around the world; various parts of China have also promoted the study of Confucian scholars based on their own cultural heritage.
For example, Fujian attaches great importance to the excavation and inheritance of Zhu Xi's culture. The Wuyi Forum to be held in Nanping this time focuses on promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture. I am looking forward to participating in the forum and communicating with Chinese scholars.
On August 8, 2013, nearly a hundred teachers and students from Taiwan visited Wufu Town, Nanping City, Fujian Province, the hometown of Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi, to learn about Zhu Xi’s culture and continue the tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education. The picture shows Taiwanese primary school students wearing ancient costumes presenting celery, lotus seeds, dates and longans to their teachers in front of Zhu Xi’s former residence in the traditional ceremony of respecting their teachers. Photo by Zhang Bin
Chen Chun of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province was a disciple of Zhu Xi and founded the Beixi School. The inheritance and influence of the Beixi School later spread to Taiwan. In recent years, Zhangzhou has also attached great importance to the research and inheritance of Chen Chun, making it an important bridge connecting the development of Confucianism on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
In addition, Handan, Hebei Province promotes Xunzi culture, and Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province inherits Hehe culture. It can be said that it is a grand occasion of a hundred flowers blooming.
In recent years, Chinese Confucian scholars have also conducted more and more in-depth research on texts, and have reached a very sophisticated level in organizing, collating, annotating, and compiling ancient texts. For example, I noticed that Chinese research on Xunzi has gone deep into the elucidation and study of the two words "xing" and "pseudo" in Xunzi's works, which "transform nature into falsehood".
China's research on traditional culture and Confucianism is in-depth and vigorously developing. It also provides overseas scholars with a platform to publish research results, conduct academic exchanges, and promote the inheritance, research, and cross-civilization exchanges of Chinese traditional culture, which is of considerable significance. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Zheng Wenquan is currently an associate professor in the Chinese Department of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. Social part-time jobs include examiner of Chinese and philosophy subjects in Malaysia, director of the International Confucian Federation, etc. Research areas include Chinese Confucianism, Southeast Asian academic and intellectual history, and dialogue among civilizations.