An commentary ran in yesterday’s China Daily by Qin Xiaoying entitled: "Confucius can survive in this modern world."   Qin wonders why so many Confucius Institutes, which are PRC-sponsored offices for learning Chinese langauge and some "Chinese culture," are spreading around the world so quickly.  Qin makes the obvious point: it is about the money.  Learning Chinese language allows you to tap into the growth machine that is the Chinese economy, or, at least, appears to be the Chinese economy.  (I call this the Lou Dobbs Effect: the more he complains about the "Red Storm," the more people realize that China is where the money is).

     In any event, Qin wants to believe that it is about more than money:

And, of course, there is
the wisdom of Confucius behind all of this sincere help. Confucius’ wisdom still
appeals to people all over the world today.

 I think this is not true: Confucius does not appeal to people all over the world.  I suspect he does not appeal to that many Chinese people, especially younger Chinese people.  I say this because, for about ten months now I have been trying to consider how Confucianism (and other ancient ideas) might  be applicable to modern life, and what I have found, in the case of Confucianism, is that the ethical performance a serious application of Confucian thought requires is just too demanding for people in modern contexts, in either China or the US.

     What a serious application of Confucianism requires, it seems to me, is, at base, a willingness – no, an absolute commitment – to limit one’s professional or money-making endeavors in the interest of the daily care of family and close friends.  Modern, capitalist life – and contemporary China is surely capitalist – simply does not allow this to happen.  Marx was right: necessasry labor time undermines our humanity (which he described as "species being").  To really do the right Confucian thing, one would have to step out of professional and money-making roles so often that unemployment would surely follow.  Perhaps some people can do it, but the dominant cultural trends of money-making,and entertainment, and individualism overwhelm a broader social Confucian practice.

     Might some pale imitation of Confucianism be possible in a modern context?  Perhaps.  But it should be something more than the bromides offered by Qin.  What matters most for Confucianism is not "determination to achieve one’s goals."  In fact, achieving personal goals is quite the opposite of Humanity, which requires finding your character in caring for others:

As for Humanity: if you want to make a stand, help others make a stand, and if you want to reach your goal, help others reach their goal.  Consider yourself and treat others accordingly: this is the method of Humanity.  (Analects 6.29)

      This seems to be a step beyond "do unto others as you would have them do to you."  It is telling us to do unto others as they want to do and only after that will we find ourselves.

     That’s a hard thing to do.  And the possesive individualism of modern capitalism, which is only deepened and accelerated by postmodern capitalism, makes it even harder.

     I am sorry to say, but it’s about the money.