Over at China Beat, my friend, Daniel Bell, posts a brief report on a recent conference on "Traditional Values in a Modern Chinese Context: An Interdisciplinary Approach." It illustrates the growing interest among contemporary Chinese academics in the meaning and experience of Confucianism. The good news is that there seems to be much wider and deeper interest among Chinese intellectuals in Confucian ideas than in the more callous Legalist tradition. Mencius offers so much more humanity than Han Fei Tzu.
And Daniel notes at the end of his post:
…What is clear, however, is that academics need the freedom to discuss
and publish their ideas and adequate funding to carry out research in
order to pursue these questions in fruitful ways. Under the right
conditions, China could well develop into a leading center of global
learning, with academics researching questions and values hitherto
neglected in the West.
and publish their ideas and adequate funding to carry out research in
order to pursue these questions in fruitful ways. Under the right
conditions, China could well develop into a leading center of global
learning, with academics researching questions and values hitherto
neglected in the West.
Yes. Three cheers for academic freedom everywhere…
The Useless Tree 
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