Essay Sample on Appliance Confucian Value Into Chinese Politics, Culture, and Family

Introduction

The most fundamental feature of China is its citizens' sense of uniqueness. Before 2000 BC, China referred to itself as a nation-state. However, after 2000BC, it was referred to as a civilization-state. Ghosh (2012) noted that China remained a nation-state for almost 2000 years. A nation-state is defined by Jacques (2012) refers to a region where a unique cultural or racial group stays and governs. One of the major principles of a nation-state is that a politically ordered society integrates people enthused by a sense of unity, traditions, and aspirations. Here, the state has salient cultural groups under a single government. On the contrary, a civilization-state is a function of a combined population and strong integration with the government. Primarily, the Chinese sense of identity has mainly been fashioned by the country's history of civilization especially the connection between the state and the society, Confucian values, ancestral reverence, filial piety, as well as, Chinese language and traditions. Although China is currently regarded as a nation-state, it remains a civilization-state regarding history, traditions, mindset, and identity. Principally, as a civilization-state, China has two main features that include its outstanding longevity and sheer scale of demography and geography. Xia (2014) noted that the concept of China as a civilization-state is a crucial foundation for understanding it. The relationship between the state and the society in China is entirely different from that of the West. Imperatively, the benefit of upholding the unanimity of China as a society, as a nation, as a civilization-state, is the essential political imperative for Chinese elected officials. The Chinese view the government as the head of the family while the West believes the government's reach should be restrained (Jacques, 2012). According to Chinese, following and believing in the state is an expression and embodiment of their civilization. This perspective represents a profoundly unlike the relationship between the state and society. Maintaining unity, solidity and honoring Chinese civilization as a civilization-state is seemingly the highest political precedence. This is viewed as the sacred task of the Chinese state. Therefore, the Chinese state enjoys formidable legality in the eyes of its citizens who have nothing to do with democracy but create a good rapport between the state and the country's civilization.

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Confucius believed that proper governance is only possible if honorable persons lead by moral uprightness Jacques (2012). He stated that a moral leader performs his or her responsibilities and avoids numerous challenges while a wrong leader makes it almost impossible for subordinates to comply with orders given to them (Jacques, 2012). Confucius also argues that self-governance and restraint are depicted in leaders who lead by virtue. From a Confucian standpoint, the precept of law is indispensable, while the tenet of virtue is preferable. The Confucian political thought has two key aspects. First, Confucian political thought emphasizes virtue and self-cultivation in political life. Secondly, syncretizes in internalizing rival ideologies and intellectual sources. Therefore, the Confucian value determines the Chinese political realm in line with statements by Jacques (2012) that the political arena should be more than a stage where power struggle are performed. In the Confucian agenda, morality assumes coherence between our professional and private lives and Confucian governance starts from self-cultivation and ends in a moral vision of datong.

Confucianism is an intricate system of social and political principles that focuses on morality. In the broader sense, it is a kind of ethical companion and convention for proper governance. It is one that treasures hierarchies, group interests, reverence for age, and personal interactions. Confucius perceived that people should act morally towards each other and, and there should be levels of respect. Fundamental in the Confucian thought is the idea of associations particularly the interaction between leaders and subordinates, friends, husband and wife, parents and children, older and younger brothers. The leading party's (parent/leader/husband/older brother/friend) mandate was to take care of and guide the other party. In return, the other party's responsibility is to listen and respect the dominant party (Gao, 1996). An individuals' identity is therefore associated closely with the social role he or she plays. Systemic and harmonious living, with everyone according to Confucius, is anchored on how best everyone understood their role in the social order (Kazancigil, & Dogan, 1986). Failure to act according to the prescribed roles would result in social disorder. These ideas are what shaped Confucianism's influence in China and are still in effect today. Morality has much to do with the social thought of self as a holistic being and a being that can relate well with others in society.

Confucian philosophy rests on three fundamental values that include compassion, filial devotion, and ritual consciousness. Respect for parents is regarded as the essential value. Reports indicate that it is the principal virtue in Confucianism (Ye, 2004). Although humaneness is the final aim, filial piety marks the beginning of all of them. Principally, filial piety is obtained from the underlying human bond especially parent and children. Among the associations that Confucius outlines, the parent-child relationship is the first and the most important one. Scholars argue that although children are the junior constituents in the stated relationship, the concept of reciprocity remains central to understanding filial devotion (Gao, 1997). This is expressed in a Chinese expression commonly referred to as xiao. Principally, under the personality for xiao is a young man seen to be supporting an older man. Mostly, this exemplifies that the younger generation is obligated to support the older generation.

Given that parents give birth, nurture and care for their children at infancy, the children should also provide similar care when parents are old. Besides, they should honor their parents and respect them even when they have died. Another expression of filial piety as described by the Confucian philosophy is the ancestral veneration. This according to (Gao (1997) is seen when fresh Chinese graves of their ancestors at least once a year.

Conclusion

China's rise to prominence unveils a lot about its customs and traditions. In orders to completely appreciate and comprehend the country as a civilization-state, it is prudent for a person to regard China as a dynamic unit. In the present era of technology and global advancements, the existing civilizations can only prolong the Chinese relevance by reinventing and improving them further. Just like other western civilizations, the Chinese civilization can best be understood by examining the country's historical metamorphosis.

References

Gao, G. (1997). Self and other: A Chinese perspective on interpersonal relationships. In W. B. Gudykunst, S. Ting-Toomey, & T. Nishida (Eds.), Communication in personal relationships across cultures (pp. 81-101). Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage.

Ghosh, L. (2012). China is a civilization state: Martin Jacques, Journalist-writer. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/china-is-a-civilisation-state-martin-jacques-journalist-writer/articleshow/15037969.cms

Jacques, M. (2012), When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order. New York: Penguin.

Kazancigil, A., & Dogan, M. (1986). The State in Global Perspective; Comparing Nations: Concepts, Strategies. Substance. Gower/UNESCO. France, 188.

Xia, G. (2014). China as a "civilization-state": A historical and comparative interpretation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 140, 43-47.

Ye, Z. (2004). Chinese categorization of interpersonal relationships and the cultural logic of Chinese social interaction: An indigenous perspective. Intercultural Pragmatics, 1(2), 211-230.