This week on Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang, I'm joined by Daniel A. Bell, vice president of the International Confucian Association and chair of Political Theory with the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong.
On July 9 and 10, the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations will be held in Qufu city in east China's Shandong Province. Qufu is renowned as the birthplace of Confucius and the historical heartland of Confucian culture. This year's forum explores the relationship among diverse civilizations and global modernization. Daniel will deliver a speech during the forum.
In this episode, Daniel and I explored the unique characteristics of Shandong that reflect the deep influence of Confucianism. We discussed how Confucian values continue to shape contemporary Chinese politics and society -- from expectations around the moral integrity of government officials to the emphasis on family values. We also delved into how different civilizations engage with one another, and how Confucianism influences the broader process of modernization. Daniel also shared with me his expectations for this year's Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, as well as the main themes of the speech he plans to deliver at the event.
Daniel's research area includes comparative political theory, Confucianism, and Legalism. From 2017 to 2022, Daniel served as Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University -- the first foreigner in the Chinese mainland's history to hold such a position. His book, The Dean of Shandong, published in 2023, chronicles his experiences as what he calls a "minor bureaucrat." Daniel has also taught at Beijing’s Tsinghua University for 13 years.
In 2018, Daniel was awarded the Huilin Prize and honored as a "Cultural Leader" by the World Economic Forum. In 2021, he was selected as the People’s Friendship Envoy of Shandong Province.
Highlights:
03:56 – Confucian traits of Shandong and Daniel’s teaching experience there
13:44 – How Confucian values shape politics and society in today’s China
16:00 – Comparing family values in China and the West
20:03 – Moral standards in China’s selection and evaluation of officials
25:52 – Xunzi and the creative dialogue between Confucianism and Islam
31:53 – How Confucianism contributed to modernization in East Asia
35:06 – Civilizational dialogues at the Nishan Forum
37:46 – Ritualized ice hockey in Daniel’s hometown — and its Confucian echoes
41:14 – How Daniel’s next book brings ancient Chinese thinkers into dialogue on today’s biggest questions
Recommendation:
Daniel: The ritualized ice hockey games in Canada
JJ: Why Ancient Chinese Political Thought Matters: Four Dialogues on China’s Past, Present, and Future, by Daniel A. Bell
You can also listen to Inside the China Room with Jiang Jiang on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
This episode is edited by Yifei Shi.
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