Vice President of Central Communist Youth League School in China Warns of Postmodern Values, Populist Sentiments, and Extreme Nationalism Among Youth, Advocates for Enhanced Social Support
Yes, Professor Lian Si（廉思) sounds as a thoughtful and empathic person, just as you described him.
In the text, there is one aspect of what has been said that fills me with confusion and concern.
That aspect is expressed in these three quotes:
* "These youth [....] want a [....] law-based society"
* [Professor Lian Si:] "We can consider introducing the "Youth Development Promotion Law" "
* "We should earnestly implement the important requirements of the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on "comprehensively promoting the rule of law in all aspects of the country's work"
What I would like is a discussion or a comment :
1) What makes the present-day Chinese youth and Communist Party of China want to promote the rule of law while the Western world that has been the rule of law's greatest promoter is falling apart in lawlessness before our eyes?
2) What do they think of Confucius' teachings about law, for example in Analects 2.3?
3) How does Professor view Tao de Ching and especially its chapter 57?
Or if it's too many questions, let's put it simply : How do they see the relationship between the rule based on law on one hand, and the rule of virtue on the other hand?
Thanks for asking these questions! The first question is that it's a very controversial mentality for some. When it comes to their own hobbies and subcultures, they want clear boundaries, which means they don't want to be intervened. On the other hand, when facing a subculture they don't like (which is very common cause China contains pre-modern, modern, and post-modern elements at the same time), some may just ask for a "rule of virtue." calling gov to regulate. For the "falling of the West," I think it's more relevant to the lack of the capability of governance (ability to make decisions and implement policies) rather than the "rule of law." The second, in short, is that not many people care about Confucius' original thinking about the law. People in the West won't think of Socrates or Plato when making laws.
The third question, I haven't talked with him regarding this question, but I think he might agree with the essence of Tao de Ching's chapter 57.
Thanks for doing this translation Fred. It is an interesting piece, that highlights to me a serious concern about how the "post modern" values seem to affect the views of the regime about its own stability.
Yes, Professor Lian Si（廉思) sounds as a thoughtful and empathic person, just as you described him.
In the text, there is one aspect of what has been said that fills me with confusion and concern.
That aspect is expressed in these three quotes:
* "These youth [....] want a [....] law-based society"
* [Professor Lian Si:] "We can consider introducing the "Youth Development Promotion Law" "
* "We should earnestly implement the important requirements of the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on "comprehensively promoting the rule of law in all aspects of the country's work"
What I would like is a discussion or a comment :
1) What makes the present-day Chinese youth and Communist Party of China want to promote the rule of law while the Western world that has been the rule of law's greatest promoter is falling apart in lawlessness before our eyes?
2) What do they think of Confucius' teachings about law, for example in Analects 2.3?
3) How does Professor view Tao de Ching and especially its chapter 57?
Or if it's too many questions, let's put it simply : How do they see the relationship between the rule based on law on one hand, and the rule of virtue on the other hand?
Thanks for asking these questions! The first question is that it's a very controversial mentality for some. When it comes to their own hobbies and subcultures, they want clear boundaries, which means they don't want to be intervened. On the other hand, when facing a subculture they don't like (which is very common cause China contains pre-modern, modern, and post-modern elements at the same time), some may just ask for a "rule of virtue." calling gov to regulate. For the "falling of the West," I think it's more relevant to the lack of the capability of governance (ability to make decisions and implement policies) rather than the "rule of law." The second, in short, is that not many people care about Confucius' original thinking about the law. People in the West won't think of Socrates or Plato when making laws.
The third question, I haven't talked with him regarding this question, but I think he might agree with the essence of Tao de Ching's chapter 57.
Thanks for doing this translation Fred. It is an interesting piece, that highlights to me a serious concern about how the "post modern" values seem to affect the views of the regime about its own stability.