Confucian Ideals Research Articles

The Korean Wave as a source of implicit cultural policy: Making of a neoliberal subjectivity in a Korean style

The Korean Wave provides an effective vehicle for implicit cultural policies concerning the formation of a neoliberal subjectivity of young-generation South Koreans. By looking at two web dramas casting K-pop idols (commissioned by the Financial Services Commission and by Samsung) and a pop idol audition programme, we offer a detailed understanding of the prevailing discourse of youth in contemporary Korea and how this is naturalised across the boundaries of policy, business, media and fandom. The implicit cultural policy formulates a desirable self in a ‘Korean style’ by highlighting some of the psychological qualities of post-industrial creative workers and exploring Korean society’s existing inventory of the productive ethic and Confucian ideals. The juxtaposition of post-industrial and industrial ethics, and the tension between entrepreneurial self and collective self, impose a double burden on youth, leaving them little scope to contest the pervasive ‘desirable selfhood’.

Nguyen Phan Long's Le roman de mademoiselle Lys: "L'éducation de nos filles" in Colonial French Indochina

This article examines the problematization of, and the proposed solutions to, cultural métissage in the first published Vietnamese Francophone novel, Le roman de mademoiselle Lys (1921). It investigates how the author, Nguyen Phan Long, founder of the Constitutionalist Party of Cochinchina, uses French syntax as a rhetorical means of disciplining Vietnamese women in French Indochina. I interpret his use of French literary traditions of novelistic and fictionalized diary-writing to impose Confucian ideals on Vietnamese women, and read his mirroring of French "diary-novels" as a reflection of his desire to respond to journaux-romans and their French male authors.

A Study on the Name of "Po Goo Nyo Goan" and Its Marking.

This study aims to correct the Chinese characters of (Po Goo Nyo Goan) and its Korean pronunciation by re-examining the circumstances around the establishment of this hospital, and to discover its naming principle which is associated with the Confucian political philosophy of the Joseon Dynasty. Although is the first modern women's hospital in Korea, most historical studies of this institute have been conducted on limited documents and records. Many published studies use the incorrect names in many ways, so the correct name of the hospital is still in confusion. however, was named with four or five of the Chinese characters given by the Joseon government (King Gojong) at the time of its establishment. The Joseon government gave the name of Seonnyeoboguwon to the first modern women's hospital established by Mary Scranton, the name of which was changed to . Some records left by the female missionary doctors who worked in show the romanization and meaning of the name of the hospital. The romanization of clarified the Korean pronunciation of "(nyeo)" at that time. English translation name of the hospital has always shown that the place provided "extensive" medical treatment to women. It proves the fact that the first Chinese character of the name is , not which is expressed in many documents today. The hospital was named according to Confucian ideals just like the other modern hospitals established around the same time, such as Jejungwon, Gwangjewon , Gwanghyeyeowon. The Joseon government commonly used similar Chinese characters during the naming of these hospitals, characters that imply the ideal of the good Confucian king's favor for many people of Joseon. was unique in having the character "(gwan)" in its name, not "(won)" as in other hospitals. It seems to stem from the characteristic of "women's hospital." Po Gu Nyo Goan, the unprecedented women's hospital, was probably imagined as a hospitable accommodation where women provided kindness to people in need. This may have been the reason why , which has the meaning of accommodation, was chosen instead of that primarily meant medical facilities. Correcting the name of helps to eliminate the confusion in current historiography and to promote the understanding of the historical significance of this hospital.

무대 위의 巾幗영웅 ― 중국 전통극중 여성영웅형상의 탄생과 변용

It is not difficult to find superheroines among the characters of Chinese classical drama. They have fought for their country and have kept their families safe from national crises caused by invasions of foreign countries and domestic revolts.BR Jinguo heroines (heroines who wear headscarves and fight for their country), such as Hua Mulan, Mu Guiying, She Taijun, Fan Lihua, and Bao Sanniang, are characterized as individuals who are wiser, more active, courageous, and powerful than male characters and most of them are masters of martial arts and war tactics. Moreover, they would compete with men and willfully choose their own spouses and they volunteered to sacrifice their lives in the battlefield as a General or a Warrior for their families and national pride. Jinguo heroines have also fought against traitors and they sometimes criticized the incompetent government. They have been a symbol of loyalty and fidelity on the stage and welcomed by the audience for a long time. These characters are inspired by historical figures or heroines of literary works. They have been described as ‘Qinu’(奇女- outstanding, unusual woman) and ‘Lienu’(烈女- a strong-willed woman of Confucian ideals) at the same time.BR This paper examines the birth, transformation, and significance of celebrated female characters in Chinese classical drama. Through research, we learn about how these heroines were created, what makes them similar yet distinct from one another, and how they continue to prove their lasting impact as figurative, historical role models in China.

A historical trajectory of cultural policy in Korea: transforming cultural politics into cultural policy

ABSTRACTThis article attempts to enrich the concept of implicit cultural policy by referring to a historical case where cultural politics and cultural policy are intermingled. Korea in the fifteenth century, a time deeply rooted in Confucian political ideals, exhibited significant features of politico-religious state management. Not only was Korea a locus of cultural politics of religion, but this historical period was also a point where the arts, especially music, were the core instrument for realising the country’s political ideals. This historical case provides us with an understanding of how the state occupied a central role in cultural politics and stabilised its initiative by institutionalising the executive system. This article explores the ancient theory of rites and music (Ye-ki; Liji), which forms the core of Confucian cultural display. Music was an important medium that was used to pursue an ideal governance. A description of how the ancient bureaucratic apparatus was established to implement Confucian political ideals follows.

통치, 의, 수양: 유교의 이념에 대한 기독교적 평가

통치, 의, 수양: 유교의 이념에 대한 기독교적 평가

Asian Values and Human Rights: A Vietnamese Perspective

This paper examines the impact of the ideology of ‘Asian Values' on the legal norms and practices that frame the recognition and protection of human rights in Vietnam. Specifically, the paper focusses on the extent to which Asian Values has been deployed to discourage the adoption of international human rights norms and practices in the context of Vietnam’s rapid economic development since the mid- 1980s. The paper first sketches the adoption of Asian Values in Vietnam’s politics and society. Cultural and political factors that have shaped the conception of human rights are reviewed. Human rights language and norms, as manifest in political ideologies, policies and laws are then analysed, with particular reference to the different versions of Vietnam’s Constitution. It is shown that both the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the State of Vietnam have clearly articulated Asian Values in formulating their conceptions of human rights. This outcome is argued to result from the fact that Vietnamese political leaders, alike with Lee Kwan Yew in Singapore, the progenitor of Asian Rights, have been strongly influenced by Confucian ideals of governance. Confucianism is not, however, the only basis for political ideas in Vietnam. Although Vietnam is a market economy it remains a one- party state controlled by the CPV. The Marxist-Leninist principles on which the current State of Vietnam was based at its inception in 1975 remain intact. This ideology was however layered onto generations of collectivist principles embodied in the dominant agrarian society. The influence of Asian Values, on the recognition of and support for human rights in Vietnam has, however, been largely negative rather than positive, especially in relation to recognising civil and political rights as codified in universal human rights instruments. Thus, the protection and promotion of human rights in Vietnam, going forward, essentially mandates eliminating the influence of Asian Values in the ideology of political leaders and in the wider society.
 Key words: Human rights, Asian Values, democracy, constitution, Communist Party, Vietnam

Reporting to the Sage: Military Monuments in the Imperial Academy in Qing China

AbstractThis article presents a study of a unique kind of commemorative stele erected by Qing emperors in the Imperial Academy—the symbol of Confucian culture and civilian education—and also replicated in schools across China. Before the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Chinese rulers did not install military monuments at the academy. In this article, I argue that the Qing emperors erected war monuments in the Imperial Academy to justify and commemorate their wars of conquest. As the emperors required the stelae to be replicated at some of the local schools across China, they became widely accessible to the public. However, the Qing emperors, particularly the Qianlong emperor, were concerned that the stelae could become symbols of abusive warfare, thereby undermining their claims to rule in accordance with Confucian ideals. For this reason, they carefully selected the campaigns to commemorate and ensured that inscriptions on the stelae explained that they had no choice but to embark on war in these instances.

Music, Morality, and Genre in Tang Poetry

Abstract The relationship between music and Tang poetry is a topic of ongoing interest, usually approached from the perspective of individual genres. This article considers the relationships of three major genres of Tang poetry to music, morality, and one another to argue that musical and ethical considerations were important factors in the waxing and waning of those genres. By the mid-Tang, and perhaps much earlier, the musical system for Han and Six Dynasties yuefu poetry had been lost. Citing poems, critical writings, and histories of such poets as Shen Yue, Yuan Jie, Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen, and Li Qingzhao, however, this article shows how yuefu, shi, and quzi ci poets reappropriated the idea of “music bureau” pieces to experiment with, and stand in for, even older, Confucian ideals on the relationship of lyrics to music and morality. By citing examples where ethical considerations prompted poets and musicians to reinvent and reinterpret older forms, this article complicates the notion of a straight line of development from folk song to literati imitation to antiquarian exercise.

Universal health coverage and public-private participation: towards a new balance?

Abstract This commentary discusses the emergence of a new paradigm to address the health policy issues through Public-Private Participation (PPP). The discussion provides a detailed literature review of PPPs by presenting an initial overview of the ideological shift from state to market intervention, then identifying arguments in support of or against public-private approaches and finally exploring the emergence of this new paradigm of PPP or its hybrid forms. It then discusses the contextual realities of Public-Private Participation in health care, and whether an optimal balance is possible with better government stewardship and private provision. Conceptually, the premise of stewardship in governance is that it is possible to create not only efficient but also effective systems. These ideas may find a receptive audience in many countries, especially in the emerging economies with improving standards. In East Asian societies, the concept of stewardship bears a strong resemblance to Confucian ideals of morality in government, with social expectations of those who govern to be principled and virtuous. Increasingly, a pragmatic theory of development seems to apply in public-private, similarly, through it is expected, that public-private participation in the healthcare system should also achieve the goal of Universal Health Coverage through good governance.

A complementary perspective on business ethics in South Korea: Civil religion, common misconceptions, and overlooked social structures

Following the recent call for advancement in knowledge about business ethics in East Asia, this study proposes a complementary perspective on business ethics in South Korea. We challenge the conventional view that South Korea is a strictly collectivist country, where group norms and low trust determine the norms and values of behavior. Using the concept of civil religion, we suggest that the center of the South Korean civil religion can be seen in the affective ties and networks pervading the economic, political, and social institutions, embedded in and guided by Confucian ideals. We argue that South Korea should be seen not as a collectivist low‐trust society, but rather as an affective‐relational society, in which the relational context determines whether collectivism or individualism prevails. Further, we assert that trust, the cohesive factor of affective ties and networks, has until now been inadequately captured by conventional surveys. Our proposed perspective contributes to a more holistic picture and a more firmly grounded understanding of business ethics in South Korea.

FROM JEALOUSY TO VIOLENCE: MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND CONFUCIAN PATRIARCHY IN FIFTEENTH-CENTURY KOREA

During the Koryŏ (918–1392) to Chosŏn (1392–1910) transition, constructing a patrilineal society was one of the state’s primary goals. From the early Chosŏn, the state implemented the Confucian style of marriage and allowed men to have one legitimate wife from the same social status and take lower status women as concubines. As women of different status came to live in the same household, the new marriage practice generated tensions between wives and concubines. The concubinage system was already an intrinsic part of the social fabric in Korean history, but the meaning of conjugal relations shifted during the Chosŏn period and the tension between women of different status became more visible. By using marriage as a site, the aim of this article is to examine how the state intervened in intimate domains such as emotions, sexuality, and familial virtue and how the state emphasized and regulated gendered emotions such as jealousy to embrace Confucian patriarchal values in the domestic space. By examining wives’ jealousy that often led to brutal violence against concubines, this article unveils the cultural meaning of jealousy between partners in the context of Confucian patriarchal and hierarchical society. Furthermore, it demonstrates the power dynamics in conjugal relations and the vulnerability of concubines and how the Confucian style of marriage manifested tensions among Confucian ideals, the law, and social practice.

A virtual gender asylum? The social media profile picture, young Chinese women’s self-empowerment, and the emergence of a Chinese digital feminism

This article applies the framework of critical discourse analysis to the in-depth interviews of 73 young Chinese women residing in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It examines their discursive practices of choosing and editing their profile pictures on social media, which is in turn placed in the unique sociocultural context of contemporary China for interpretation. This article argues that Chinese women’s self-empowerment through using social media is derived not from a straightforward struggle against the patriarchy or for woman power, but from a gentle, rational yet resolute stance that incorporates a new female identity into the ‘harmonious society’ enshrined in Confucian ideals, thus creating a new digital feminism with Chinese characteristics.

The rise of China and the time of Africa: Gauging Afro-Sino relations in the light of Confucian philosophy and African ideals

The article focuses on Sino-African relations, with specific reference to South Africa. An outline is provided of recent developments as a roadmap for the unfolding of this relationship. The question of whether China’s African interest can be seen as tacit colonisation is discussed. Even if these fears are allayed, the question remains whether the Chinese presence on the continent will make a significant difference to African development. To answer this question, the focus shifts to economic models and the Chinese recipe for economic progress. Confucianism was opposed during the cultural revolution of Mao Zedong, but it now forms the basis for Chinese foreign policy and internal affairs. This is briefly investigated. Some Confucian ideas are related to basic African concepts in an effort to find a common ground in Afro-Chinese relations. The impact of secular Confucianism on African spirituality is discussed.

Confucian Ethics and Labor Rights

ABSTRACT:In this article I inquire into Confucian ethics from a non-ideal stance investigating the complex interaction between Confucian ideals and the reality of the modern workplace. I contend that even Confucian workers who regularly engage in social rites at the workplace have an internal, Confucian reason to appreciate the value of rights at the workplace. I explain, from a Confucian non-ideal perspective, why I disagree with the presumptuous idea that labor (or workplace) rights are necessarily incompatible with Confucian ideals and values. Specifically, I argue that if managers were “sages,” the highest moral exemplars and authorities in the Confucian tradition, they would perceive that social rituals alone are often not a contextually intelligent and valued response for the development of intimate communities in the modern workplace. The sage perspective will lead Confucian managers to realize, from their own moral perspective, that they have good reason to balance rites with rights, so long as the adoption is extrinsically valuable and consistent with the Confucian ideal. This article contributes to the debates about Confucianism's compatibility with rights, helps Western human rights scholars better contextualize their arguments in Confucianism-influenced cultures, and contributes to the development of a Confucian or Chinese approach to business ethics.

Differentiating Ideals versus Practices in the Discussion of Confucian Influences on Chinese Parent–Child Relationships

The primary purpose of this essay is to call for a renewed understanding of Confucianism in the discussion of Chinese parent-child relationships. Citing historical evidence, we present the evolution of Confucianism as a school of thought in China. In addition, we present research on Chinese parent–child relationships, which to a varying degree are said to be associated with Confucian influences, in contemporary Chinese communities. By comparing Confucian ideals versus practices in the name of Confucianism, we conclude that Confucianism has been through transformations throughout history and its influences on Chinese parent–child relationships are intertwined with practical needs of the specific historical time and social context. In addition, we suggest focusing on social class variability in the study of Confucian influences represented in parent–child relationships. To conclude, it is important to study the actual beliefs and practices of families, taking into consideration to specific historical time, social contexts, as well as individual circumstances and characteristics of participants.

Correcting the Old, Adapting the New: Baba Nobutake and the (Relative) Rejuvenation of Divination in the Seventeenth Century

The end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century in Japan saw transformations in divination techniques similar to those in other fields of knowledge and belief. These transformations were made possible by the growth of the book market and the emergence of a new intelligentsia willing to share its knowledge with a broader public. To be more precise, we can observe a change in paradigm regarding mantic practices and a gradual shiftfrom a medieval and a quite heterogeneous method based on calendrical parameters, the eight trigrams (hakke) technique, to more focused and homogeneous techniques such as shin'eki and dan'eki. These techniques derive from the mantic uses of the Book of Changes, and are based on hexagrams. At the center of the introduction of these new methods was Baba Nobutake, a member of the literati whose extensive publications influenced this shiftin divination theory and techniques.KEYWORDS: divination-Baba Nobutake-Book of Changes-trigrams-hexagrams-hakke divination-shin'eki(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)End-of-seventeenth-century Japan is known as a kind of golden age that saw the extraordinary development of commercial publishing, the rise of a new urban culture, and a renewal in the way knowledge and ideas were looked upon and passed on. This period set new standards of cultural behavior that served as a basis for the establishment of a modern society, which ultimately helped the archipelago to readily embrace the Western model at the end of the nineteenth century.Quite unsurprisingly, divination in Japan had also begun to transform in parallel to these changes, following lines strikingly similar to those taken by other fields of knowledge and belief. Nevertheless, when compared to fields such as Neo-Confucianism, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and even religion, Japanese divination has hitherto received scant attention. This may explain the tendency of scholars to dismiss divination as something that supposedly kept people in a pre-scientific state of mind, pulling them back to the irrational. However, given the complexity of divinatory techniques grounded in an evolving correlative system, there is no denying how influential they were (and are) on the construction of cosmology and the world view shared in a given society.In this article I attempt to shed light on the evolution of divination techniques at the end of the seventeenth century in Japan, and how it relates to a more general trend of the correction of the old and the adaptation of the new that can be seen through a wide range of fields, from literature to religion. What is more, we will see that this evolution involves a relative rejuvenation of divinatory techniques mirroring a sort of tropism toward Han-period original Confucianism, as opposed to Song-period Neo-Confucianism, shown by several Japanese Confucian thinkers.These transformations were not taken up by professional diviners themselves, most of them not being skilled enough in Chinese, but rather by literati with premium access to Chinese sources who were willing to diffuse their knowledge in response to their Confucian ideals, and also to appeal to a new market for books. One of these literati, Baba Nobutake ... (?-1715), seems to have played a key role in this process, and therefore my inquiry will be focused on his works.First, I will briefly present the context in which Baba played a role and give a quick biography of this little-known author, before moving on to his works related to divination. Finally, I will discuss the motives and implications of the winds of change he intended to see in Japanese divination.Through this study of Baba's work, I will try to show that he contributed in popularizing at least two different techniques, shin'eki and dan'eki. Both techniques derive from yarrow-stalk divination based on the hexagrams of the Book of Changes (Ch. Yijing; Jp. Ekikyo . …

The Confucian Merchant Tradition in the Late Qing and the Early Republic and Its Contemporary Significance

近代以降,随着商人社会地位的提升,明清以来的儒商合流现象进一步彰显, 儒商群体也进一步扩大, 其共同特征则是“言商仍向儒”, “商”、“儒”不分家。其 中尤以张謇和经元善最具代表性。近代儒商有其类似的商业伦理观并构成一种新的传 统: 援儒入商,坚守儒家人格理想;利缘义取,求天下之公利;砥砺品行,以德经 商; 热心公益,以回馈社会为己任; 兴学育才,矢志发展教育。近代儒商传统对当今 商业道德文化的重建有着重要的借鉴意义,如何汲取其精华来形塑新时期的商业道德 和企业精神,已成为一个十分迫切的课题。 关键词: 儒商 传统 道德重建 In the late Qing, as the social status of merchants rose, the Ming and Qing phenomenon of combining business with learning became increasingly visible and its ranks expanded. Common characteristics were “talking of business but still inclining towards Confucianism,” and the lack of a dividing line between “business” and “Confucianism.” Among them, Zhang Jian and Jing Yuanshan were the best examples. These late Qing Confucian merchants shared a similar business ethic and formed a new tradition: helping bring Confucianism into business while holding fast to Confucian character ideals; gaining profits through righteousness and seeking shared benefits for all under heaven; cultivating virtuous behavior and conducting business ethically; enthusiastically promoting the public good and dedicating themselves to giving back to society; and establishing schools and educating the talented, pledging themselves to develop education. The late Qing and early Republican tradition of Confucian merchants has an important significance for the contemporary rebuilding of an ethical commercial culture. The question of how we can draw on its best points to construct a commercial morality and spirit of enterprise for this new era urgently needs to be addressed.

The China Syndrome Ails America Too

The China Syndrome Ails America Too

The Influence and Implications of Chinese Culture in the Decision to Undertake Cross-Border Higher Education

Little is known about how a family in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) makes decisions on cross-border study. International marketers and managers in higher education turn to research based on Chinese student preferences. However, such research ignores cultural traditions steeped in Confucian ideals of family and the subsequent roles and influence of parents. Using surveys and interviews with Chinese students our findings indicate that despite exponential financial and social development in contemporary Chinese society, traditional Confucian values are still largely upheld by parents. The influence of these parents extends beyond initial decision making and impacts on the student’s social and academic well-being. To effectively market, manage and provide academic and welfare support for Chinese students studying across borders requires host universities to develop strategies that acknowledge and demonstrate respect for cultural traditions, parental perspectives and related ongoing influences.