儒家全球化与普遍主义理念.docx

儒家全球化与普遍主义理念.docx

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儒家全球化与普遍主义理念

Confucianism,GlobalisationandtheIdeaofUniversalism

A.T.NUYEN

AsianPhilosophy,Vol.13,Nos.2/3,2003

ABSTRACTThepaceofglobalisationhasquickenedconsiderablyinthelasttentofifteen

years.Theprocesshasyieldedbenefitsbutalsoresultedinconflicts.Thebenefitswouldbe

enhancediftheconflictscouldberesolved.Onesourceofconflictsisthedesiretomaintain

culturalidentity.CanConfucianismcontributetotheworkingoutofauniversalglobaljustice

thatcanhelpresolveconflicts,particularlyconflictsofculturalidentities?

Canitbepartofthe

globalisationprocesswithoutsacrificingitsculturalidentity?

Iarguethatitcanonbothcounts

andthusitisneitheravillainblockingtheprogressofuniversaljustice,anecessarycondition

forconflict-freeglobalisation,norahelplessvictimofthatprogress.

Thepaceofglobalisationhasquickenedconsiderablyinthelast10–15years,owingin

parttochangingeconomicandpoliticalforces,andinparttorecentadvancesin

computerandinformationtechnologies.Theprocessofglobalisationhascertainly

yieldedconsiderablebenefits,butithasalsoresultedinconflicts,someofwhichtake

theformofviolentprotestsatinternationalmeetings.Protesters,naturally,draw

attentiontowhattheytaketobethehighcostsofglobalisation.Observersgenerally

agreethattheforcesandtechnologiesthathavebroughtabouttheglobalisationprocess

aresuchthataslowdown,letalonereversal,isruledout.Ifthisistrue,itmakesno

sensetryingtoslowdowntheprocess,andworsesensetostopit.Whetherornotthis

istrue,themoresensiblethingtodoistoensurethatthebenefitscanbeenhancedand

enjoyedbyasmanypeopleaspossible,andthecostsminimised.

Onedistinctfeatureofglobalisationisthemovetowardsuniversalism:

theworldis

increasinglymovingtowardsuniversaltechnicalformatsandlanguages,universalprocedures,universalrulesandregulations.Forsupportersofglobalisation,theultimate

prizetobehadisuniversalglobaljustice,administeredinthecontextofauniversal

culture.Yet,whilethebenefitsofadoptinguniversalformats,proceduresandthelike

areclearenough,andthecostsarefew,thereareproblemswiththenotionofaglobal,

universaljusticeandtherelatedideaofauniversalculture.Supportersofuniversal,or

global,justicepointoutthatitoffersthebesthopeofsolvingconflictsarisingfrom

culturaldifferences.Criticsarguethatuniversalismisproblematicpreciselybecauseit

leavesnoroomforculturaldifferences.Itwillbegoodifthesupporters’hopecanbe

realisedandthecritics’fearcanbeavoided.Thus,thequestionishowtosteerasafe

pathbetweentheCharybdisofculturalstrife–theclashofcivilisationsasHuntington

hasfamouslycalledit–andtheScyllaofauniversalismthatdevoursculturalparticularities.CanConfucianismhelpsteerthissafepath?

1

Bothsupportersandcriticsof

universalismhavetendedtoignorethisquestion,theformertakingConfucianismtobe

aprotagonistintheculturalclashthatuniversalismwillavoid,andthelatterhavingit

inmindasavictimofuniversalism.IwillarguethatConfucianismisneitheravillain

ISSN0955-2367print/ISSN1469-2961online/03/02/30075-122003Taylor&FrancisLtd

DOI:

10.1080/0955236032000162727

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4930April201176A.T.Nuyen

blockingtheprogressofuniversaljustice,norahelplessvictimofthatveryprogress.On

thecontrary,Confucianismhasthepotentialtocontributetothedevelopmentofa

notionofuniversaljusticethatrespectsculturaldifferences,akindofuniversalismthat

canactuallypromoteculturaldiversity.

UniversalismandConfucianism

Manysupportersofglobalisationfocusontheultimateprize,namelyuniversaljustice.

ThecaseforuniversaljusticeislargelyaKantianone.Asiswellknown,Kantargues

foravarietyofglobalisationthathecalls‘cosmopolitanism’asameanstobringabout

‘perpetualpeace’throughtheinstrumentofacosmopolitan,oruniversal,justice.To

avoidthe‘clashofcivilisations’,therehastobeameansofresolvingconflictsarising

fromculturaldifferences,andtheycanberesolvedonlyifthereisastandardofjustice

towhichdifferentculturesarewillingtosubmit,auniversalstandardthatadjudicates

competingculturalclaims.Sincewillingnesstosubmitdependsontheperceptionthat

therulesofjusticeareimpartial,whatisnecessaryfor‘perpetualpeace’isauniversal

justicethatoperatesimpartiallyatthegloballevel.Formanythinkers,boththeneed

forandthejustificationofuniversaljusticeareselfevident,althoughsomehavechosen

toarguefurtherthat,morally,theclaimforauniversaljusticerestsonadeeperclaim

thatthereisacommonhumanitythatobligatesustoregardallothersashavinga

moralstatusequaltoourown.Thatcommonhumanitydictatesthatdisputesbe

settlednotbyappealingtowhatisjudgedgoodorrightorvaluablebythestandard

ofone’sownculture,butbyapplyingstandardsthattranscendculturalvalues.

Practically,thehopeforauniversaljusticerestsonabeliefintheuniversalprocessof

practicalreason,somethingthatKantclearlytakesforgranted.Indeed,ifKantisright

inhisoptimisticbeliefintheinevitableprogressofreason,thehumanworldmustbe

movingeverclosertouniversaljustice,andthepresenttrendinglobalisationmaybe

proofofthis.

NoteveryoneisasoptimisticasKant.Thereareskepticswhodonotseethat

universalismiseitherinevitableordesirable.Giventhemoralandpracticalbasisof

universaljustice,itisunderstandablethatskepticsoftheideahavesoughttoundermine

thatverybasis.ItmightbesaidthatthinkerssuchasHerderhavedeniedthatthereis

suchathingasacommonhumanity,atleastthekindthatmotivatesagainstprivileging

oneculture,ourown,overothers.

2

Suchdenial,itmightbesaidalso,gainssupport

fromtheviewsofmanyanthropologistswhohavefoundwhattheytaketobeevidence

forculturalrelativism.Morerecently,post-modernistshavebeeninterpretedasstandingagainsttheideaofuniversalism.Forinstance,itmaybesaidthatLyotardwould

regardtheideaofauniversaljusticeasa‘meta-narrative’thathasnolegitimacyinthe

post-moderncondition.Itisnotwithinthescopeofthispapertojudgetheseskeptical

claims.SufficeittosaythatwhileHerderandanthropologistssuchasFranzBoasand

RuthBenedictmaysupportrelativismasafactualclaim,thereisenoughevidenceto

suggestthattheyadvocateuniversalismasaclaimofvalue.Thus,IsaiahBerlinbelieves

thatHerder（andVico）‘insistonourneedandabilitytotranscendthevaluesofour

owncultureornationorclass,orthoseofwhateverotherwindowlessboxessome

culturalrelativistswishtoconfineusto’.

3

Such‘needandability’areendorsedbyboth

BoasandBenedict.

4

AsforLyotard,Ihavearguedelsewherethatthereisenough

universalisminhisideaof‘justgaming’.

5

Formypurpose,whatisrelevantisnotso

muchhowtodealwiththeargumentsagainstthepossibilityofauniversaljustice,but

theclaimthatsuchanideasoundsthedeathknellofculturalidentity.Theotherside

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ofthisclaimistheviewthatthedemandforculturalidentitysoundsthedeathknellof

universalism,oruniversaljusticeinparticular.

DependingonwhichsideoftheclaimweapplytoConfucianism,wehaveeitherthe

chargethatConfucianismwillstandinthewayoftheprogresstowardsuniversalism,or

thefearthatConfucianismwillbethevictimofthelatter.Ineithercase,Confucianism

isperceivedasauniqueculturalphenomenon,incompatiblewithanyuniversalidealor

principle.PerceivingConfucianisminthisway,weseemtobeconfrontedwiththe

choicebetweenontheonehanddefendinguniversalismbutacceptingthatConfucianismmustbesacrificedintheprocess,andontheotherdefendingConfucianismagainst

universalismbutattheriskofcontributingtothe‘clashofcivilisations’.Thefactthat

thesamethingcanbesaidaboutmanyotherparticular‘isms’onlydeepensthe

problem.ThethreatoftheScyllaandtheCharybdisseemstoloomverylarge.Many

theoristshavetakenthisthreatseriously.However,theycontendthatthewaytodeal

withthethreatisfromtheoutsideofanyparticularculturalframework,arguingfor

politicalarrangementsthatensureboththekeyuniversalvaluesandtheprotectionof

culturalidentities.Itisoftentakenforgrantedthatwehavetoapproachtheproblem

fromtheoutsideinordertoavoidculturalbias,whichliesattherootoftheproblem.

IwillargueinsteadthatwecandealwiththeproblemfromtheinsideofConfucianism.

Beforedoingso,itwillbeusefultoexaminesomeoftheattemptsthatareclaimedto

bemadefromtheoutside.

Manyattemptshavebeenmadebypeoplewhoconsiderthemselvesliberalthinkers.

Itmaybethoughtthatbecauseliberalsarecommittedtouniversalism,theyarewilling

tosacrificeparticularculturaldemandstouniversalvalues,thussuccumbingto

theScyllathatdevoursculturalidentities.However,BhikhuParekhclaimsthat

liberalsareinfactboundtoprotectingculturalidentities,arguingasfollows:

‘The

liberaliscommittedtoequalrespectforpersons.Sincehumanbeingsareculturally

embedded,respectforthementailsrespectfortheirculturesandwaysoflife’.

6

Along

similarlines,JamesTullyarguesthatself-respectisaRawlsianprimarygood,and

sinceaperson’scultureisapartofthatself-