The Promotion of Oneness in a Modern Pluralistic Society: A Two-track Model

In contemporary Chinese philosophy, philosophers often argue that a government should use perfectionist policies, such as subsidies, to encourage Confucian values. I reject the view that perfectionist policies should be used and argue that not all Confucian values are beneficial to modern pluralistic societies. However, this leaves two questions. First, what Confucians values should be promoted in a modern pluralistic society? Secondly, how should these Confucian values be promoted?

In this paper, I shall answer these two questions. First, I introduce the idea of oneness (yiti 一體), which is a core idea in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism. Oneness emphasizes the ethical connection between an individual and others, including fellow humans, animals, and various things within the world. Our psychological peace and well-being are inextricably intertwined with other creatures. Consequently, the process of self-cultivation involves broadening our circle of concern to encompass all living entities and cultivating character traits that genuinely care for the suffering and flourishing of all life forms. Given this idea of oneness, I propose a two-track model to promote this idea. In the political domain, Confucian politicians should embody the idea of oneness during democratic deliberations and policy- making. By demonstrating virtuous behavior consistently, they serve as role models, creating a ripple effect that subtly influences others. In the social domain, Confucian citizens should come together in private associations to support each other’s pursuit of oneness and explore how technology can enrich moral experiences and enable more people to understand the value of oneness.