Happy Lunar New Year from the USC US-China Institute!
China's Crisis of Political Morality: Diagnosis and Reconstruction
The University of California, Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies will host Professor of Political Science Lowell Dittmer to discuss public morality in China.
Where
Because of the moral focus of such founding thinkers as Confucius and Mencius and the absence of a strong tradition of the rule of law, China has always placed particular emphasis on public morality. The revolutionary first half of the 20th century culminating in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution however featured moral iconoclasm. When this was abruptly brought to a close by the advent of “reform and opening” in December 1978, which assumed that “practice is the sole criterion of Truth” (also known as the “cat theory”) Chinese society perceived complete pragmatism as a moral void and became afflicted with a “crisis of faith.” Judging from the sustained ferocity of the anti-corruption campaign launched in 2012, this moral crisis has only intensified.
Featured Articles
We note the passing of many prominent individuals who played some role in U.S.-China affairs, whether in politics, economics or in helping people in one place understand the other.
Events
Ying Zhu looks at new developments for Chinese and global streaming services.
David Zweig examines China's talent recruitment efforts, particularly towards those scientists and engineers who left China for further study. U.S. universities, labs and companies have long brought in talent from China. Are such people still welcome?