A statue of confucious in Tiananmen square!

A giant statue of confucius was put in the Tiananmen square. IMHO, the political implication is enormous. Communism in China used to mean denial of all those in the ancient China. Adding the statue in the square means they are signaling they will steer away from communism and more align with the traditional Chinese values. IMHO, this is huge.

I never had the impression of Communism in China necessarily being against everything in Ancient China, rather it was more opposition to Neo-Confucian traditionalism that was at play. Stuff like Mohism for instance had elements that coincided with Aristotlean elements in Marxist thought.

It has only symbolic implications rather than huge impacts. The revival of Confucius is only due to an attempt to repair the damages that are done by the CR. China is today anything but communism. However, Confucius still has not evolved itself to become an influential and modern force that can be compete against other ideologies.

Only time will tell if the damage can be repaired. I get the feeling that without any competition from indigenous belief or value systems, China will be overrun with imported beliefs and religions. You might eventually find a Christian China for all we know.

Not to get too but the rumors appear to be true, the CCP is, as a matter of fact, turning into the Confucian Capitalist Party.

kyanges said:

Only time will tell if the damage can be repaired. I get the feeling that without any competition from indigenous belief or value systems, China will be overrun with imported beliefs and religions. You might eventually find a Christian China for all we know.

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Don't think it would be quite that far, particularly as Buddhist resurgence in China is growing faster than the Christians.

In any event, some form of Chinese Secular Humanism needs to develop to overcome any such religious issues, of which democratic socialism could be a possible element.

I would make a guess that this is part of China trying to change its image. Much like how on the J-10 Demonstration team now has China Air Force painted on it, Tiananmen Square only says communism and this breaks away from China just being about communism.

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A giant statue of confucius was put in the Tiananmen square. IMHO, the political implication is enormous. Communism in China used to mean denial of all those in the ancient China. Adding the statue in the square means they are signaling they will steer away from communism and more align with the traditional Chinese values. IMHO, this is huge.

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i totally think this is gd, and i loved it completely. they should even erect the statue near the middle of the square, to symbolize confucius's spirits, ways, teachings, and being the core of chinese culture. he's the one man to deserve such esteemed honor, for he is as great as sun yat sen of the new china. in my personal feelings, erecting the statue shortly after j20(coincidental at most) is quite like telling our ancestors, their descendants, after a hundred years of humiliation and what not, finally got back up, and stood great and proud again. i wont be surprised that in the future when china's political system undergoes a final evolution to the mature democratic stage(if we assume current CCP as being the working man stage to catch up in life), they may even replace mao's portrait with sun yat sen, to represent that the forefather's ultimate dream of a modern, democratic china, has been achieved.

i also think it's important for people to pay tribute to this important figure, for without him, there wont be such a rich chinese core culture

confucianism speaks for the ways of china and wt the chinese culture stands for, while dr. sun yat sen represents the visions of modern china. both are equally great men.

AssassinsMace said:

I would make a guess that this is part of China trying to change its image. Much like how on the J-10 Demonstration team now has China Air Force painted on it, Tiananmen Square only says communism and this breaks away from China just being about communism.

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That's exactly how I feel about it. they understand the communism no longer works. They need to find something to get everyone to unite together. Confucius is an easy way out. what amazes me is how bold they become. I would not have thought to put a statue of confucius in the middle of Tiananmen square. that's like "in your face" to communism and especially Mao. they could quietly shift their focus on communism and change the way they do things. However, they did this to sort of loudly declare "we will change in a major way!"

Although Confucius and communism do not theoretically oppose each other, Mao had spent majority of his time to discredit Confucius and CCP itself had mold its own image as an organization that throws away the old and out-of-date and welcomes the new China that's strong and prosperous. So this new statue suggests that the central govn't has realized that communism has officially gone. Although in reality, the communism has gone since long time ago, many in the govn't have hoped the CCP could still survive. How it looks like they finally understood it's inevitable that CCP will have to go. SO they try to find a substitution. Although this is all symbolic, but symbolics in China means a lot.

montyp165 said:

I never had the impression of Communism in China necessarily being against everything in Ancient China, rather it was more opposition to Neo-Confucian traditionalism that was at play. Stuff like Mohism for instance had elements that coincided with Aristotlean elements in Marxist thought.

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any governments ruling china going against the ways of the chinese culture ultimately lead to its demise. it's same as trying to erase the identity of the entire nation of people who have survived the tests of time through living in this cultural core value.

and since the CCP represents the chinese people, it's their duty to restore this spirit of the chinese culture.