After going through 8 weeks of CDE, I have gained insight into what this
subject is really about. In addition to Mr Karplus' lectures and explanations,
the term presentations by my peers have also allowed me to see a different
perspective of things. I agree that there is no right or wrong answer for this
course as many of us have differing opinions and beliefs. It is important for
us to come together and discuss and share our experiences so that we get a full
picture of the situation.
The third tutorial touched on
the Confucian principles of ideology which are ren, yi, li, zhi and xin which
means compassion, justice, propiety, knowledge and integrity respectively. Confucius
also emphasised on the requirement to rule the world is to first develop one’s
character, raise a family, and then govern the country. These values have
played a pivotal role in shaping the Chinese culture as the Chinese respect the
government and think that they are always right and do not question their power.
In the fourth tutorial which was
to understand the “Western Perceptions of Individual Rights and Liberties:
Challenging the Chinese Notions of Society above Self”, the class engaged in a
discussive mode to delve into how the Western ideology shaped the current
economy of Western countries, in contrast to the Confucian ideology in the
previous lesson.
The Western ideology of self was
largely influenced by two major events in history, namely the French Revolution
and the American War of Independence. The time period in which these happened
was known as the Age of Enlightenment, which was a period of time where people
sought for knowledge, freedom and equal rights. They realised that the power
given to the government was too much, resulting in an authoritative government.
People did not have individual rights and had no power to revolt against them,
causing them to suffer in silence.
With the two revolutions, the
people implemented ideals of “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness”. The
Americans freed themselves from British colonial rule and set up a government
to bring forward the equality that every person deserves. Even though a
democratic nation emerged which proclaimed the liberty of life, America was still
not free from slavery. This was also the case for the French Revolution. Even
though the people managed to overthrow the monarchy, the great French leader Napoleon
who was born after the revolution proclaimed himself as the Emperor. This
brought back monarchy to France.
With these two differing
cultures in mind, it is time to look in the context of Singapore and examine
how they affect our lives. Firstly, the Chinese value of li or respect is practiced in most Chinese families in Singapore. During meal
times, the elders would have first priority in taking their share of the food
as a form of respect. The younger members would have to wait patiently for all
the elders to take their share before taking theirs. Furthermore, students
would have to greet and bow to their teachers in school, and parents when they
are back at home. This trains them from a young age to be courteous. In many
Western countries, children do not have the habit of greeting their parents,
and if they do, it is only an insincere “hi”.
Singaporean families not only inculcate Chinese values, but also some
Western values, one of which would be the freedom of thought and speech. In
school, students are encouraged to speak up and ask any relevant questions,
They are also taught to be creative and innovative so as to survive in this
competitive economy. Unlike the Chinese who only remember what they are taught,
the Western value of liberty allows students to apply what they have learnt and
develop new ideas stemming from what they have learnt in school.
Singapore has a blend of both Western and Chinese values, and I think that
this combination is very beneficial as both cultures have their advantages. To
make use of both is to create a near perfect process for the development of one’s
character. The 8 weeks have taught me a lot of new and interesting facts, and I
hope to continue to learn more so that I can have a better understanding of
different cultures.
(710 words)
