Confucian Tradition and Global Education [Hardcover]

Drawn from a series of lectures that Wm. Theodore de Bary delivered in honor of the Chinese philosopher Tang Junyi, Confucian Tradition and Global Education is a unique synthesis of essay and debate concerning the future of Chinese education and the potential political uses of Confucianism in the contemporary world.

Rapid modernization and the rise of English as a global language increasingly threaten East Asia’s cultural diversity and long standing Confucian traditions. De Bary argues that keeping Confucianism alive in China is not only a matter of Chinese identity, but also a critical part of achieving a multicultural global education.

Scholars take different views on what is worth preserving in Confucian tradition, and whether it is possible for the classical teachings to remain relevant in today’s high tech educational environment. De Bary and his contributors assert that the Chinese classics are the key to this survival, and therefore their inclusion in a global humanities curriculum is essential.