In the wake of a recent dispute over the government’s plan to use the Chinese classics as an educational tool, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said Chinese literature represented ancient wisdom and should not be misunderstood as promoting feudalism and authoritarianism.
“Confucianism does not promote blind loyalty and autocratic systems ... The ancient wisdom contained in the classics can still inspire us in the 21st century. We should not discard wisdom that has been tried and tested over thousands of years as if it were a broken shoe,” Ma said when attending an awards ceremony for teachers in Taipei.
Ma made the remarks on Teachers’ Day yesterday, dismissing recent criticism of a TV advertisement released by his re--election campaign team that highlights his commitment to the promotion of Chinese culture.
Photo: Pichi Chuang, Reuters
The ad lauded the study of the Four Books and Five Classics (四書五經), a collection of Confucian writings dating back to 300 BC, and invited children and parents across the Taiwan Strait to share their experiences of attending such classes.
The DPP criticized Ma and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) over their focus on the promotion of Chinese literature rather than Taiwanese culture.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) echoed the DPP’s criticism on his Facebook page on Tuesday, saying that while the collection’s emphasis on filial piety and trust was commendable, it was not right to use such classic works “on the political front” in an attempt to control the public through ideology.
Defending the government’s promotion of the Chinese classics, Ma cited the work of Mencius (孟子), who he said addressed a wide range of issues, from environmental protection to the art of political negotiation, much of which remains relevant and applicable to modern times.
“We use traditional Chinese characters in Taiwan, but we also know the simplified version. With the growing popularity of Mandarin, we have the chance to build the nation into a hub of advanced education for Chinese language and literature,” he added.
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