CDE Journal Entry 2

I felt that the CDE lessons has become more lively and open, with the starting of the term presentations. With our classmates discussing their findings and opinions with us, we are more likely to engage with you and provide constructive feedback. This, in addition to Mr Karplus’s detailed and content-rich explanation, has made the lesson more fruitful and interesting.

In our fourth lesson, we looked at the Western perceptions of individual rights and liberties; in contrast to the Confucian ideology we learnt the previous lesson which emphasizes society over self.  The Western ideology of individualism is largely influenced by the American War of Independence and the French Revolution.

Both Revolutions are carried out with the background in the Age of Enlightenment, where people seek to apply the ideals of science and reason gained during the Scientific Revolution to solve societal problems, the cornerstone of which is the concept of a limited government, where a social contract is stuck between the people and the government, with power given to the people to topple the government it is not deemed fit.

The significance of these Revolutions is that they put the Enlightenment ideals of “Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” preached by the Revolutionaries into action. The Americans formed their own government by the people, for the people, and free from British colonial rule, while the French abolished the monarchy and putting the people in power, with equal rights given to the third estate instead of being reserved for the elite minority: the clergy and the nobility.

However, there are also some limitations to the Revolutions. The American War on Independence did not completely emancipate slavery, while Napoleon was born out of the French Revolution, who declared himself Emperor and brought back the idea of monarchy.

In our fifth lesson, we looked at the dichotomy between China and America. Some of the generalized differences between China and America societies are that China is seen as a collectivist state, where greater emphasis is placed on society as a whole instead of individuals; while America is seen as individualistic, where higher value is placed on personal freedom and liberties.

Chinese emphasizes harmony and interpersonal relationships, avoiding direct confrontation and open criticism; while Americans are more task-oriented and are willing to press personal opinions about what they consider is right.

Social relationships in China are formal and hierarchical, where people are most comfortable in the presence of a hierarchy where they know their place in society; while that in America is informal and egalitarian where people are most comfortable with their social equals.

The governments have a part to play in shaping these differences too. The Chinese government’s excessive intervention in the market to protect China’s state-owned enterprises results in the America perception that there is no free market in China. Furthermore, the Chinese government’s strict censorship of the Internet and media, and the oppression of political dissenters, also prompted the US to label China oppressive. On the other hand, the US’s “Return to Asia” strategy results in the Chinese perception that the US is selfish and self-conceited, wanting to contain the rise of China.

In the sixth lesson, we examined the synthesis of Confucianism and Western ideals, and the Chinese and Western perceptions of self have an impact in our daily life, with Singapore constituting an example of a Confucian society that has adopted Western philosophical construct and ideology.

As a Singaporean, the dichotomy and fusion of Western and Eastern cultures in our daily lives is evident. As Chinese, we should inherit the traditional Chinese culture, yet we yearn to grow closer to the splendorous culture of the West. However, it is possible for both cultures to blend. Where else to look than Chinatown, with the rows of nostalgic shophouses and street stalls set against the backdrop of the state-of-the-art city skyscrapers?

We have also received bilingual education, a cornerstone of Singapore’s education system, for the past 9 years, with English being the language of commerce and global communication, and Chinese being our mother tongue that reminds us of our cultural roots, especially Confucianism.

Furthermore, Singapore is a highly Westernised nation, however one of the driving forces that make us succeed was that most people placed importance of societal welfare above self, applying the Confucian concept that family is the most important unit in society and all families together form society. There is willingness to sacrifice individual gains for the common good, enabling us to avoid industrial strife during our course of industrialization.

Looking at the menu with both Kopi-O and Cappuccino, we need to realize that at least, in Singapore, the Chinese and American cultures can be integrated into one.

All in all, the lessons are well-planned, in-depth and productive. I certainly look forward to the next CDE lesson!

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