The Idea of ‘Harmonious Unity’ in Chinese Culture and Its Contemporary Qualities

Ren Junhua

Abstract: As an intellectual symbol of traditional Chinese culture, the idea of “harmonious unity” explains the principles and guidelines of how humans should interact with nature and with each other.This paper, based on the integrated, connected, and well-balanced idea of harmonious unity between the “three powers” of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity,discusses such contemporary themes as ecological protection, world peace, and moral conscience.Harmonious unity underlies the green qualities of Chinese thought and culture.The study of the Book of Changes, from the Way of Qian as the originating power of nature and the Way of Kun as raising all things on earth, puts forward a humanistic concept of the“virtue of Heaven and Earth.” The Chinese people have transformed the ceaseless production,coexistence, and co-prosperity of the myriad things on earth into the peaceful qualities of“harmony in diversity” and respect for differences in human society.The theory of the “unity of knowledge and action” gives full play to people’s intuitive knowledge and inherent ability,bringing forth the noble character of sages and junzi, as it is based on the humanistic feeling of benefi ting the whole world and the people-oriented idea of “taking the common people’s will as one’s own,” which refl ects the ideological content of advocating benevolence, fairness,and ritual propriety in ancient China.

Keywords: harmonious unity, green development, centrality and commonality, knowledge and action, contemporary

Since the beginning of the twenty-fi rst century, China has maintained its momentum for development as one of the major countries in the world, even when faced with greater challenges unprecedented in the past century.The Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is full of the qualities of green development, peace, and virtue as entailed in the Chinese idea of “harmonious unity” (hehe和合).At the meeting marking the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, President Xi Jinping said, “Realizing the Chinese dream would bring opportunities rather than threats, peace rather than turmoil to the world.”1“Xi Addresses on 50 Years of China-France Ties,” China.org.cn, last modifi ed March 28, 2014, http://www.china.org.cn/video/2014-03/28/content_31934968.htm.The peaceful, amiable, andcivilized Chinese culture, having been passed down from the ancient Xia (ca.2070—1600 BCE), Shang (1600—1046 BCE), and Zhou (1046—256 BCE) dynasties all the way to today,has accumulated experiences of humanistic thinking over five thousand years, giving the Chinese people the courage and wisdom to face difficulties, solve problems, and shape their bright future.To explore the intellectual essence of the excellent aspects of traditional Chinese culture is to fi nd a bunch of keys to open the door of good governance in future China from the treasure house of classical Chinese thought.

The Green Qualities and Ecological Civilization of the ‘Unifi ed Virtue of Heaven and Humanity’ [Refer to page 5 for Chinese.Similarly hereinafter]

Chinese civilization has a long history of green qualities.In the process of farming, our Chinese ancestors explored the basic laws governing the movement of the universe, the stars, heaven and earth, and the survival of human beings, initiating the era of agricultural civilization.The origin of all kinds of life is not only something that is explored by contemporary science, but also something that was pursued tirelessly in ancient Chinese civilization.Explorations of the laws of nature were manifested in the astronomical calendar,agricultural technology, humanistic thoughts, and other aspects of China’s agricultural society,resulting in ancient China’s view of nature—the unifi ed virtue of Heaven and humanity.

‘Unifi ed Virtue of Heaven and Humanity’: The View of Nature in the Studies of the Book of Changes [5]

TheBook of Changesdraws much from nature to form the eight basic symbolic trigrams ofQian乾 (?),Kan坎 (?),Gen艮 (?),Zhen震 (?),Xun巽 (?),Li離 (?),Kun坤 (?), andDui兌 (?), and sixty-four hexagrams evolved from the eight trigrams in order to interpret the basic laws of movement of everything between heaven and earth and the basic phenomena of human activities.The system of studies of theBook of Changesconstructs a holistic horizon to understand the generation of the universe and the operation of everything, in which the generative force of nature is calledqianyuan乾元(the originating power ofQian).The “Commentary on the Decisions” [彖傳] of theBook of Changeseulogizes the initial force of genesis:

How almightyqianyuanis! All things owe to it their beginning—it contains all the meaning belonging to [the name] heaven.The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings fl ow into their forms....The Way (dao道) ofQianworks through change and transformation, so that everything obtains its true nature and destiny and comes into permanent accord with Great Harmony.This is whatli利 (benefi cence) andzhen貞 (constancy) refer to.

Here, “heaven” is indicative of nature.

From the originating power of all living things in nature, studies of theBook of Changesinfer the virtue of good faith, which conforms to and praises the laws of nature, thus forming the ancient idea of the “unifi ed virtue of Heaven and humanity.” The hexagramsQianandKunare not only an inquiry into and theoretical refinement of the genesis of everything in nature, but also a humanistic transformation and theoretical sublimation of the virtue of nature.In the context of theBook of Changes, nature’s power of creation is the strongest and greatest.TheBook of Changesexpounds the natural laws of the four seasons theoretically, and its “Commentary on the Words of the Text” [文言] explains the four virtues embodied in the divinatory terms ofyuan元 (originality),heng亨 (flourishing),li, andzhen, which were further explained by Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130—1200) inThe Original Meaning of the Book of Changes[周易本義]:

Originality is the beginning of all living things, and precedes all virtues in heaven and earth.So it is spring in time and benevolence (ren仁) in people, which give birth to all goods.Flourishing refers to the interconnectivity of all living things, which are benefi cial to each other.So it is summer in time and ritual propriety (li禮) in people, which tend to attract beautiful things to gather.Benefi cence refers the maturity of all living things, and everything living in peaceful coexistence.So it is autumn in time and righteousness (yi義)in people, which amount to the harmony of attaining one’s share.Constancy refers to the fi nal achievement of sufficient supplies with everything ready.So it is winter in time and wisdom (zhi智) in people, which serve as the pillar of everything.2Huang Shouqi 黃壽祺 and Zhang Shanwen 張善文, The Book of Changes with Annotations and Modern Chinese Translation [周易譯注] (Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2004), 7.

Thus, the natural laws of the four seasons are manifested in the life cycle of biological growth,and the principle of life is already in place.

Everything in nature goes through the four stages ofyuan,heng,li, andzhenin order.People learn from the moral law of natural operation to refi ne the four virtues of benevolence,propriety, righteousness, and wisdom:Yuanis equivalent to benevolence, which is the initial aspiration of taking actions, and in spring, everything starts to conceive, and people with benevolence will help to bring forth life;hengentails ritual propriety, or the rites and norms governing behavior, which help people to communicate well with good faith and good manners;limeans righteousness, which is a principled code of conduct; andzheninvolves wisdom, which refers to knowledge of the rules for taking action, and how people should act in line with the operational laws of everything in the world.

Ecological Ethics in the Love for Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains [6]

The ecological proposition that “l(fā)ucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”refl ects the green qualities embodied in the fi ne traditional culture of China.“The wise take delight in water while the benevolent take pleasure in hills and mountains” (Analects6:23),shows how the vibrancy of nature gave birth to the ecological ethics of Chinese civilization.There is a story mentioned in chapter 18 of theZhuangzi:

In the past, a seabird flied to perch in the suburb of the capital of Lu State, and the marquis of Lu hosted a banquet in its honor and treated it with delicious wine, the melodious music of “Nine Shao” [九韶], and the meat of the Tailao sacrifice at the ancestral temple.The bird was so frightened and dazzled that it did not have even a bite of the meat or a sip of the wine, and it died after three days.

Zhuangzi commented, “This is to raise a bird in the way one would like to be raised, not the way a bird would like to be raised.” Everything is different by nature with its own preferences, just how “fi sh need to be in water to live, but people die in water, so as things differ, their likes and dislikes vary” (ibid.).Daoist thought explores the laws of life and development from the perspective of the inherent nature of all things in the universe.

In dealing with the relationship between humanity and nature, the ancients advocated“knowing the different duties of human beings and nature.” The “Discourse on Nature” [天論]chapter of theXunziholds that, “Nature has its own course, and it will never change in front of anyone, be he a sage like Yao 堯 or a tyrant like Jie 桀.” However that does not mean there is no need for people to take any action.

Proper approaches that go in line with the laws of nature lead to successes whereas the wrong ones that go against nature bring about disasters.Promote agricultural production while keeping frugal, you are unlikely to become poor; maintain enough supply while adapting to the whether to carry out production, you are unlikely to get sick; abide by the Way of nature while making no mistakes, you are unlikely to get yourself hurt....Therefore,one who knows the different duties of human beings and nature can be called a sage.(Ibid.)Nature has its own laws in different seasons, and human beings are responsible for complying with the laws of nature in their measures of governance.Natural resources will be scarce if people have unrestrained demands.Therefore, human beings should increase their sources of energy while reducing consumption, strengthen their energy foundation by giving adequate protection to natural resources, and at the same time try to save rather than waste resources.To prevent material shortages, people should prepare supplies and adapt to the times.At the same time, people should take active measures to prevent natural disasters by human governance.

The love for and protection of nature embodied in Chinese civilization stemmed from the material needs of people’s daily life, yet they reached an artistic realm of excellence,culminating in the moral transcendence of perfection and beauty.Such ideas as the “virtues of Heaven and Earth” in humanistic philosophy, “harmonious unity between humanity and nature” in natural arts, and the “adaption of human nature to nature” in technological striving were all derived from natural laws, showing the perfect integration of nature and humanity in the context of traditional Chinese culture.

The Peaceful Qualities of ‘Centrality, Commonality, and Harmonious Unity’ and the Path of Peaceful Development in the New Era [7]

The fine traditional Chinese culture was strong in refining humanistic wisdom from the laws of nature.It not only loves the creativity of nature that conceives life, but also observes the existing forms of all beings from a holistic, dynamic, and interdependent perspective.The thought of “centrality, commonality, and harmonious unity” is a theory of moral practice derived from natural phenomena, and its core lies in such humanistic ethics as benevolent love, adhering to righteousness, and respect for the worthy.Cheng Yi 程頤(1033—1107) commented onzhongyong中庸 (centrality and commonality), “The characterzhong中 (centrality) is the right Way of the world, whileyong庸 (commonality) is the fi xed law of the world.”3Zhu Xi 朱熹, Collected Annotations of the Four Books [四書(shū)章句集注] (Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1983), 19.Humanity, as one of the three powers, along with Heaven and Earth, has the wisdom and ability to observe the operation of everything in the world.TheZhongyongbegins by saying, “What Heaven endows humanity with is inherent nature, following inherent nature is the Way, and abiding by the Way to cultivate oneself is education.”Hence, the Way is the operational law of all beings in nature, and it also lies in human nature, which needs people’s obedience in practice.

Harmonious Unity as the Natural Condition for the Growth of All Things [7]

The world is rich in species, which need different elements to function differently for their growth.They live together on the vast expanse of the earth, forming a dynamic, harmonious,beautiful, and vibrant atmosphere.As theZhongyongreads, “[This may be compared to] the things of the world, which are nourished side by side and do not harm one another.Their Ways are walking side by side yet not contradictory.The powers of lesser virtue fl ow like the current of a river; the powers of great virtue deeply transform.This is the way in which heaven and earth are great.” In other words, the laws of nature are transformed into the practical principles of centrality, commonality, and harmonious unity, and human beings follow the great Way to cultivate themselves, respect one another, get along well, and help each other.These constitute the profound peaceful qualities of Chinese civilization: harmony, kindness, and civility.

Harmonious unity reflects the dynamic generation, operation, and development of things, that is, the new trends of development caused by the meeting and collision of things with different elements and properties.It explains the biological process in whichyinandyang(the two opposing principles in nature) meet and nurture everything.Chapter 42 of theLaozidiscusses the formation of things from the angle of harmonious unity betweenyinandyang: “All things submit toyinand embraceyang.They soften their energy to achieve harmony.” The “Discourse on Ritual Propriety” [禮論] chapter of theXunzimentioned, “Heaven and Earth unite and the myriad things are produced,yinandyangconnect and changing transformations arise, while inherent natures are deliberately united and the world under Heaven is governed,” which explains the dynamic rather than static development of things.“The breath of Heaven is out of harmony; the breath of Earth is bound up; the six elemental influences do not act in concord; the four seasons do not observe their proper times” (Zhuangzi, chap.11).The nurturing of life requires not only the soil, water, and plant resources of the earth, but also the air, temperature, and other aspects of spatial environment suitable for life.The formation and movement of life forms require the harmonious movement of different elements and their communication.Therefore,harmonious unity reveals the view of life generation and the outlook on development of things in Chinese culture.

‘Centrality, Commonality, and Harmonious Unity’: The Way of Loyalty and Forbearance for Peaceful Development [8]

The Way of loyalty (zhong忠) and forbearance (shu恕), as entailed in the doctrine of“do not do unto others that which you would not have them do unto you,” is the theoretical basis of the peaceful qualities of ancient Chinese civilization.To quote theZhongyong,“If you can be loyal and forbearing, you are not far from the Way.Do not do unto others what you would not have done unto you.” Zengzi 曾子 (505—436 BCE) once summed up the essence of Confucius’s thought with “l(fā)oyalty and forbearance” (Analects4:15).The Way of loyalty and forbearance is the fundamental principle of Confucianism for dealing with people.Loyalty refers to the value judgment that takes oneself as a standard for evaluating deeds from the perspective of action, that is, “A benevolent person, when he wishes to establish himself, also tries to establish others, and when he wishes to rise high in the society, also tries to help others rise high” (6:30).Forbearance is discussed from the perspective of suspending action.“Is this not forbearance? ‘Do not do unto others that which you would not have them do unto you’” (15:24).The Way of loyalty and forbearance is the theoretical basis of the peaceful qualities of Chinese civilization, which expresses the historical logic of being kind to and living peacefully with others from the standpoint of individuals—the Chinese nation not only pursues a harmonious and good life with the free and all-round development of people, but also guarantees the space and rights for others to obtain peaceful development.The profound qualities of peace and friendship in Chinese civilization are based on caring for each other and fully respecting the right of survival and development of others, and expressed in amiability and helpfulness, pursuing common progress with others, and sharing the fruits of development with others.

The pursuit of rule by virtue, namely, “no poverty due to even distribution of wealth, no scarcity of people as a result of peace and harmony, and no risk of subversion owing to social stability,” is the theoretical thread of the peaceful quality of Chinese civilization.Confucius advocated benevolent and virtuous rule.During the Spring and Autumn period (770—221 BCE), Duke Ji planned to attack his neighbor, a small kingdom called Zhuanyu.Confucius said to Ran Qiu 冉求 (b.522 BCE), a disciple of his who was then assisting Duke Ji,

I have also heard that the rulers of states or the chiefs of families are not worried about poverty but about uneven distribution of wealth, and that they are not worried a small population but about dissatisfaction among the people.For even distribution of wealth results in no poverty, harmony among people results in no scarcity of people, and satisfaction of the people results in no rebellion.Just because of this, when the remoter people are not submissive to you, you should improve your culture and virtue to attract them.Once they have been attracted to you, you must help them settle down.(16:1)

The Way of nature is transformed into the Way of “centrality, commonality, and harmonious unity” to govern the world.In Confucius’s opinion, we should pay attention to such principles of governance as fairness, benevolent love, and equality to help people get rid of poverty and take care of the elderly so that they can live and work in peace and contentment with a sense of security.For people living afar, we should also improve our culture and virtue and get along well with one another, instead of attacking, conquering, and plundering.Starting from the ideas of benevolent love and rule of virtue, theZhongyongalso put forward such political ideas as the ruler’s self-cultivation, respect for worthies, kindness to relatives, respect for senior ministers, solicitude for subordinates, treating the common folk as one’s own children, attracting artisans of various trades, winning over people from afar through conciliation, and cherishing dukes and vassals, all of which express the same consistent spirit of benevolent love.

‘Harmony in Diversity’: A Principle for Peaceful Exchanges Based on Mutual Learning,Openness, and Inclusiveness [9]

Exchange and conflict between civilizations are an issue to be addressed in the globalization process.President Xi Jinping has insisted on promoting exchange and mutual learning between civilizations to build an open and inclusive world.“There is no such thing as a superior or inferior civilization.Civilizations are different only in identity and location.Diversity in civilizations should not be a source of global conflict; rather, it should be a driver for progress.”4Xi Jinping, “Toward a Community of Shared Future for Mankind,” in The Governance of China II, Qiushi Online, last modifi ed December 3, 2021, http://en.qstheory.cn/2021-12/03/c_686693.htm.

“Harmony in diversity” is an important embodiment of the Confucian personality ofjunzi君子 (gentleman or exemplary person), and it is also the principle for exchanges in the peaceful quality of Chinese civilization.According to “Duke Zhao, Twentieth Year” [昭公二十年] inZuo’s Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Yan Ying 晏嬰 (fl.556—500 BCE), a virtuous scholar-official, delivered his famous speech on differences between harmony and uniformity to the monarch and his subjects:

Harmony can be explained with the example of cooking a fi sh soup.The soup is cooked with water and fire, vinegar, pickle, salt, and plums.While it is cooked with firewood,the chef is responsible for its perfect taste by either adding ingredients to enrich its taste or adding water to dilute its heavy fl avor.And then it can be consumed by gentlemen to maintain a calm mind....Sounds are like the fl avors of the soup....Then there are [the distinctions of] clear and thick, large and small, long and short, fast and slow, solemn and joyful, hard and soft, lingering and rapid, high and low, engagement and retreat, and dense and diffuse, by which the parts are all complementary to each other.When the gentleman listens to such music, he will feel calm and peaceful in mind and so improve his morality.That is why there is the line that “there is no flaw in the duke’s virtuous fame” in theBook of Songs....Now your majesty says yes, your senior minister Liangqiu Ju 梁丘據(jù) (fl.521 BCE) also says yes, and your majesty says no, he also follows suit.If water alone is added to water to cook a soup, who could know the taste of delicious soup?If a single musical note is sounded with different instruments, who can enjoy the beautiful harmony of a piece of music? That is why uniformity is not well received.Yan Ying compared “harmony” to establishing the doctrine of the fi ve fl avors and producing the harmony of the five notes, and “uniformity” to “water added to water” and “a single music note sounded with different instruments” to imply how the monarch and his subjects should get along with each other.Difference and diversity are the premise for harmony.Confucianism advocates an ideal realm of governance, where differences are tolerated,truth and goodness are pursued, and people live in harmony and help each other in a liberal environment with good social order.

“Only if things achieve harmony can they be productive.If things are identical and uniform, they will not be continued” (Discourses of the States[國(guó)語(yǔ)], “Discourses of Zheng”[鄭語(yǔ)]).Harmony symbolizes the trends of functioning, development, progress, fusion and integration, and birth of new things.Only by respecting the diversity of development,accepting diversity, and exchanging and learning from each other can we develop new ideas and new things, and innovative aspects can then sparkle with inspiration.As a result, the world will take on a prosperous appearance with a hundred fl owers vying for beauty and a hundred schools of thought contending to fl ourish.

The Virtuous Quality in the ‘Unity of Knowledge and Action’and the New-Era Proposition of a ‘Community of Shared Future for Mankind’ [10]

The proposition concerningzhi知 (knowledge) andxing行 (action) in Chinese culture has existed for a long time, and discussions on their relationship have covered the whole history of Chinese philosophy.Confucianism advocates “governing the world through applied action,” that is, to acquire knowledge and practice virtues for the purposes of cultivating oneself, keeping the family orderly, governing the country, and pacifying the world under Heaven.Therefore, the Confucian doctrine of knowledge and action requires that disciples learn to understand and practice the innate human nature and inherent abilities represented by benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, and wisdom.

The Content of Virtuous Practice in the ‘Unity of Knowledge and Action’ [10]

TheAnalects, as a classic of Confucianism, begins with asking “is not it a joy to learn(xue學(xué)) and then regularly practice (xi習(xí)) what one has learnt?” (Analects1:1) The content of “l(fā)earning” is knowing and perceiving, which is the process of people’s self-awareness of their own goodness.Zhu Xi commented, “Everyone is good in nature, but they become aware of their nature at different times.Those who awake later follow those who have already awoken, so that they can understand benevolence and righteousness and restore their goodness.”5Zhu, Collected Commentaries on the Analects [論語(yǔ)集注], vol.1, in Collected Annotations of the Four Books, 49.The connotation of “practice” is multidimensional, and refers not only to the consolidation and refl ection of acquired knowledge, but also to the rumination on and practice of acquired knowledge.Practice is refl ected in all aspects of life.“Those who practice regularly can make use of every opportunity.Sitting square or standing quietly,they are not learning how to sit or stand but practicing what they have acquired in their inner mind.”6Ibid.Walking, lodging, sitting, and lying down are all steps for people to recognize and practice their own inherent goodness.This is a process to integrate learning and practice.Zixia 子夏 (b.507 BCE) believed that, “As for persons who care for virtue more than beauty, who do their utmost in serving their parents, who devote their lives in theservice of their ruler, and who keep their word in interactions with colleagues and friends, I would insist that they are well educated even if they were said to be unschooled” (1:7).Thus,the pre-Qin Confucian doctrine of the “unity of knowledge and action” is actually a theory of moral practice as advocated by “illustrating illustrious virtue” and “abiding in the highest good” in theGreat Learning.

In the Ming dynasty, Wang Yangming 王陽(yáng)明 (Wang Shouren 王守仁, 1472—1529)advocated the “extension of intuitive knowledge” (zhi liangzhi致良知) and the “unity of knowledge and action,” which includes two basic dimensions: a priori nature and a posteriori nurture.The term “intuitive knowledge” (liangzhi良知) originates fromMencius7A:15:“The ability possessed by humans without having been acquired by learning is innate ability(liangneng良能); and the knowledge possessed by them without the exercise of thought is intuitive knowledge.Children carried in the arms all know how to love their parents and know to respect their elder brothers when they grow up.” Wang Yangming argued, “The mind is naturally able to know.When it perceives parents, it naturally knows what fi lial piety is.When it perceives an elder brother, it naturally knows what respectfulness is.When it sees a child fall into a well, it naturally knows what compassion is.This is intuitive knowledge of good, and is not attained through external investigation.”7Wang Shouren 王守仁, The Complete Works of Wang Yangming [王陽(yáng)明全集], vol.1, eds.Wu Guang 吳光 et al.(Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1992), 6.To extend intuitive knowledge is to discover one’s own nature and goodness, and to extend respect for elders so as to respect elders all over the world, in the course of which the great Way of benevolence and righteousness prevails.Virtue has not only innate dimensions, but also dimensions of full practice.“Extension of intuitive knowledge” and “unity of knowledge and action” are moral practices based on the full recognition of innate benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety,and wisdom.To citeMencius2A:6, “The feeling of compassion is the sprout of benevolence;the feeling of shame and dislike is the sprout of righteousness; the feeling of modesty and deference is the sprout of ritual propriety; and the feeling of approval and disapproval is the sprout of wisdom.” These Four Sprouts are the premise, content, and goal of moral practice as the unity of knowledge and action, which is inherent in human nature, and also the initial aspiration and mission for people to practice all their lives as moral subjects.

Wang Yangming interpretedgewu zhizhi格物致知 (investigating things to extend knowledge) in theGreat Learningin this way: “Wu物 refers to affairs, and wherever intentions are active, there must be a corresponding affair.Ge格 is to rectify or correct, and means to correct what is wrong to return it to rectitude.Correcting what is wrong is called removing the bad.Returning to rectitude is called doing good.”8Wang, The Complete Works of Wang Yangming, vol.26, 972.The moral practice of the unity of knowledge and action is to hone oneself in all affairs and show the innate nature of intuitive knowledge.We should act according to the Way of thejunziin managing affairs,rectify our minds, make our intentions sincere, do good and remove the bad, conceal the bad and promote the good, exert effort on the “extension of intuitive knowledge,” and achieve the “unity of knowledge and action.”

The moral practice of the unity of knowledge and action has shaped the noble moral character of sages, worthies, and gentlemen in Chinese civilization.Based on the humanistic concern with assisting the world and the people-oriented thought of “taking the mind of the common people as one’s own” (Laozi, chap.49), this was the theoretical cornerstone of ancient Chinese political thought, which unfolded through the history of the development of Chinese political thought.

The Moral Foundation of ‘Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind’ [11]

The Confucian moral practice of pursuing benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety,and wisdom as the core values of intuitive knowledge, innate ability, and the unity of knowledge and action are embodied in all the fine aspects of traditional Chinese culture,including philosophy, art, military strategy, governance, and other fi elds.The mind and virtue of benevolence underlie the community of shared future for mankind.Mencius took the feeling of compassion as the origin of benevolence.Dai Zhen 戴震 (1724—1777) explained,

Benevolence is the virtue of production and reproduction, and the quality of the common people.Sufficient water, food, clothing, and daily necessities are simply the Way of Humanity.Therefore, in production and reproduction, once one attains his own livelihood, he extends this so that all others under Heaven also attain their own livelihoods, and this is benevolence.9Jiao Xun 焦循, Rectifi ed Interpretations of the Mencius [孟子正義], ed.Shen Wenzhuo 沈文倬 (Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1987), 234.

Similarly, if any country or nation that wants to develop is willing to share its experience and achievements with other countries so as to promote the common development of people all over the world, that is the great benevolence of a good world that the community of shared future for mankind yearns for.The opposition to war and calls for peace in Chinese history entail the virtue of protecting the rights to life and health of the broad mass of the people.

Fairness and justice is the order and principle for shaping a community of shared future for mankind.All through the ages, there have been rich and poor, strong and weak.The foundation for the benevolent governance of Confucianism is the fair and just mentality to care and help disadvantaged groups in society.

An old man without a wife becomes a widower, an old woman without a husband becomes a widow, the old without a child become alone, and the young without a father are orphaned.These four are the poorest people who are helpless and desperate.Therefore, when King Wen of Zhou issued decrees to implement benevolent governance,these four categories were to be handled fi rst.(Mencius1B:5)

President Xi Jinping’s speech “Toward a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” delivered at the United Nations Office at Geneva on January 18, 2017 adhered to the spirit of fairness and justice in aspects including politics, economy, and culture, and advocated maintaining fairness and justice by law.

[As the ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi said,] “Law is the very foundation of governance.”...The vital force of law lies in fairness and justice.All UN member states and international judicial institutions should ensure equal and uniform application of international law and reject double standards or selective application of international law,thus ensuring genuine equality and justice in the world.10Xi, “Toward a Community of Shared Future for Mankind.”

Civic virtue and etiquette are to be observed in building a community of shared future for mankind.“What is to be prized in applying ritual propriety is attaining harmony.In the Way of the ancient sage-kings, this was most excellent” (Analects1:12).Ritual propriety is used to coordinate the relationship between people and people and countries and countries to bring about harmonious neighborly relations.A stable and harmonious international environment is the premise and foundation for the sustainable development of the world.President Xi said, “When countries enjoy peace, the world will be safe; when countries fi ght,the world will be in chaos.”11Ibid.Chinese thought on peace has a long history, and even the core value of the Military Strategists was to protect the country and ensure peace for the people.In the New Era, China, guided by its cultural and moral traditions, advocates establishing diplomatic ties among counties based on mutual respect.“The essence of sovereign equality is that the sovereignty and dignity of all countries, whether big or small, strong or weak,rich or poor, must be respected; their internal affairs brook no interference, and they have the right to independently choose their social system and development path.”12Xi, “Toward a Community of Shared Future for Mankind.”In terms of culture, China respects the achievements of civilizations made by people of all nationalities in the world.Uniqueness and diversity are the driving force for mutual learning and communication between civilizations and also the source of innovation-based development.

Ritual propriety and wisdom are the external manifestation of benevolence and righteousness.In the ancient idea of harmonious unity, distinguishing good and right from bad and wrong is a great wisdom, as well as a process for people to discover their intuitive knowledge and innate ability and to realize the unity of knowledge and action.Confucius said, “Only the benevolent can love those who should be loved and dislike those who should be disliked” (Analects4:3).To be a benevolent person is to go beyond the natural life of human beings in fully actualizing one’s moral life.“When the great Way is enacted, the world under Heaven is held in common” (Book of Rites, “Evolution of Rituals” [禮運(yùn)]), such that “the world under Heaven is not the world of one person, but the world of all under Heaven.”13Gao You 高誘, Bi Yuan 畢沅, and Xu Xiaoman 徐小蠻, eds., Master Lü’s Spring and Autumn Annals [呂氏春秋](Shanghai: Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2014), 16.The idea of the unifi ed virtue of Heaven and humanity, as illustrated in “unifying one’s virtue with Heaven and Earth, unifying one’s illumination with the sun and moon,and unifying one’s order with the changes of the seasons” (Book of Changes, “Commentary on the Words of the Text”), and its refinement of natural laws and humanistic thought have nurtured a benevolent mind and pursuit of the Way of harmonious unity based on fairness and justice and upholding civility and ritual propriety in the Chinese civilization.In the moral glory of the “unifi ed virtue of Heaven and humanity,” a green, peaceful, and harmonious new world order of political and economic development with fairness and justice is sure to emerge.