The overarching theme of Dewey’s philosophy, and that of William James before him, is that an experimental approach to life — one that tests ideas in the realm of action — should guide us in all domains, including religion, politics, ethics, art and, of course, science.
.. The current renaissance of Dewey and pragmatism in China stresses the secular ethics dimension as a way to remind a growing wealthy class of the common good. Chinese people have been atheists for thousands of years, and pragmatism is very congenial with the deeply secular Confucian ethic.
China’s reversal of its one-child policy is about controlling politics—not population
Yet without strongman governance, bold change is not in the cards. Deng Xiaoping was able to reverse the country’s course and create a four-decade “economic miracle.” Today, there is no one in the Chinese political system with the power to do anything like that. There is a technocratic, collective decision-making elite that believes change should be implemented in small steps and only after long periods of experimentation. This means solutions are carefully considered—and that change is extremely slow in coming.
Why Are Hundreds of Harvard Students Studying Ancient Chinese Philosophy?
Recent research into neuroscience is confirming that the Chinese philosophers are correct: Brain scans reveal that our unconscious awareness of emotions and phenomena around us are actually what drive the decisions we believe we are making with such logical rationality.
China: Make your money and get out
My colleague David Barboza last year exposed how then Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s mother, son, daughter, younger brother, wife and brother-in-law had collectively amassed $2.7 billion in assets. But when you see how much money a deputy archives director was able to amass — and how brazenly he spent it — you start to wonder and worry.
.. “Make your money and get out.” More than ever, I heard a lack of confidence in the Chinese economic model.