Confucianism still meaningful to contemporary China, other countries: Chinese scholar

With profound values, Confucianism is still meaningful to the development of contemporary China and other countries, a well-known Chinese scholar said at an international workshop here on Wednesday.

Confucianism helps contemporary China pursue not only prosperity, but also, more importantly, civilization, morality and world peace, professor of philosophy Chen Lai, dean of the Academy of Chinese Learning, Tsinghua University, said at the international workshop christened "The Moral Power of Confucianism" held at Vietnam's Graduate Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Chen, Confucius' thought focused on worshiping morality, respecting kindness, honoring righteousness, keeping eclectic or not going extreme, and preferring harmony, which has affected China both in the past and at present.

Chinese leaders have recently spoken highly of Confucianism, stressing that the moral standards passed on by forefathers should be inherited on the basis of making the past serve the present, Chen said, noting that for thousands of years, Confucius has been regarded as a symbol of China's traditional culture as well as the country's intellectuals.

The key ideas of Confucius, including rule by virtue, self-discipline to appease others and harmony in diversity, have good impact on the Vietnamese people, Pham Van Duc, president of Vietnam's Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the workshop.

"Chen Lai has just told me that South Korean companies have applied Confucianism successfully. So I think that Vietnamese enterprises can also apply Confucianism to improve the moral standards of employers and employees, as well as to enhance corporate social responsibility," Duc said.

Confucius (551-479 BC) founded Confucianism, a school of thought that deeply influenced later generations. He was also the first Chinese person to set up private schools and enroll students from all walks of life.