Breakthrough in ethical thought

Author: Wei Zhengtong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: In a society with a long tradition, during its process of modernization, an ideal situation in life should be the integration of traditional value concepts and the emerging new values. This way, on one hand, it avoids a state of psychological disorientation, and on other hand, it allows the new value guidelines to achieve value renewal through gradual change. — Wei Zhengtong
Any ancient civilization, if it cannot inspire creative transformation in its original value system, personality structure, and way of life, will find it difficult to complete the establishment of a truly free and democratic modern nation. The establishment of a new ethics is closely linked to this fundamental transformation. The discussion on how traditional culture adapts to modern society has always been a hot topic in Chinese cultural circles.
The author of this book, through the historical development of Western society after the 16th and 17th centuries, recognizes that any ancient civilization, if it cannot inspire creative transformation in its original value system, personality structure, and way of life, will find it difficult to complete the establishment of a truly free and democratic modern nation. The establishment of a new ethics is closely linked to this fundamental transformation.
Therefore, based on the original concept of "spiritual revolution," the author discusses in ten chapters: the value and transformation of traditional ethics, the relationship between ethics and human nature, culture, industrial civilization, and the connections with freedom and democracy. The author proposes the principles and models needed to establish a new ethics and offers constructive systematic perspectives for the development of traditional Chinese culture in modern society.