INTRODUCTION

            As we approach the third millennium we ask what we want to bring forward from the past and what we wish to develop anew. Like planning to begin human life on a new planet, this gives occasion to ask what is of truly essential value in our experience of human life, what are its future possibilities and what are our resources for their realization.

            The question is more complex than at first it might seem. If we were at the earlier stages of modernity we might simply take the characteristics of the times as defining human possibilities. In this case the question would be simply how to develop a modern pattern of life. In this light tradition would be at best a general resource to be used instrumentally where it could contribute, or to be discarded where it could not.

            That simplistic age, however, has past; now we face the so-bering truth that modernity itself has been of mixed value. As notes the opening chapter by Richard Knowles, it has brought not only great accomplishments which must never be lost, but a great reduction of the richness of human goals and self-understanding, not to mention great wars and massive atrocities. Even in the modern terms of a redistribution of power and control much now is said of a post modern period and more positively of an emerging global outlook. The twentieth century comes to a close under the epithet of "the most violent in human history"; none would call for its repetition, all hope for something new and more humane.

            In this sense, we are especially well placed to look at the topic: tradition and modernization. Being freed from enclosure by either term we are able to assume a balanced critical stance with regard to each and to their mutual relation. Such a study promises as well to enable us to look further toward the resources for the global civilization which promises to be the achievement of the millenium about to dawn. That, however, will be the proper task not of this volume, but of those which follow.

            The present study consists of three parts: Part I concerns the nature of tradition and modernity; Part II focuses upon the resources which can be brought from the tradition; Part III concerns how those resources can be developed critically in a way that contributes to the ongoing process of life in our times.

            Part I begins with chapter I by G.McLean on the nature of culture and tradition. Its essential burden is to trace culture to the basic thrust of human life toward its realization, that is, to the search for human fulfillment in the concrete circumstances of a people. Culture is truly a matter of being rather than of non being, of life rather than of death. Synchronically, culture consists of the specific set of characteristics which constitute the mode of living together proper to a people. Diachronically, this is called "tradition" as the passing on of what is life-giving to the next generation in a manner adapted to ever new circumstances. Tradition then is not a matter of the past, though it reflects the cumulative struggles and learning of a people; rather it is their resources for facing the future creatively.

            Chapter II by Richard Knowles matches this with an analysis of modernity. Coming to the task from the fields of psychology and phenomenological philosophy he reviews its characteristic fallen-ness in terms of rootlessness, consumerism, individualism and fas-cination with the technical. On this basis he is able to identify prob-lems which modernity generates and leaves for resolution -- such issues as the meaning and purpose for life, justice and commitment without fanaticism.

            Chapter III by Li Junru studies the concrete form of these issues in the transformation of rural China. He identifies some of the newly emerging values, as well as a number of contradictions. Perceptively, he looks for ways in which the old and new can be combined, finding examples in various areas of life, and seeing as well the threat of serious conflicts.

            Chapter IV reviews these issues on a broader scale. Jiang Binghai notes the great riches of Chinese traditional culture and its indispensable role as the roots of present and future progress. At the same time he expertly identifies the tensions which emerge bet-ween the historical and present realities, between ideas and exist-ence, and between understanding and sentiment. On this basis he is able to begin to prescribe the requisites for future construction, namely, both material and spiritual civilization, and the reform of structures.

            Part II looks more deeply into the resources of Chinese cul-ture for the work not only of modernization, but of still further deve-lopment. In Chapter V Yu Xuanmeng focuses rightly upon the need for wisdom and its proper character as open and integrating know-ledge. In this it reflects and indeed realizes what is proper to hu-manity as being not simply reactive to its environment, but capable of appreciating the whole of meaning and hence of shaping the paths of human life.

            Chapter VI by Fang Mingson investigates the theme of cul-tural transformation by studying the transition from Greek to Christian culture. This requires considerable sensibility for, without sensitivity to the specific theological dimension added by Christ-ianity, there is danger of reducing Christianity to Greek thought. This characterized the biased secularizing scholarship of the last century. On the contrary, more recent scholarship makes it pos-sible to see how old themes are renewed and enriched by the new horizons. As was noted in Chapter III this is a characteristic of re-cent rural transformations in China. This is important for under-standing what is new and how it builds upon and enriches the old.

            Chapter VII by Fu Jizong illustrates this in the realm of law and its relation to morality. It is the strength and perhaps also the weakness of law in the Chinese tradition that it is not divorced from morality. This has at times overburdened the law and even kept it from focusing on its proper task in civil affairs. Nevertheless, it has reflected and implemented the concern of Chinese culture for ethics in life, which is to say, for the proper exercise of life in terms of human dignity and purpose.

            Chapter VIII by Peter Kun-yu Woo shows the basis of this in Chinese culture by bringing out the way in which the Confucian vision is rooted in the family and consanguinity, building from person to family, to nation or tribe, and eventually to world. As a result the whole is pervaded with affectivity and a sense that by nature one serves parents and heaven. In contrast to this, mo-dernity works in terms of a basically technical relation of means to end. Such relations are in principle among strangers and the question is no longer how to be kind, but why or whether. Reduced to the functional order interrelations become combative and the motivation of the older classical norms of human interchange be-gins to wane. Is it now sufficient to say, as was done by Confu-cianism, that this is a matter of human nature; or is some higher religious source and goal now needed both as sanction and as in-spiration?

            Chapter IX by Vincent Shen brings out the proper contribution to be made by the Chinese tradition in the modernization process by comparing the work of Lao Tsu to that of Jürgan Habermas. The former is otologically based in the Tao, whereas the latter, for lack of such a foundation, is formal and empty of content. One limitation of Lao Tsu would appear to be a disregard for technology as a dis-traction from the relation of man and nature. But for lack of a po-sitive metaphysical foundation Habermas can only be dialogical and negative in his critique. This approach can analyze conflict be-tween people, but for understanding and promoting positive com-munication Chinese culture has positive resources to contribute.

            Part III undertakes to provide a critical approach to tradition in order to enable it to contribute effectively to life in our times. Chap-ter X by Charles Maes studies the traditions of human formation in order to identify how this can be developed in terms of the different cultures and traditions. He sees formation as a mystery at all levels: cosmic, biological and human. In comparison to faith traditions which are more basic and less adaptive, the formation tradition ap-pears more concrete and adapted to the circumstances of life. In this light it is more engaged in the transformation of cultures and the preparation of persons to play a role therein.

            Chapter XI by Zhang Huajin treats the quality of life and social progress taking the standard of living as a basic synthetic measure of social progress. In this light social interaction is a key to the development of such crucial factors as: education, science, law, etc.

            Chapter XII by Tran van Doan enters deeply into the diale-ctics of tradition and modernity which it shows to be not opposed, but mutually essential. In so doing it distinguishes theoretical know-ledge, where exact measurement is possible, from practical know-ledge. The former, being a product of humankind, must not be allowed to control humans. The latter, concerned with human va-lues and goals, does not lend itself to exact knowledge. In fact the natural and human sciences are not opposed for science too generates values. But this is only in terms of solving precise human problems, whereas tradition is concerned with the quality of the full breadth of human life. The problems emerge from ignoring the hu-man dimension and its natural order, whether in tradition or in mo-dernization.

            Chapter XIII by Manual Dy tests out this thesis by reviewing the Confucian notion of Jen in terms of a critical hermeneutics. He studies closely the evolution of Jen through Confucius, Mencius and Taoism as it evolves from a love of humanity in men to the mind of heaven and earth. By reviewing Habermas’ technical, practical and emancipatory interests, Professor Dy establishes a basis for a critical approach. H.-G. Gadamer would point out, however, that this is not scientifically self-justifying, but is based ultimately upon the human content of tradition. On this basis, it is possible by a critical hermeneutics to see how the notion of Jen itself must evolve through an emerging sense of human nature, of person and of the requirements of the global community.

            Chapter XIV by Wang Miaoyang treats the issue of indivi-dualism and collectivism as a test case for the overall theme of Chinese cultural traditions and modernization. He shows the im-portance of each and yet the different paths followed by West and East in their regard. In this light the process of modernization for Chinese cultural traditions becomes notably one of enabling the emergence of the individual within the sense of community. This is the challenge of our times.

            In sum, this volume is not a plea for either the Chinese tradition or for modernization alone. Both are seen as possessed of values and dangers. What is important is to approach moderniza-tion in a critical manner so that its new sensibilities can be eva-luated and, where positive, promoted. To do so, however, requires a rich sense of what it means to be human. This must be both metaphysically grounded in a rich sense of being and dialogically open to humankind and nature.

            This promises to take us beyond modernity to a new global culture, but that will be the task of the century and millenium now coming fast upon us.