The traditional philosophies of China and Europe both find common ground in their views on the inherent goodness of human nature, providing enduring guidance for contemporary international relations, according to former President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
The former European Council chief shared his insights on interpreting the philosophies of Mencius (about 372-289 BC), a renowned Chinese philosopher, and Confucius (about 551-479 BC) -- educator, philosopher and political theorist of ancient China, in an exclusive interview with China Media Group released on Friday.
Van Rompuy has spent three decades studying ancient Chinese texts, finding surprising parallels with Western thought.
His particular interest lies in Mencius, a prominent Chinese philosopher from the Warring States period (475-221 BC) of ancient China.
"I am not an expert on Chinese philosophy. I first read Confucius' Analects 30 years ago and was fascinated by it. Mencius was Confucius' favorite disciple. Although I am not an expert on Confucius and Mencius, I know that there are subtle differences between their thoughts. What fascinates me most about Mencius is that he believes that 'human nature is benevolent', which touches me deeply. In European philosophy, some philosophers have also talked about 'humans are born inherently good', believing that human nature is fundamentally benevolent. But in the real world, there is too much distrust, distrusts among society and countries that often go beyond the scope of civilization," he said.
This gap between philosophical ideals and practical reality leads Van Rompuy to reflect on a deeper consideration of how philosophical ideals can be materialized to practice in today's world.
"So when I read about the theory of Confucius and Mencius, I found that the main values focus on people, human nature and humanitarianism. So there are many similarities shared by great philosophies of the West and the East. Of course, they are different in that they give different connotations to this value of 'benevolence', which is obvious to all. Then the big question is, although we believe that human nature is benevolent, do we really put it into practice? Do we follow these principles in our lives? Not only in our personal lives, but also at the level of national relations?" Van Rompuy said.
Confucian philosophy of good human nature finds European echo: former European Council president
