Renowned American economist Jeffrey Sachs has emphasized the enduring value of ancient Chinese philosophy in addressing today's global challenges as the world marks the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations on Tuesday.
Last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a China-sponsored resolution to designate June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
Giving his view on the importance of global dialogue to address a shared set of problems, Sachs, who is also a professor at Columbia University, emphasized that ancient philosophies can offer valuable solutions to modern issues such as climate change, inequality, and geopolitical conflicts.
"We face many challenges. We face the common challenges of global climate change and the destruction of biodiversity. We face challenges of poverty in a world of wealth. But especially we face the challenge of peaceful coexistence, how to live together on this crowded planet of 8 billion people and 193 member states of the United Nations, and a lot of conflict and misunderstanding. And I believe that by looking at the wisdom of the ancient sages, drawing upon that wisdom, we can help make the world a safer place, and thereby direct our real energies and attention and resources to solving the major problems of sustainable development," he said.
Sachs highlighted the principle of 'reciprocity' put forward by the ancient Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.). The professor explained that the concepts and teachings of Confucius, which center on peace and social harmony, though proposed thousands of years ago, continue to offer crucial guidance for how nations can coexist today.
"When Confucius was asked by his students, what one word would you use, master, to describe how we should behave, his answer is 'reciprocity'. Or he said: 'do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you'. And this is a starting principle for global peace. And it is on that basis of mutuality, reciprocity, mutual respect that we can find the path to peace in our world," said Sachs.
He also hailed the significance and enduring message of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence which were proposed by China seven decades ago, which he believes is also rooted in the wisdom of Confucius.
The five principles -- mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence -- provide a guidance for countries to live together peacefully, he said.
"Seventy years ago China unveiled five principles for peaceful coexistence. These principles, which have a deep basis in Confucius's wisdom of harmony in diversity, these are principles that can serve us well in the 21st century," Sachs noted.
Ancient Chinese wisdom offers insights into modern global challenges: American scholar
