Solstice – Christmas – Hanukkah 2024
Dear Family and Friends,
Thinking of you in these challenging times and sending warmest greetings for the holidays. Snows come less frequently and leave fast with springlike freshness in Connecticut. We urge the iris to wait awhile longer–they’re eager to get up from the soil! Tree branches shine in a winter Sun marking the Solstice and reminding us of the total eclipse we experienced near Montpelier, Vermont this spring.
This year we went to China twice, 5 weeks in the summer, 4 weeks in the autumn showing the Journey film in Chinese and speaking on China’s aim toward “Ecological Civilization.” The latter is a 30 year effort of the Chinese to move from their rapid industrial development to a more sustainable environmental future. This aspiration is now occurring at every level–political, social, economic, and educational–and is in their Constitution. The universities aspire to have a center focused on this topic. They are also reviving Confucianism for a Chinese based environmental ethics as a key cultural component of this transformation.
Dialogue of civilizations: The revival of Confucianism involves exploring their classical texts as well as comparative studies with Greek classics. One conference compared virtue ethics in Aristotle and Confucius. Another discussed Human Rights from Western and Chinese perspectives. While the West emphasizes individual rights, the Chinese underscore communal responsibilities. There is awareness of shortcomings on both sides.
Historic sites: This cultural revival also involves a remarkable archaeological renaissance in key sites of ancient capitals in the Yellow River Valley, where Chinese civilization arose. The earliest dynasties of China were considered “mythical” until the material evidence emerged and are now displayed in stunning museums built in the last few years. This archaeological renaissance over the last 40 years has required training a whole new generation of specialists undertaking the excavations. Another striking visit was to the 1000 year old Yuelu Confucian Academy in Changsha, which is still used for classes at Hunan University. Having been destroyed in the Japanese invasion, it is beautifully rebuilt.
Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry: The autumn travel concluded with a conference focused on Teilhard and Berry that brought our own interests into dialogue with a sterling group of Chinese philosophers. Both had spent time in China (Teilhard for 15 years) and some of their books are now translated into Chinese. The gathering was a memorable moment, and we anticipate further conferences on their thought as well as conferences on Ecological Civilization and the Confucian revival when we return in 2025.
This work in China is stimulating and demanding. We are fully aware of political tensions there, as well as in our own country. But we hope we can be citizen-diplomats between our nations. Interactions with faculty and students is wonderfully encouraging as China has fewer foreigners visiting these days and academics are keen to be in conversation with westerners. Such dialogue has been challenging and rewarding beyond measure for us!
With all good wishes for health and happiness in the New Year!
Mary Evelyn and John