Cultural identity soars up human development

Illuminating paths emerge once illusions are dropped. "We need to acclimatize democracy with deep-seated and most cherished indigenous cultural values in order for it to survive the test of history," he says. Moreover, as globalization sweeps the world, economic disparity challenges humanity and varied differences jumpstart perspectives of international equality. "The call for equality is not to ignore differences, but to respect differences, and treat others as equals in spite of differences."

But without universal respect for law, Ling finds any talk of respect for the individual person, of freedom, human rights, equality and democracy will come to nought. "Even though this concept of law might not be in one's tradition, one should treasure that concept and embrace it" and try to reform the legal system so that laws become instruments of emancipation for all members of that society.

In the end he concludes, "most important of all is that a society needs to carry with it a set of values accepted by the people of a particular country as significant enough to produce a cohesiveness and an esprit de corps to give momentum in development."

Ling proposes a two-pronged approach to attain a shared set of values: a serious analysis of the concepts important for development and a search for one's cultural identity.

He explains that cultural identity means identifying the deep-seated and most cherished values in a culture, those embodied in the myths, legends, narratives, the symbols and the psyche of the people. "We must try to dissect and understand the various subtle meanings of the concepts at more than face value, and try to understand them with one's cultural identity in order for development to have the support of the general population."

Ling exemplifies this undertaking by surgically scrutinizing a century of sufferings and struggles that give rise to the modern Chinese cultural identity. "At least what is evident today is that there are the Chinese ancient values, the Marxist social analysis and social compassion, and the contribution of Western liberalism like the universal respect for law, the modern practice of the skeleton of democratic process." He has the vision that those "three important strands of cultural heritages will converge like the confluence of three torrential streams merging into a mighty roaring river" of what might be called "Chinese-style socialism".

Finally, where dwells his pride and delight, "The purpose of the book, then, is my attempt to see if there is any way the modernization of other developing countries could be a shorter and less painful one."

Sadly, Ling passed away last year, but his messianic foresight, committed pursuit and noble findings for ways in which global development can benefit the whole of humankind remain with us, shining a light on the path ahead.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wenjia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/15/2014 page5)