The Duke of Zhou, Part 4
January 30, 2010
Was the Duke of Zhou really such a good person?
This is a question no Chinese thinks to ask. He is held up as a hero and students are expected to emulate him.
It’s a peculiar part of Western culture that we see so many of our leaders as hypocrites and as fallible. I have to admit that every day seems to bring a new fallen political, sports, or cultural leader. It’s easy to think that there are just two kinds of people: the despicable and the soon-to-be-discovered-as- despicable. Haven’t I myself said that I have never found a spiritual leader worth following?
But I do have to report that I have met Chinese who are overwhelmingly idealistic and principled to the point of fault. None of these have been in great positions of power, and perhaps that’s necessary. But I do know that people have been brought up to be moral, self-sacrificing, and almost painfully principled.
One of my friends, for example, is the daughter of a Chinese general who left his family to fend for themselves, but who obeyed the call to go to the front whenever summoned. His sense of patriotism outweighed even his love for his family. My grandfather was another example, a man who kept meticulous accounts and notes of all his correspondence and who informally passed on letters and money between China and the United States. There are many good people, although this often goes with tragedy or a failure to take care of their own families.
The point is that whether the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, King Wen, or any of these other culture-heroes were “really” that good, they are still worth emulating.
