Why China’s Environmental Future May Depend on Reclaiming Some of Its Past

Process Thought and Chinese Philosophies

Religions and philosophies followed by the Chinese, while still regulated by politicians, are increasingly viewed as potential allies in the development of China’s environmental policies. China’s director of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, Ye Xiaowen, recognizes that the Chinese philosophies can help create a harmonious society between humans and the rest of nature, according to Wang.

By implementing process thought, the Chinese can reclaim themes from their traditional philosophies of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism that will help develop a more environmentally friendly way of life. “There are similarities between the ecological worldview of process philosophy and the ecological worldview of Chinese philosophy,” said Shiyan Li, the director of the Center for Process Thought and Ecology in Shenyang—one of three process thought centers established in China in 2007.

Humans achieve harmony, according to Daoism, by aligning themselves with nature’s flow or way. And Wang said that the head of China’s environmental department, Pan Yue, has stated that Daoism, which encourages humans to dwell in harmony with the larger realm of life, can help build an ecological society.

Buddhists stress reverence for the spark of life in all living things. Gene Reeves, a professor at Peking University, teaches a process theology course in which, he says, environmental concerns play a large role. The compatibility between process thought and Buddhism is evident to Reeves when he teaches. “My students tend to see connections immediately,” he said.

Like Whitehead, the Confucians believe that human beings become whole through their interactions with one another and the rest of the natural world. And President Hu Jintao has made the Confucian concept of a “harmonious society” a cornerstone of his ruling ideology. Compared to Daoism and Buddhism, Confucianism is the most dominant philosophy in China, accounting for nearly half of the population, as well as the most human-centered. It views the non-human environment as a resource that humans can mold to fit their desires in accordance with nature’s laws.

Incorporating these Chinese philosophies might appear as a step back for a country trying to modernize. During China’s Cultural Revolution and Emperor Mao’s “war against nature,” science and technology became “the way” as the communist government jettisoned what it deemed as hindrances to its country’s development. These included the Chinese philosophical traditions of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, which arose before modern science. Labeled as ancient and unscientific, they were relegated to China’s past. But through process thought they may play a key role in China’s environmental future.

Process Thought in China Now

Process thought is not a new concept to the Chinese, who have studied Whitehead’s philosophy at the university level since the 1930s. It has been gaining momentum especially during this decade.

In the spring of 2002, the China Project collaborated with Chinese officials to host an international conference on “Whitehead and China in the New Millennium.” Nearly 200 Chinese and non-Chinese scholars from 14 countries attended this event in Beijing. In retrospect, Cobb, of the Center for Process Studies, recognizes this conference, which was covered by the national Chinese media, as the point where process thought began to rapidly develop in China. “It’s amazing in ten years how it’s become a topic of conversation,” he said.

When the China Project started, Cobb admits that he did not have high expectations. But since 2002, over 20 conferences in China have addressed process thought and sustainable development. Chinese universities now host 18 centers for process studies. This summer, the fourth annual summer academy on process thought will focus on how process thought can improve China’s agriculture. And Chinese officials will attend another conference this October in Claremont to further this discussion about the role that process thought can play in developing an ecological branch of Marxism. “We’re delighted and amazed,” said Cobb looking back that the development over this decade.