Its inner strength lies in its dynamic interplay between family and state. The nature of the family as a microcosm of the state, and the idea of the state as an enlargement of the family, indicate that family stability is vitally important for the body politic, and a vitally important function of the state is to ensure organic solidarity of the family. Civil society provides a variety of mediating cultural institutions that allow a fruitful articulation between family and state. The dynamic interplay between the private and public enables the civil society to offer diverse and enriching resources for human fruition. I know how difficult this is to be even entertained as an important agenda for discussion, but still it is a very important area that we need to at least explore.
Education ought to be the civil religion of society.
The primary purpose of education is character building. In addition to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, schooling must be congenial to the development of cultural competence and appreciation of spiritual values. The cultural competence is in terms of language, history, and even philosophical reflection. It is, of course, far-fetched to suggest that these societal ideas are fully realized or actually realized in any of the existing East Asian societies. Actually, East Asian societies often exhibit behaviors and attitudes just the opposite of the supposed salient features of modernity defined in Confucian humanistic terms.