Michael Schuman is author of the new book Confucius and the World He Created. He is a Beijing-based journalist who writes about Asia and the global economy.

Monday, November 23, 7:30pm

“The Comeback of Confucius — Talk with Michael Schuman”

Michael Schuman, Author, “Confucius and the World He Created”

The Bookworm

The Bookworm | 50RMB

For much of the past 100 years, Confucius was vilified by reformers and revolutionaries in China who believed the old sage was an outdated relic holding the nation back from a new, glorious future. But today, China’s greatest philosopher is experiencing a revival. President Xi Jinping routinely promotes Confucius’s ideas in an attempt to resurrect traditional culture as a bulwark against unwanted, foreign influences. The government is promoting Confucius Institutes around the world, using the sage as a brand in a soft-power campaign. Encouraged, ordinary Chinese are revisiting Confucius’s teachings and traveling to the sage’s hometown of Qufu. The comeback of Confucius is potentially one of the most significant trends in Chinese politics and culture. But is it for real? Can Confucius once again shape Chinese politics and society, as he had in the past? And what would that mean for China’s future?

Michael Schuman is author of the new book Confucius and the World He Created. He is a Beijing-based journalist who writes about Asia and the global economy.

Advanced registration is not required.

Event information courtesy of Legation Quarter.