Abstract |
Mr. Chang Hao believes that the sense of darkness (youanyishi幽暗意識) derived from Christian doctrine, while not acknowledging the dark forces in life and the universe, does not evade them either. The sense of darkness emphasizes the necessity of social justice in public life, but it differs significantly in values from Western modern utilitarianism and ethical egoism. The latter accepts human desires and self-interest as the basis for considering personal and social issues. In contrast, the sense of darkness criticizes this worldview and seeks to prevent, guide, and transform it. In other words, the sense of darkness recognizes the inherent dark forces but cannot rationalize them. In real life, one must be wary of them, criticize them, and reflect upon them. Contemporary Neo-Confucians have previously examined the issue of democracy through a "sense of impending danger" (youhuanyishi 憂患意識) . However, the sense of impending danger is fundamentally a humanistic consciousness rather than a religious one. In religious consciousness, individuals, through the reflection of political and social reality, expose the essence of the self constructed by endless desires. This evident flaw, along with the accompanying vulnerability, stands in strong contrast to the God who is omnipotent yet loving. In comparison to the sense of impending danger, Mr. Chang Hao's theory of "sense of darkness" incorporates the spirit of the Neo-Confucian sense of impending danger, but its essence primarily derives from Western Christian tradition, or more precisely, from the theology of crisis within Christianity, and attempts to connect with the asceticism theory in Chinese tradition (particularly the Sung-Ming Confucian tradition), which posits a dualism between natural principles and human desires. In this regard, Mr. Chang Hao's sense of darkness actually exhibits very strong characteristics of Christian religion, particularly within the tradition of original sin. |