British vlogger's take on "ren", or benevolence, in Confucianism

A British vlogger recently shared his understanding of "ren", the traditional Confucian concept of benevolence, finding similarities between Confucianism and Aristotelian philosophy.

With the 10th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations scheduled to kick off on the coming Wednesday in Qufu City, east China's Shandong Province, with the theme "Traditional Culture and Modern Civilization", British vlogger Jason Lightfoot recently visited the city which is the birthplace of ancient Chinese sage Confucius. He went to the Confucius Museum and the Nishan Sacred Land and shared his experience and feelings with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in a video.

He filmed himself in front of a statue of Confucius, explaining that the height of the statue relates to Confucius' success as an educator and philosopher.

"You can see behind me this huge statue standing at 72 meters tall representing his 72 outstanding students," Lightfoot said.

"Confucius, also known as Kongzi or Kongfu Zi, is one of the most influential philosophers and educators in Chinese history. He lived during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history, around 551 to 479 BC, and is considered the founder of Confucianism, a philosophical and ethical system that has profoundly shaped Chinese culture and society for over two millennia," he continued.

He said that what moved him most was the unique understanding of the concept of ren (benevolence) in Confucianism. In Aristotelian philosophy, there are similar concepts, but the Confucian interpretation of the core value of ren is profound and thought-provoking, according to the vlogger.

"In humanism, 'ren' (benevolence) aligns with principles of secular humanism which emphasizes the value of dignity and every individual and the importance of human welfare. Humanists advocate for compassion, empathy and mutual respect among people, which resonates with the Confucian ideal of 'ren'. Also, in Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, the concept of philia, which means friendship and the virtue of magnanimity, share a common ground with 'ren'. Aristotle's emphasis on cultivating virtues to achieve human flourishing parallels Confucius' focus on 'ren' as essential for personal and social harmony," Lightfoot explained.

"Confucius emphasized the importance of self-cultivation and moral development as foundational to achieving 'ren'. This involves understanding one's own virtues and flaws, striving for personal improvement and cultivating a sense of self-respect based on ethical behavior and harmonious relationships. Similarly, Western values promote self-respect through virtues like honesty, integrity and self-discipline," Lightfoot said.

Through this experience, Lightfoot said he has gained a new knowledge and understanding of Confucianism.

British vlogger's take on "ren", or benevolence, in Confucianism

China's new tax policies came into effect on Sunday, which are expected to support the steady and healthy development of the real estate market, a pillar industry of the country's national economy.

In mid November, the Ministry of Finance said the country will increase incentives in terms of deed tax to actively support people's essential housing needs and needs for improving their housing conditions.

Individuals purchasing their only residential property or a second home, as long as the area does not exceed 140 square meters, will pay deed tax at a rate of one percent across the country. For properties with an area exceeding 140 square meters, the deed tax will be levied at a rate of 1.5 percent.

Home buyers planning to buy second homes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will benefit the most from the revised deed tax, as a previous rate of three percent had been applied to all four of these first-tier cities, according to officials.

On the morning of Monday, the first working day after the new policies came into force, a tax service hall in downtown Beijing was bustling with homebuyers, accompanied by real estate agents, who seek to pay tax and register their homes.

"This is the second house my family bought. It is about 100-square-meters big at a price of more than eight million yuan (about 1.1 million U.S. dollars). Following the new policy, I paid a deed tax of 80,000 yuan, saving 160,000 yuan compared with the previous policy," said a homebuyer.

"Today is the first working day after the new policy came into force. We and our clients made appointments on this day to handle tax payment and transfer of (house) ownership to enjoy the benefits of the new tax policies as soon as possible," said Sun Licheng, a real estate agent.

"Today, both taxpayers making online applications (for real estate's tax payment and transfer of ownership) and those doing business offline are apparently more than usual. We have not only added three service counters to our tax hall, but also increased staff for offline and online application review," said Chen Zhan, director of the sixth taxation office at the Beijing Haidian District Taxation Bureau under the State Taxation Administration. The Beijing municipal taxation bureau expects the new tax policies to strengthen the property market's recovery momentum, and promote the stable and healthy development of the sector.

Data show that in November, 18,520 pre-owned houses were signed online in Beijing, marking a month-on-month increase of eight percent and a year-on-year growth of 50 percent.

New tax policies in place, property market recovers