The future through Mencius's lens

In New Zealand, our Maori people have many sayings or whakatauki. "I walk backward into the future with my eyes fixed on my past" for example. They deliberately look to the past, to inform the future.

Applying Mencius's lens of Oriental civilization to these sayings allows you to pause, reflect and consider.

In these times, we need leaders who dare to dream of what is possible and are competent enough to make those dreams a reality.

China provides a great example in its setting of targets to lift its people out of poverty, and through good planning and determination, it has demonstrated it is well on track to do so.

Mencius's insight into benevolence assumes that everyone has goodness in their heart, but he also urges leaders to know themselves first, to learn from and respect those in authority including the family, and then apply these thoughts to the community and the world.

Mencius's thoughts on benevolent governance, while promoting economic endeavor and success, go further and advocate that leaders must act with compassion and justice toward the people. He argues that when leaders care for citizens' well-being and prioritize moral governance that is understood by the people, they foster confidence, loyalty, peace and long-term stability.

We live in challenging times, when promoting ethical leadership that addresses social inequalities and creates policies that prioritize the well-being of the people in greatest need is all too often weighed up against the need to achieve and retain popular support.

In these days of social media, all governments need to be mindful of the impact of their policies and public opinions, because citizens have the ability to connect and mobilize either in support or opposition, as we have seen in recent times in all corners of the globe.

Education fosters a sense of moral integrity, social responsibility and understanding, and provides a reference point or boundary within which we can all function and beyond which there are consequences.

We live in a globalized world where access to knowledge is easier than ever before, often powered by artificial intelligence. This increases the need for a human-centered approach. But knowledge alone cannot provide the solutions for the future generations. They will need to apply critical thinking and ethical reasoning, and shoulder civic responsibilities to overcome challenges.

While modern societies tend to emphasize equality, human rights and inclusion, Confucian values of respect for hierarchy and authority remain applicable today, especially in the context of organizations and governance.

In the latter part of the last century, we lived through 40-plus years where accommodation, concession and inclusion were the prevailing themes of global engagement. This approach led to unprecedented economic prosperity and global security for most parts of the world.

Today we face confrontations — especially that between China and the United States — and global challenges such as climate change, sovereign debt, technological disruptions and internal conflicts in many countries, exacerbated by the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

As a result, we again find ourselves urging all individuals and countries to work together to overcome the challenges and avoid extremes in thought and action that could lead to unintended consequences.

In today's polarized global environment, Mencius's "middle path" could help bridge the divides by encouraging dialogue, compromise and measured responses.

I believe in Mencius's sage advice, which we can all act on if we devise human-centric policies, build collective global leadership to achieve shared prosperity, deliver economic and social justice, and shoulder moral responsibility in international relations.

The Asia-Pacific region, which is home to about 4.8 billion people, accounts for 60 percent of the world's population. Countries such as China and Singapore have incorporated Confucian principles in their governance models to balance economic growth with social cohesion, while advancing modernization and avoiding social fragmentation.

The Pacific Islands Forum is an apt example of leaders seeking to foster a meeting of minds using benevolent governance, encouraging all countries to work together for mutual benefit, and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

The ASEAN member states have achieved success by adopting a cooperative approach to trade and dispute settlement, with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement having the same potential to achieve success.

In today's increasingly complex world connected by social media, enabled through AI-generated solutions and undergoing rapid changes, leaders should heed Mencius's advice and shoulder the moral responsibility of meeting the needs of the people.

Mencius's "middle path" will be critical in shaping the future of AI and addressing climate change. Indeed AI can increase efficiency and make life more convenient. But leaders must ensure that AI complements human decision-making instead of replacing it, especially in fields such as education, healthcare, law and governance, which require moral discretion.

Mencius believed that all humans are essentially good. But AI is neither inherently good nor bad. Its application and impact depend entirely on how its systems are programmed and used. As such, the innovators and entrepreneurs must take the responsibility of ensuring that AI does not get ahead of human consideration.

AI is a tool that has the potential to assist humanity in an unprecedented way. The challenge for leaders is to see that AI does not replace human faculty or become an unchecked force as it opens new frontiers.

Mencius's philosophy reminds us that we all have a leadership obligation. He offers us a moral and ethical framework that is still relevant.

And yet, I believe, Mencius would have encouraged us to grasp new technologies such as AI, which can help enrich us with the knowledge and wisdom of philosophers, scholars, entrepreneurs, scientists and environmentalists. Perhaps he would also have encouraged the leadership to apply critical thinking and foresight in order to bring benefits for all.

But leadership is not the responsibility of a few. There is much we can learn from Mencius in this context as we take on this challenge. If each of us leads from where we are, we can make a profound difference and benefit people everywhere.

As we look back toward the future, I am reminded of a treasured Maori saying: What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata (it is the people, it is the people, it is the people).

The author is former Prime Minister of New Zealand. This is an edited excerpt from a recent keynote speech she delivered at Shandong Vocational University of Foreign Affairs in Weihai, Shandong province.

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