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The Confucian Ethics Curriculum in Singapore 109

example, Zhu Xi also talked about the knowledge of things. When he found mussel shells on
the mountains, he said that these mountains must have been seas before; when he saw the
mountains undulating like waves, he said that many of the mountains must have been
flowing before and only later condensed. How could seas become mountains and how could
the flowing mountains condense? He thought there must be a reason.
However, Xun Zi and Zhu Xi did not make a deep study of the phenomena of the universe and
geological changes because they focused their thoughts on things related to real life. As we
live in a modern society, we should cultivate moral character on the one hand, and on the
other hand, we need to carry forward the spirit of science and strive to engage in various crafts
and technologies as well as modern scientific research. In this way, we will be able to serve
society more effectively and benefit the people.

It is clear that the authors of the textbooks aimed to guide students to see that
Confucian scholars have the intention and effort to make in-depth observations
of the natural world. In other words, Confucianism does not lack the “scientific
spirit of truth-seeking.” Unfortunately, however, the Confucian scholars in pre-
modern time did not go further to investigate the “reasoning” behind “how seas
become mountains and how flowing mountains condense.” In other words, they
did not, as the New Confucianists analyzed, ensure that “the structure of the
objective objects and the categories of thought and logical laws revealed by the
application of reason are also presented to the subject of knowledge.” Therefore,
the textbook teaches students to know how to “cultivate moral character” while
“also being able to carry forward the spirit of scientific research.” This is what
Mou, Hsu, Chang, and Tang meant by “not only seek to become a moral subject”
and “should also become the subject of pure knowledge.” This is also what they
meant when they said, “In addition to the traditional Chinese concept of mo-
rality, it is also necessary to establish a system of continuous preservation of
scientific knowledge.”
Although Confucian Ethics bears the marks of the New Confucianists, who are
concerned with “Chinese culture,” the textbooks also devote two passages to the
“major evolution” of Confucianism from the Pre-Qin period (before 221 BC),
through Sui (隋朝 581–618), Tang (唐朝 618–907), Song (宋朝 960–1279) and Ming
(明朝 1368–1644) dynasties to contemporary China. However, the authors of the
textbooks also emphasize that “Confucian ethics” and the “moral standards and
ideals established by Confucius” have been “preserved and carried forward by
many Confucian scholars” before it became “a set of philosophies of life applicable
to everyone today.” (CDIS, 1984: Lesson 1) The point is that these scholars, who
have contributed to the development of Confucianism, also include people from
the countries of Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The writers of the textbooks stated
that, “Confucianism originated in China and then spread to its neighboring