Rob Koepp's presentation
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Rob Koepp's presentation at the Cambridge Phenomenon Conference
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Rob Koepp's presentation
- 1. CAMBRIDGE ENIGMAS, CHINESE RIDDLES, AND EMERGENT OPPORTUNITIES ROB KOEPP 5 OCTOBER 2010 The Cambridge-China “Kangqiao” Phenomenon
- 2. Farewell Again to Cambridge (“Kangqiao”) So lightly I depart As lightly as I came I lightly wave farewell To clouds in westward sky … 5 October 2010 1 © Rob Koepp, 2010 Taoist sense of sensual abandonment and self-actualization Xu Zhimo, 1897—1931 Modern romantic poet 1922: studied for seven months at King’s Signature poem: Farewell Again (1928)
- 3. Kangqiao As Imagined in China Romantic Creative Free (whimsical) Intellectual Elite 5 October 2010 2 © Rob Koepp, 2010 Taoist Confucian
- 4. “Two Cultures” of Chinese Thought 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 3 Enlightenment through nature Man is complete abandonment “Nothing” is perfection Order out of chaos Populist Enlightenment through discipline and study Man is good humanism “Control” is perfection Chaos demands order Elitist Lao Zi c. 600 BCE—? Tao Te Ching Taoism Confucius 551—479 BCE Analects Confucianism
- 5. Chinese Riddles 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 4 Integrated Dualities Morality: Taoist and Confucian Spirituality: Chinese and foreign (Buddhism) Identity: national and regional Society: ancient (feudal) and modern Ideology: Communism and Confucianism
- 6. Cambridge Enigmas 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 5 C. P. Snow, The Two Cultures (1959) Bertrand Russel, The Prospects of Industrial Civilization (1923) Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China (1954 …)
- 7. C. P. Snow’s “Two Cultures” 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 6 Charles Percy Snow, 1905—1980 Physicist and novelist Fellow of Christ’s College 1959 Rede Lecture Conflicting Dualities Science versus humanities Upper versus lower classes West versus East Capitalism versus Communism
- 8. Larger Contexts 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 7 Cambridge Approach Socratic “+” Builds on difference “−” Ripped by difference Conflict reveals truth Chinese Approach Introspective “+” Merges differences “−” Stifles differences Harmony is truth
- 9. The Prospects of Industrial Civilization Bertrand Russell, 1872—1970 China accommodates (and inspires) Cambridge Peking University, 1921 5 years after “exile” from Trinity College “… months of quiet which the gentle atmosphere … of a non-industrial country such as China.” By nature industrial organization fosters dictatorship. Confucian Communists agree but with “humane” expectations 5 October 2010 8 © Rob Koepp, 2010
- 10. “The Man Who Loved China” 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 9 Joseph Needham, 1900—1995 Creator of Science and Civilization in China, ongoing CUP series since 1954 A man of three “two cultures” Disciplinary: Science and liberal arts Societal: Western and Chinese civilizations Temporal: Past and present
- 11. Needham Puzzles Original puzzle: Why, with its advanced techno-scientific accomplishments, did China not industrialize before the West? The overlooked Cambridge riddle: why, with all of Cambridge’s scientific accomplishments, did Britain not dominate late-stage global industrialization? The post-industrial China puzzle: will China innovate (and not only manufacture) for future economic growth? The new Cambridge riddle: will Cambridge participate in leading (versus following) global technology trends? 5 October 2010 10 © Rob Koepp, 2010
- 12. Needham Reflection 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 11 In some ways, China never lost its lead… “… in China there developed an organic philosophy of Nature that closely resembles that which modern science has been obliged to adopt after three centuries of scientific materialism.”
- 13. Riddle Answers 13th Century: Cambridge University Academic excellence Intellectual freedom Political support 17th Century: Britain’s Age of Reason Empirical Science Tolerance and dissidence build society Science, capital, industry interact 2oth Century: Silicon Valley Regional economic-academic strategy Industry supports academia Management grows companies 5 October 2010 12 © Rob Koepp, 2010
- 14. New Riddle: Confucian Work Ethic Ceiling 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 13 Late 20th Century: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore Early 21st Century: China
- 15. China’s Kangqiao Opportunities Break Through the Confucian Ceiling Rediscover Taoist roots Scientific creativity Innovative management Entrepreneurial government Proactively engage the West 5 October 2010 14 © Rob Koepp, 2010
- 16. The Tao in The West Science and Civilization in China 5 October 2010 15 © Rob Koepp, 2010 Fuzzy Logic The Tao of Physics The Tao Jones Averages Building Cross Cultural Competence
- 17. Mutual Kangqiao Opportunities 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 16 Cambridge Hard Power Strength Sci-tech infrastructure Soft Power Strengths Educational ideals Social aspirations Innovation models Management methods Brand China Hard Power Strength Manufacturing base Soft Power Strengths Social morals Global aspirations Holistic science Harmonized living Allure
- 18. Will Cambridge Manifest its Kangqiao? 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 17 Cambridge campus in China … Other universities already have Transnational R&D and scientific discovery … Sony-Ericsson Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Chinese finance in Cambridge … Can the Tao of investment work here?
- 19. 常聯繫! 5 October 2010© Rob Koepp, 2010 18 Rob Koepp Beijing +86.1391.011.5534 robkoepp@gmail.com
Notas do Editor
- Thank you, David. It’s great to be back in Cambridge. And really inspiring to see an event like this one being put on. It’s exactly activities like this that drive the vitality of a high-tech economy. Today I want to talk about the mysteries and opportunities surrounding the notion of Kangqiao.
- Kangqiao is a semi-classical term in Chinese for “Cambridge” Apart from the strength of Cambridge’s reputation in China, Xu Zhimo’s oft-quoted 1928 poem “Farewell to Cambridge (or Kangqiao)” has kept Cambridge alive in China’s popular imagination. The opening four lines are committed to memory by most educated Chinese. Qing qing de … Meaning roughly So lightly It’s a great poem for reflecting a particular Chinese Taoist notion of sensual perception as a means to self development For those of you who are interested, a stone memorial of the poem was can be found behind the backs of King’s, where Xu Zhimo had once attended classes.
- Some typical concepts that characterize Cambridge to the Chinese are Those characteristics that deal with sensory and creative attributes reflect a Taoist sensibility Those that deal with mental and hierarchical attributes reflect a Confucian sensibility
- Taoism and Confucianism reflect a key dualism in Chinese thought. To borrow a Cambridge term, they are “two cultures” of China’s moral sensibility Taosim, though it likely was not a philosophy founded by any one person, is associated with Lao Zi and its central text is the Dao De Jing It basically emphasizes a natural path to enlightenment and rejects forms of human control over others or the natural world. The philosophy has wide spread appeal among the masses. Confucianism was formulated between the 6th – 5th century BCE by the stoic scholar, Confucius. Confucianism emphasizes discipline and order as the basis for an ideal life.
- That such different philosophies not only exist side by side but mutually support one another is but one of many emblematic Chinese riddles. Others regard spirituality, national identity, social development, and ideology. What foreigners might find especially perplexing, for example, is how Chinese-style Communism and Confucianism reinforce one another in today’s China. These are all various examples of how the Chinese approach is to integrate dualism. More on that in a minute.
- Now bringing in some Cambridge perspectives, I want to talk briefly about three Cambridge personages and some of their notable ideas as they relate to China. Both these Cambridge thinkers and their theories in some way relate to enigmas, contradictions, or puzzles.
- The first is C. P. Snow. Snow was both a scientist and a man of letters. He also served in government. He was a Fellow of Christ’s and is probably best known for his famous 1959 lecture titled “The Two Cultures” Unlike the Chinese who integrate dualism, like many Westerners, Snow saw schism in duality. Thus we have Science versus the humanities Upper versus ….
- A unique thinker whose articulation of “The Two Cultures” still stirs controversy, Snow’s idea of cultural antagonism is in many ways representative of a Western, particularly Cambridgesque, approach to discovery. In the West, we believe in the Socratic method. We believe debate and intellectual conflict ultimately reveal truth. The Chinese approach, on the other hand, is more introspective than overt. It does not seek “truth” as an ideal as we do in the West. This is because in China, truth is already known to reside in harmony.
- Another remarkable, representative, and controversial Cambridge figure who can be linked to China is Bertrand Russell. After dismissal from Trinity College and serving time in jail, Russell’s first academic posting in exile was at Peking University in 1921. While in China he developed ideas for his book, The Prospects of Industrial Civilization. China was very different in the 1920s, as evidenced by his quote… In the book, Russel’s key contention is that
- Arguably Cambridge’s most influential China expert of the last 100 years was, curiously enough, a biochemist by training, Joseph Needham. Needham exhaustively researched the origins of Chinese science and technology. His magnum opus, Science and Civilization in China, has been an ongoing collaborative publication since 1954. He lived a life covering at least three “two cultures” in regards to his academic disciplines, the societies he operated in, and his integrating of past and present knowledge.
- Needham posed a notion which subsequently became known as the Needham Puzzle. In short, it asks Somewhat curiously, Needham did not bother to probe a similar question directly relating to his work as a Cambridge scientist For China today, we can extend the original Needham puzzle to now ask how can China manage to innovate in the Age of Information? In a similar vein, we can further ask in regards to the future of the Cambridge Phenomenon will Cambridge find a way to lead global technology trends. Note here technology is distinguished from science, where the Cambridge cluster’s leadership position is less questionable.
- It’s worth pointing out that Needham’s puzzle about China was not without it’s flip-side, converse proposition. That is, China was still effectively ahead of the West,
- Needham’s original puzzle really questions the difference between the intelligence of science and the applications of technology, methodology, and environment. For example, noting like a Cambridge University or that other place ever appeared in China, not historically and in fact still not today. The distinguishing features of academic excellence driven by intellectual freedom and backed by political, especially fiscal, support is still largely a Western phenomenon. Preceding the Industrial Revolution, Britain broke ahead of other post-Reneissance European societies with a decidedly empirically based epistemology of reason founded on the sort of ecumenical tolerance espoused by John Locke. Britain also distinguished itself by institutions such as the Royal Society which fostered close interaction between science, capital, and industry. In the era of technology clusters, Silicon Valley set a new example of regional economic-academic strategy. This was a totally non-accidental occurrence whereby industry (not only government) got involved with academia and public-private management techniques fostered growth in high-tech companies. It is exactly these sorts of methods and environments that produce corresponding outcomes of scientific excellence, industrialization, and new technology paradigms.
- The biggest challenge perplexing China today is how to avoid becoming a victim of its own success. East Asian societies, whose core cultural underpinnings hail from China, have advanced according to what commentators in the 1980s took to calling a Confucian work ethic. Diligence, studiousness, and hierarchical conformity are great traits for a society that emerges from agrarian production into the industrial. These same traits are not as useful in an Information Age were disruptive creativity, expressiveness, and unencumbered information access are determinants of economic value-add. The editorial shown here came from a recent edition of a Communist Party-backed mass circ Beijing daily, xinjing bao. The headline reads: “We need to innovate an environment that allows students to fearlessly question things.” This is one of many telling examples of how far China has come since the adoption of economic reform and how far it still has to go. It must do exactly as the editorial advocates if it is to avoid the “economic equilibrium traps” encountered by other East Asian economies, most notably Japan.
- In short, China needs to get Kangqiao. That is, take the positive elements of Cambridge’s essence as they relate to China’s own cultural sensibilities. It needs to break through the developmental ceiling imposed by an over-reliance on Confucian values and be better balanced by Taoist sensibilities and Western learning practices. This means getting back to China’s Taoist roots to spur greater scientific creativity, innovative management, and a more entrepreneurial approach to government. It also needs to proactively engage the West, which historically has been particularly difficult for China to do.
- There is an epistemological bridge available. In the wake of Joseph Needham’s groundbreaking work, more and more of the physical and social sciences have found inspiration if not new intellectual frameworks from Taoism and its associated rationality. Here are some examples
- Looking at Kangqiao opportunities from the respective dimensions of Cambridge’s and China’s hard and soft strengths, this listing gives some illustrative examples.
- If you’ve followed that very erudite movie series on Austin Powers, you’ll recall that the protagonist is constantly manifesting his “mojo” essence. I wonder if Cambridge will embark on its fulfilling its Chinese mojo of Kangqiao. For example,
- Thank you for your attention. I hope I stimulated productive thinking about potential new directions in the Cambridge Phenomenon. The Chinese words on this page are read as “chang lianxi” and mean “let’s stay in touch.” I hope that future encounters like today’s might continue, either here or in China.