Beyond The Gates
Li Jiasheng presented a 5-part lecture series
at Keystone Academy on Chinese culture.
Q: Chinese culture is a vast landscape. Is
there any aspect of utmost importance when
attempting to understand such an expansive
issue? How does one go about understanding
and coming to grips with such a rich subject?
A (Li Jiasheng): Firstly, I would like to clarify that whenever
I talk about culture through this interview I am referring to
its intellectual and spiritual dimensions, which I believe to
occupy the highest level of discourse on the subject. One of
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The Keystone Magazine
the greatest aspects of Chinese culture is that it holds dear the
quality of people’s lives, and advocates that a man of noble
character should use his influence to facilitate general social
development rather than focus solely on himself. A plethora of
philosophical schools that have taken root in China, including
Taoism and Confucianism, are closely connected to this idea
of common good.
I would like to propose four key perspectives that may help
a person understand Chinese culture intellectually and