"Asian" Versus "Western" Values

The wholesale transplantation of Western logic, reasoning and values into the Asian intellectual environment particularly among the academic elite has meant that Asian logic, reasoning and values has receded into a forgotten background. It however remains in the religious and cultural backwater; unappreciated by those who parrot the Western view of the universe as the only valid one.

In the end, yes, there are no specifically Western or Asian values, logic nor reasoning processes; these slogans and labels expeditiously worn and used by those in power to rationalise their preservation and tenure in power. In this sense Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew among others have tried to argue that what is actually conservative. feudalistic, paternalistic and authoritian is actually Eastern or Asian. It is important not to fall into that trap.

What is fundamental in the end is one' perspective or one's worldview and it is fashionable these days to adopt the worldview that is more apparently successful; the Western one has now a hold over the world made increasing unipolar in technological, economic and cultural terms.

By a myriad of conformity inducing processes and the internet is also one of the tools -Western logic, reasoning and values is being forced and reinforced as the "proper" way of thinking on the world especially Asian cultures. Yet there is a depth and breadth of Asian originated reasoning and values that has not even be formally treated outside the Western paradigm and properly appreciated in Asia itself. Before Japan went into its ten year hiatus tottering on the precipice of depression, everyone wanted to know the secret to the Japanese and the larger extent Asian miracle. But as Japan's fall has shown even that bastion of Asian values is not immune to Western financial speculative seduction.

There is a time and tide for civilisations as well as the oceans. Much of Asia's economic and social problems, Malaysia's included come from adopting Western thinking, reasoning and values too easily and quickly. Asia's financial crisis of 1997 has more to do globalisation and liberalisation in the Western mould than with Asia's values and culture.

As we speak now, the long anticipated recession and depression of the Western world is now imminent and knocking on the doors of stock markets and economies all around the world. It should go to prove that our values and our culture is not the failing of Asian economies and societies; it is that we have let too much of "this technological epistemology" frame our way of thinking and approaches towards economic management and development.

Some have written about an Asian Renaissance; but unfortunately, the decadence of Asian civilisations which preceded and enabled Western civilisation to flourish remains entrenched to this day. The Western approach was seen as the answer and is still seen as an answer to solving all our problems. If anything, the last four centuries must surely be historically seen as the Dark Ages for Asian Civilisation; with no chance of revival presented except, on global read western terms. Again, it is also important not to fall into this trap.

The decadence of Asian civilisations, born out of prosperity, affluence and arrogance resisted Western approaches until it was too late; progressively weakned until now when the Western domination of the Asian mind is complete. It is sad to see that some of Asia's best minds make the best proponents and arguments for Western values and reasoning without so much as understanding as how one relates to another. As long as this remains the case; those who argue for a consideration of the Asian perspective is repeatedly and regularly sidelined and marginalised.

As a final point, there is always the tendency to caricature Eastern values and ideas as dogmatic, rigid and unbending when ironically, dogma is a Western invention.


Paksanno.