Interesting post; thanks for raising this issue of how EA might fit (or not fit) with Eastern cultures.
I think that the concepts of ‘ren’, ‘mianxi’, ‘li’, ‘guanxi’, and ‘Confucian filial piety’ can often sound more alien than they really are. All of them have pretty close analogs in Western societies, I think, because they’re all based in human social and familial instincts. So I’m not sure how ‘deep’ EA vs. Eastern culture mismatches really go. I doubt that they’re reflecting some fundamentally different psychology of family life or social network structure.
Rather, I suspect that a lot of EA values, norms, strategies, tactics, etc are implicitly shaped by specific cultural norms in the US and UK, such as a higher average tolerance for ethical disagreements within close family members or with peer groups and coworkers (e.g. it’s a tradition in American extended families to argue about politics during Thanksgiving holiday meals).
As you point out, shared meat-eating at communal tables has become quite a strong signal of being a good and generous host in Chinese culture, especially since the rapid increase in prosperity (and meat-eating) in the last four decades. So, making a fuss about being a vegan in that context might create tension—not so much because Confucian filial piety is stronger than the Western ethos of ‘honor they father and mother’—but rather, just because there’s this cultural link between meat-sharing, family meals, and social gratitude.
Hi! This makes sense. I think the average higher tolerance of certain ideals in the UK/US and the following EA ideals still make it harder for significant groups of people to undertake the same actions which I hope EA at times can recognise.
Interesting post; thanks for raising this issue of how EA might fit (or not fit) with Eastern cultures.
I think that the concepts of ‘ren’, ‘mianxi’, ‘li’, ‘guanxi’, and ‘Confucian filial piety’ can often sound more alien than they really are. All of them have pretty close analogs in Western societies, I think, because they’re all based in human social and familial instincts. So I’m not sure how ‘deep’ EA vs. Eastern culture mismatches really go. I doubt that they’re reflecting some fundamentally different psychology of family life or social network structure.
Rather, I suspect that a lot of EA values, norms, strategies, tactics, etc are implicitly shaped by specific cultural norms in the US and UK, such as a higher average tolerance for ethical disagreements within close family members or with peer groups and coworkers (e.g. it’s a tradition in American extended families to argue about politics during Thanksgiving holiday meals).
As you point out, shared meat-eating at communal tables has become quite a strong signal of being a good and generous host in Chinese culture, especially since the rapid increase in prosperity (and meat-eating) in the last four decades. So, making a fuss about being a vegan in that context might create tension—not so much because Confucian filial piety is stronger than the Western ethos of ‘honor they father and mother’—but rather, just because there’s this cultural link between meat-sharing, family meals, and social gratitude.
Hi! This makes sense. I think the average higher tolerance of certain ideals in the UK/US and the following EA ideals still make it harder for significant groups of people to undertake the same actions which I hope EA at times can recognise.