Communication competence and moral competence: a Confucian perspective

Abstract

How can meaningful and productive communication take place among people of different cultural backgrounds? This question has become increasingly important in the age of the global village. Confucians, who long ago learned to live harmoniously with those from other parts of the world, have much to offer in response to the question. Western scholars and practitioners tend to see communication competence as a goal-achieving capability and self-assertive skill. Confucians believe that every human being is endowed with a moral nature and the capacity to feel, appreciate, and respect others. From this perspective, communication is seen primarily as an ethical and spiritual process. This ethical and spiritual approach lies in an understanding of the world as an organic whole, interconnected by an interflow of sensation or, in Neo-Confucian terms, a universal feeling of humanity. This essay elucidates the Confucian perspective on communication competence and its philosophical foundations.