A Sustainable Community of Shared Future for Mankind: Origin, Evolution and Philosophical Foundation

Abstract

The Community of Shared Future for Mankind (CSFM) concept is a comprehensive Chinese proposal for a better future of mankind. In this article, we provide a comprehensive analysis of this concept by focusing on its origin, evolution and philosophical foundation. We show that the concept originated during the presidency of Hu Jintao, who initially used it for the domestic affairs of China. However, the usage of the concept was later extended from domestic to international affairs. Though Hu Jintao conceived the CSFM concept, it is president Xi Jinping who became its greatest advocate. We explore the CSFM concept’s development and evolution into one of the most influential, diverse and dominant concepts of international relations under president Xi. We argue that although CSFM concept is seen as a 21st century Chinese idea, the roots of the concept can be traced back to much earlier time in history. The concept is based on three major philosophical thoughts: Marxism, Confucianism and the philosophy of Mencius. We show that the CSFM concept is greatly influenced by Marx’s ideas such as the transformation of the world, the free association of producers, historical materialism and dialectics. We also point to a number of Confucian principles that are adopted by the CSFM concept. The CSFM concept not only adopts Confucian principles but also extends their scope from the individual level to international relations. Similarly, we also highlight that the CSFM concept is influenced by Mencius’ concepts such as universal brotherhood, responsibility towards the betterment of the world, humane governance, free trade, equal sharing of wealth and the conservation of natural resources.

Orientation of One Health development: think globally and act locally

“…Since 2012, the Chinese government has advanced two significant concepts: Community with a Shared Future for Mankind and Clear Waters and Green Mountains are as Valuable as Gold and Silver Mountains. [ [39] , [40] , [41] ] ( Fig. 3 ).…”

Foreign Language Education for Sustainable Development in China: A Case Study of German Language Education

“…Socialist core values were originally proposed in 2012, and consist of 16 aspects (patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendship, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, prosperity, democracy, and civilization, harmony), covering three different levels: individual, social and national levels. The CSFM concept was firstly introduced in 2013 and proposes a world community where the economic relations among nations should be based on the principle of win-win cooperation, which guarantees shared, just, and equitable development and prosperity for all [32]. Based on the concept of "socialist core values", the CSFM concept extends its scope from individual to international relations.…”

Sustainable Relationship in Design: The Contribution Wisdom of Academies Landscape in Southern Jiangsu from an “Interpersonal View” Perspective

“…The traditional Chinese design idea of an "interpersonal view" is based on the matrix of the social mainstream idea of an "interpersonal view" in every era, as these are inseparable. At the same time, Confucianism is the main line of Chinese culture [1] p. 36, and it has even been used today as a guiding ideology for dealing with relations at the national level [35]. Confucianism is the philosophical thought proposed by Confucius, a famous Chinese thinker, philosopher and politician, in the 5th-6th century BC [36].…”

“…(Design motivation), and "What benefit I can get from this design?" (design purpose) [1] p. 35. However, Wang's research explores the universal law of traditional Chinese design thought, which does not have relevance here.…”