Of course, I already had some background knowledge on the Confucian ideology. However, my knowledge was only limited to the fact that it emphasizes respect. I do not think that is a lot, unfortunately. However, by the end of the lessons (even though I missed one due to Council Investiture), I managed to understand quite comprehensively the basic idea of the Confucian ideology.
This ideology didn't really appeal to me initially. This is because I didn't like the stifling atmosphere it created. I will not be allowed to question my elders, no matter how valid my point is. At that point of time, I sincerely preferred the free Western ideology.
Thus, I found that I was quite comfortable preparing for my term presentation the next week, about the Western consciousness of self. However, many problems faced me. Unfortunately, I was not very well informed about the American War of Independence, French Revolution and other events that shaped the ideology of liberty and equality. Thus, a lot of time was put into research. I found it quite tiring, but in the end I feel that my presentation was not that bad.
I like the Western ideology of freedom. This is because it allows me to express my opinions properly and allow my thoughts to be heard. I feel that this can help to benefit the community because all sides of the issue will be heard and understood. In most ways, freedom of speech can improve a society greatly.
However, after a few sessions of class discussions, I finally realised how hard it is to actually implement the full Western ideology in Singapore.
As of now, Hwa Chong is probably giving us students a lot of autonomy. This can be seen from the fact that many leadership opportunities are given to us students, and that we are also allowed to choose the course we would like to take. However, in some ways Hwa Chong restricts us as well! The existence of the Q classes serve to demonstrate that.
What would be of Hwa Chong then, if the school decides to give full autonomy of students? I foresee that many people would be coming to school late, and no one would actually take studying seriously. The Asian culture is vastly different from the Western culture, and one does not benefit from trying to mix the two together.
On the other hand, it is very possible that the restrains that we have are so ingrained into our minds that life would be no different even after an implementation of a fully autonomic system. "Self-discipline", this might be called.
Thus, this leads me to wonder, are we actually restrained by ourselves? Perhaps it is not the government who prevents the implementation of a fully autonomic system in Singapore, but the people of Singapore ourselves who prevents that.
After the two weeks of lessons, I am glad to say that I have changed my views about both Western and Easter culture, and that both have their advantages and disadvantages.
On a sidenote, I was absolutely horrified upon receiving my first reflective journal grades, which is why I am taking extra effort in making sure I complete my second reflective journal and term paper properly. I hope I put in enough effort...
