ABSTRACT
Driven by the urge for success, the individual strives by all possible means to make it out there, to deal with his anxieties and to strike a balance in the torment between conflicting moral visions and values. All social and economic successes of an individual contribute to this goal, and, consequently, whenever there is a conflict between the individual interest and the interest of the family or kinship group, self-sacrifice is not only required but much anticipated. The Communist revolution in 1949 attacked many aspects of traditional Confucian ethics through political campaigns, education and the economic construction of collectivization and nationalization. The intriguing point is that under the strong influence of state developmentalism and global consumerism, material objects might have gained more weight in shaping the ethics of the striving individual in China. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapter on this book.
