A timely lecture entitled “Conflict and Harmony - An Observation and Thought from Taoism Perspective” by Prof Liu Xiaogan was held at the Wisma Kebudayaan SGM on May 30, 2009. Speaking to a packed audience, Prof Liu explored the issue of world conflicts and elucidated the suggested solutions from the Taoist point of view.

Prof Liu is a renowned Chinese philosopher with expertise in the Taoist school of thoughts, currently holding the position of the Director of the Research Centre for Chinese Philosophy and Culture of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Apart from earning himself a name as the “most outstanding academic lecturer,” he has also lectured and researched at the Harvard University and authored many highly-acclaimed books on Chinese philosophies.

In his lecture, Prof Liu spoke persuasively on conflicts from a wide scope of situations, ranging from inter-continental conflicts from around the globe to common conflicts within the family. He pointed out the causes without bias from both sides of the argument, bearing in mind the fact that numerous religions, thoughts and philosophies exist along with numerous differences in emphasis and values. He also noted the deteriorating situation of today’s world worsened by greedy pursuits for wealth and materialism at the expense of mutual understanding and respect.

As such, he pointed out, that the teachings of Lao-tze, on which Taoism is partly based, was a good point of reference. He stressed on the need for human beings to have a sense of responsibility in realising a desire for peace and harmony before actual harmony can take place. This change, he said, was in line with SGM’s role in creating peace through culture and education.