Rectifying Scientific Supremacy Through Recovering Confucian <i>Ren</i> : The Education of Ritual and Music from Liang Shuming's Perspective

During the May Fourth/New Culture Movement, Confucianism's decline fueled the rise of scientism among Chinese intellectuals. However, cultural conservatives, especially the New Confucian School led by Liang Shuming (梁漱溟1893–1988), strongly opposed this trend. Liang argued that blind faith in science led to the devastation of World War I and the erosion of human dignity. He viewed the spread of scientism in China as spiritually harmful, causing societal polarization and undermining cultural traditions. To address this, he advocated restoring Confucian ritual (li 禮) and music (yue 樂) to cultivate moral integrity. This study explores how Liang Shuming applied Confucian rites and music to heal the harm caused by scientific supremacy. It examined his critique of scientific supremacy's impact on Chinese society, his defense of Confucianism during the May Fourth/New Culture Movement, and the role of Confucian rites and music in counteracting uncritical science worship. Finally, the study concludes the relevance of Liang's New Confucian vision to today's science and technology-driven world.