Intellectuals need independent thought

It has been said that Europe has two types of intellectuals that hold completely different views about the way European countries should be run. Those who have a dream of Utopia that they inherited from their forefathers in the 18th century and who strive for a more just society through human rights and justice and those who believe that capitalism, backed by science and technology, will bring prosperity, peace and all good things to the world.

There is a similar situation in China. We have two similar types of intellectuals, who hold opposing views on the approach to development. The first are the heirs of traditional Chinese culture, who are concerned about the future of their country and well-being of its people. They are fond of finding faults with the nation's social institutions. They tend to judge everything against a moral standard, or against an unattainable Utopia, which human beings must strive for if they do not want to lose their way on the path of development.

Opposed to them are the technocrats, who tend to blindly worship technology and laissez faire, which they regard as the panacea to all problems. They often turn up their noses at the views of their opponents, whose concern for the future of this country or worries over a single project they often dismiss as crossing a bridge before coming to it. Their reply to those who point out problems in the process of development is always: "Nothing is perfect, there is always a price to pay for development."