This lecture was given on October 17, 2001 to more than 600 college students at our university. We had been asked to give a lecture on a topic of our own choosing, so I chose the unity of mankind. When I arrived at the large lecture hall, 30 minutes early, it already was filled to overflowing. The term "tian xia, yi jia" is well-known in China as an expression of unity. This lecture was prepared rather quickly and was not given extensive revision. It is a collection of ideas that we often discuss with Chinese students. I claim absolutely no originality for any of the content.

Click here to return to:   Miscellaneous Topics   Home page for Living in China

Click here to download Adobe Acrobat PDF reader...