What Do We Not Talk About When We Talk About China?

The discussion centers on the tension between the human interior life—encompassing spirituality, morality, and individual expression—and the rigid, materialist demands of the Chinese state. Orville Schell’s debut novel, *My Old Home*, serves as the focal point for examining how historical ruptures like the Cultural Revolution suppressed personal autonomy and distorted traditional concepts of friendship and loyalty. Participants analyze the interplay between Confucian hierarchy, Legalist control, and Marxist-Leninist ideology, noting that while the state frequently attempts to co-opt or eliminate independent spiritual and artistic pursuits, these elemental human aspirations remain irrepressible. By contrasting the universality of Bach’s music with the constraints of revolutionary dogma, the conversation highlights the enduring struggle for individual space within a system that demands total fealty to the party, ultimately questioning whether the Chinese political structure can ever reconcile with the complexities of the human spirit.