Crows, Ducks, and Gongsheng : Literary Ethics of Coexistence

Abstract

This presentation examines how contemporary Chinese ecoliterature reflects gòngshēng (共生, "living together"), a concept rooted in Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions that embraces mutual interdependence and ethical coexistence among all beings, human and nonhuman alike. Drawing from the China 2024 Ecoliterature Annual Selection, close readings of works such as Wang Haibin's "The Birds of Beijing" and Gao Guojing's "Releasing the Wild Ducks" demonstrate how contemporary Chinese writers are shifting from writing about nature to writing with nature, presenting nonhuman life forms as co-actors rather than passive subjects. Through these narratives, gòngshēng ethics emerge as a flexible, context-sensitive framework requiring both restraint and active responsibility. Besides, it offers an alternative vision for human-nature relations grounded in China's philosophical heritage; at the same time, gòngshēng ethicsaddresses urgent contemporary ecological concerns.