Today I
went to Bruges to shop with my friend. We came across many Chinese tourists. At
the end of the afternoon we entered a pub to have a drink. A Chinese woman and
a white man sat at the table next to ours. They were talking about friendship.
According to the Chinese woman you can't betray a friend, even if that friend
committed a criminal act. The white man didn't agree. According to him you're
obligated to adhere to standards. The white man said: "What would you do
if your friend committed a murder?" It was silent for a moment because the
Chinese woman hesitated. Finally she said: "I don't know." Then they
changed topic.
It's obvious that the Chinese woman is a particularist and the man is an
universalist. As they ended the discussion it's not clear which attitude is
considerate appropriate. In my opinion it depends on the situation.
