(Essentials of East and West) Special planning for the roots of civilization IV: Liu Dong: Why does the "university of the world" necessarily come from the "common rationality" of mankind?

　　China News Service, Beijing, January 7th, title: Why does the "university of the world" necessarily come from the "common rationality" of mankind?

　　——Interview with Professor Dunhe, Professor of the Institute for Advanced Humanities, Zhejiang University, and Liu Dong, Dean of the Chinese and Western Academy

　　China News Agency reporter tensor

　　The world today is facing major changes unseen in a century, superimposed on a century-old epidemic, the wave of globalization is encountering difficulties, nationalism in Western countries is on the rise, and the theory of "clash of civilizations" is rampant...Where should human civilization go?

Can the ancient Eastern civilization be an antidote to today's world dilemma?

In the process of pursuing the roots of civilization, how should China "activate tradition", "return to the original and open up the new", and let the world understand the important social ideals and world outlook such as the "university under heaven" in traditional Chinese thought?

　　Professor Dunhe Professor of the Advanced Institute of Humanities at Zhejiang University and Professor Liu Dong, the dean of the Chinese and Western Academy, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service on the issue of "East and West Questions".

The summary of the interview record is as follows:

China News Agency reporter: From the perspective of the roots of Chinese civilization, what do you think are the important ideas that have influenced the formation of the world outlook in China today?

Liu Dong:

From the standpoint of human "common reason".

When Confucius was in the distant "axis age", he said "knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing", which means from the epistemological aspect that he must re-grant on the basis of "non-verbal power and confusion". Come up with a more credible "life solution".

And this naturally means that Confucius' thinking is "cognition-based."

　　As a civilization based on "cognition-based", the biggest challenge of Chinese civilization lies in its lively long-term existence and eloquently proved to the world's major civilizations: If you do not consider the distinction of "path dependence" The problem, that is, regardless of the difficulty of transformation of other civilizations, then a secular world without a church is not only possible to exist independently, but also to reach a high level.

Therefore, if today’s model Nordic countries belong to a “godless society” or a “self-sufficient secular society”, then the Chinese civilization that was once “extremely built in Zhao Song” also belongs to the ancient society. model.

In fact, the reason why the American Sinologist Bao Huashi recalled China’s enlightenment to the West in his book "The West in the East" is precisely because Voltaire used to keenly draw on the facts of China. Realizing that only need to awaken their rationality, human beings can not only achieve "no religion but morality", but also achieve "no religion but happiness".

In May 2010, the China Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo attracted visitors with the "Animated Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival".

Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang

　　From the perspective of Confucius, our "rationality" and our "view on life" are not what people once assumed falsely, especially after the "controversy of science and metaphysics," they mistakenly believed that they belonged to the "wind horse cow". On the contrary, those that are not related should be closely connected and connected to each other.

Reporter from China News Service: The traditional Chinese idea of ​​"Great Harmony in the World" has a profound impact on the Chinese people.

In your opinion, can China’s "Great Harmony of the World" have a dialogue with Western civilization, and highly synthesize new civilization achievements?

Liu Dong:

Chinese Confucians have a consistent enthusiasm for "Great Harmony in the World", even with no regrets.

In fact, it is not just in "The Book of Rites·Riyun" that once used a special form of looking backwards, that is, the golden years of the so-called "three generations", I imagined the Datong society of "traveling on the great road, the world is for the public". ; Even after being severely impacted by the modern West and forced to accept the framework of the “nation-state”, Kang Youwei secretly yearned in his book that “the world of great harmony, the world is for the public”, and Sun Yat-sen regards “the world for the public” even more. The plaque was written on the street corners of every Chinese community.

In addition, I recently transferred back to Zhejiang University and read Ma Yifu’s "Zhejiang University School Song" again. What made me feel shocked was that in the early days of the war of resistance, when the war was full of flames and the turbulent displacement, he not only said that he was too uncomfortable. Heiner rivers, only learning boundless, in the world" to start, and even more with "to be prosperous in the wild, not stingy in the sect, to build our country, the world is the same".

This attitude that is both broad and broad, tolerant and confident, best reflects the consistent feelings of Confucian scholars.

In November 2016, "The World is Public-An Exhibition of Art Works to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Birth" was held in Beijing. Visitors were admiring paintings and calligraphy works.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Xiong Ran

　　However, I have to remind that if you really want to pursue "universal harmony", from the perspective of "common reason", you should sort out and count your family collection as soon as possible, including the later generations of schools under the name of "Confucianism."

In fact, the experience is based on the principle of “knowing to know, not knowing to know”. Although the “peaks” of Confucianism after the pre-Qin period, although they have made historical contributions, they are far inferior to Confucius in terms of “rational awareness”. .

If you can’t realize the difference between the two, you still have to follow the Song and Ming Confucianism to "continue to talk". It is not preaching Confucius' own theory, but just being contaminated by Taoism, Buddhism or Christianity to repeat a completely outdated one. Metaphysics, once you go abroad, you will laugh and be generous.

On September 28, 2021, the Confucius Memorial Ceremony of Xin Chou Nian was held at the Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Liang Ben

　　It should also be reminded that although Confucianism has always raised the goal of "university under the heaven" out of its enthusiasm for saving the people, it is still based on its own "bounded rationalism." The history of this correction will never adopt an eschatological, “final judgment” attitude, will never irrationally want to “success in a single battle”, and will never build a “thousand-year kingdom on earth”; on the contrary, it will Even if it is necessary to revise the history full of errors and deviations with the help of the values ​​in the mind, it will only be regarded as a slow and gradual process.

Because of this, when Zi Zhang asked, "What do you know about the tenth century?", Confucius would answer, "Yin is due to the Xia Li, the gains and losses can be known; Zhou due to the Yin Li, the gains and losses can be known. Its or Those who follow the Zhou dynasty can be known for a hundred generations.” And because of this, even though in the “Rite and Luck Chapter” mentioned earlier, there was also a longing that “people do not only kiss their relatives, not only children, and their children... Abandoned to the ground, you don’t have to hide in yourself; you don’t have to be your own, and you don’t have to be yourself.” However, once talked about the existing state, Confucius did not expect to ripen "the great harmony of the world". The broad and tolerant "harmony without difference" allows him to establish multiple and tolerant standards for the latter in the distinction between "cultivating oneself" and "treating others", that is, "the old are safe, friends believe, and the few cherish them."

Interior view of Dacheng Hall of Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

China News Agency reporter: Do you think that forming a modern form of Chinese culture is the mission of a generation.

How to make the world understand the "university under heaven" in the roots of Chinese civilization is a problem that needs to be solved urgently in China today. What is your opinion?

刘东：

相对于中国历史上的“天下大同”观念，盛行于当代的毋宁是“民族主义”。当然，即使这种被迫变得偏狭的思潮，也自有它迫在眉睫的存在理由。最为关键的是，在当年“国将不国”的危急情势下，它能集聚起全体国民的意志力，正如我们在《国歌》中悲壮唱到的，“把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城”。也正因为这样，只需稍微回顾一下近现代的历史，就足以发现“民族主义”的力量所在。比如，由于在清朝末年尚没有“民族主义”，整个民族竟败给了区区几艘英国炮舰；而到日寇侵华时则开始有了“民族主义”，于是总算可以开展“以空间换时间”的持久战了……甚至于到了后来的和平岁月，这种“民族主义”也并非一无是处，正如我针对克雷格·卡洪的文章，在《中国学术》杂志卷首语中指出的：“很少有人注意到，当前民族国家间的普遍斗争，实乃少数几种反抗资本主义全球化的可行方式之一。缘此便应看到，世界主义和民族主义是相互建构、而非相互对立的。”

　　At the same time, it should be noted that this kind of modern thinking of "taking the nation as the center" is, after all, contrary to the ancient ideal of "a great harmony in the world".

Because of this, even though Liang Qichao was forced to accept "nationalism", deep down in his heart, Liang Qichao did not forget that this "one step back" was still for "two steps forward."

For this reason, he wrote in the "European Traveling Heart Video Record": "Our patriotism does not know that there is a country or an individual. On the other hand, we cannot know that there is a country or a world. We want to shelter under this country and protect the country. The talents of each individual should be used as much as possible to contribute greatly to the civilization of the world. The trend of all countries in the future will be the same. We advocate the role of this doctrine, and for this reason.” Japanese scholar Tetsuo Nakamura targeted Liang Qichao’s this The passage said with emotion: "Among us Japanese, it is difficult to see Liang Qichao's contemporaries, or even now, like Liang Qichao, based on the humanistic spirit of kingly character as the cornerstone, for the long-term vision of the symbiosis of great harmony. The distance is for the Japanese. It is still very far away.” Therefore, in any case, it should be realized that “nationalism” is a limited position after all, which can only give everyone a limited vision, which will also allow the original Reasonable people are becoming more and more trapped in the "prisoner's dilemma" of mutual suspicion, so that in the approaching global crises, it is increasingly difficult to get rid of the shadow of nuclear war, and it is increasingly difficult to overcome the environmental and climate crises. .

In 2004, the Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition was held in Tokyo, Japan. The images of Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Chen Yinke, Zhao Yuanren, and Wu Mi attracted the audience.

Photo by Wang Jian issued by China News Service

　　It can be seen that the only true cultural confidence with the foundation is to return to Confucius in the pre-Qin era, so that under the premise of “common reason”, once again see the ideal of “university under the heaven”, and see “above all nations, there is still Humans are".

And if in our own vision, there are only this kind of people, but there is no human beings, then the late Homo sapiens, of course, also including ourselves, will eventually fall into an abyss that cannot be recovered.

(Finish)

In March 2021, the original dance poetry drama "A World under Heaven" premiered at the Shanxi Grand Theater.

The play digs into the historical background of the exchanges, exchanges, and integration of various ethnic groups and the construction of the "Belt and Road", and shows the process of the Chinese people in various periods in pursuit of "the great harmony of the world".

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wei Liang

About the interviewee:

　　Liu Dong, born in 1955, has served in Zhejiang University, Nantah University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University, Tsinghua University. He has lectured in Asia, the United States, Europe and other continents. Now he is the Dunhe Chair Professor of the Institute of Advanced Humanities, Zhejiang University, and Sino-Western Dean of the Academy.

Founded and presided over the "Overseas China Studies Series", "Humanities and Society Translation Series" and "Chinese Academic" magazines.

Representative works include "Ugliology in the West: Perceptual Pluralistic Orientation", "Cultural Analysis of Tragedy: From Ancient Greece to Modern China", "A Dark Cloud in the Sky: Confucianism and Existentialism", "Contemporariness of Chinese Studies" and so on.