(East-West Question) Special Plan for the Root of Civilization (2) Part 2: Yao Zhongqiu: Why is it said that "the unity of man and nature" has shaped the root of Chinese civilization from the deepest point?
China News Agency, Beijing, January 24th: Why is it said that "the unity of man and nature" has shaped the root of Chinese civilization from the deepest point?
——Interview with Yao Zhongqiu, Professor of School of International Relations, Renmin University of China
Author Cui Bailu
The relationship between heaven and man has always been an important philosophical proposition for Chinese people.
The idea of "harmony between man and nature" formed in the process of exploring this relationship has become the common spiritual pursuit of Chinese people throughout the ages, and has also run through all stages of China's historical development.
"The 'Heaven' in Chinese philosophy is the totality of all things." Yao Zhongqiu, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, said in an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East and West Questions" recently. It has shaped the roots of Chinese civilization from the deepest depths, and brought the Chinese people's positive outlook on life, inclusive civilization, and humanistic ecological outlook, so that Chinese civilization can be "great and long-lasting".
In December 2017, Zhang Village, Sikou Town, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, in the fog in the early morning in winter, the picture composed of distant mountains and waters, ancient Hui-style houses, fishermen, etc., is like an ink painting scroll of the unity of nature and man.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Hu Dunhuang
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service reporter: As an important thought in Chinese philosophy, what kind of historical development did the formation of the thought of "harmony between man and nature" go through?
Yao Zhongqiu:
To understand the relationship between heaven and man, we must first understand what "heaven" is.
In the history of the evolution of human civilization, there is a very important spiritual breakthrough, that is, with the aggregation of many small-scale groups into large-scale political bodies (wide-area countries), people's beliefs have gone from a local single-god worship to a compatible polytheistic worship system. breakthrough.
In the West, a religion in which a "master god" dominates many gods has been formed; in China, Zhuanxu and Emperor Yao of the five emperors continued their efforts to "Jedi Tiantong" (that is, the heavens and the world, gods and human beings perform their respective functions without interfering with each other). , and eventually formed a religion in which "heaven" dominates many gods, and established the ceremony of worshiping the sky.
In this regard, there are detailed records in the classics such as "Shangshu" and "Guoyu: Chu Yuxia". For example, the opening chapter of "Shangshu" mentions "Qin Ruo Haotian", which means respecting the sky and acting according to the law.
Since then, "heaven" has become the biggest object of belief in the Chinese people, and worshiping the sky, as the foundation of Chinese religion, has shaped the root of Chinese civilization from the deepest point.
Since then, China has emerged as a civilized and political community.
Therefore, understanding Heavenly Reverence as the most important foundation in Chinese spiritual life can basically grasp the root of Chinese civilization.
China News Agency reporter: From Qian Mu's "Contributions of Chinese Culture to the Future of Humanity" to Ji Xianlin's "New Interpretation of "Heaven and Man", many scholars have spoken highly of the idea of "Heaven and Man". How do you interpret "the unity of man and nature"?
Yao Zhongqiu:
"The unity of man and nature" is a very important concept in Chinese traditional culture, which is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
To understand exactly what it means requires a return to the classics.
Confucius said the nature of heaven: "What does heaven say? The four seasons move, all things arise, and what does heaven say?" In Chinese philosophy, "heaven" is the totality of all things that live and exist, in which gods, all things and human beings are included.
The fundamental attribute of Heaven is to be silent and impersonal.
Therefore, Confucius described "Heaven is the greatest."
Therefore, "the unity of man and nature" is not only a description of the fact that man is in the sky, and man is in a state of unity with heaven; Man's "vocation".
At the beginning of The Doctrine of the Mean, it is said: "The mandate of heaven is called nature, and the straightforwardness of nature is called Tao", which is exactly what it means.
If human beings strive to improve, they can do their best, do their best, and do their best, from near to far, and finally praise the transformation of heaven and earth, join with heaven and earth, and achieve the realm of moral life in which the unity of heaven and man is achieved.
Of course, this is a never-ending process.
In January 2017, the Miao dance drama "Mother Butterfly" premiered at the Guiyang Grand Theater in Guizhou Province.
The dance revolves around the eternal theme of "life", expressing the respect for life and the eternal singing of "harmony between man and nature".
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Junyi
China News Service reporter: After thousands of years of historical changes, the idea of "harmony between man and nature" has been inherited and developed continuously. What kind of civilization logic does it contain?
Yao Zhongqiu:
Jingtian shaped the lives of Chinese people and shaped the whole of Chinese civilization.
The most important vocabulary in our daily life, political and social life has the word "tian", such as the world, the way of heaven, the son of heaven, the destiny, the talent, the nature, the sounds of nature, etc.
I'm here to talk about two things.
First, the Chinese people have a positive outlook on life.
Why are Chinese people so hardworking and positive?
The root lies in the belief of reverence for heaven. The Book of Changes says: "The heaven is healthy, and the gentleman is self-improvement." .
Second, the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.
The characteristic of the sky is that it is supreme and all-encompassing.
In religion, heaven contains all gods, including foreign gods.
After the world's other religions were introduced into China, they were all integrated into China and became part of Chinese culture. There has never been a religious war in Chinese history.
This is a miracle in the history of human civilization, which deserves serious study.
How to solve the seemingly unsolvable religious conflicts in today's world, the Chinese people's belief in reverence for heaven will be one direction.
Politically, China has formed a multi-ethnic symbiosis pattern in its long history, and most of the time it has been the largest single political entity in the world.
For thousands of years, this community has absorbed different ethnic groups and has made the Chinese nation great.
At the same time, the Chinese civilization is "the king without exception", has an tolerant attitude towards others, and actively accepts foreign knowledge, technology, art and even customs.
It is by virtue of the inclusiveness brought about by this kind of reverence for the heavens that the Chinese civilization has achieved "greatness and longevity".
In December 2021, the commemorative meeting for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the stele of the Oath of Ethnic Unity will be held in Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Ranyang
China News Service reporter: How does the western world view the relationship between heaven and man? What are the similarities and differences between China and Western countries in this regard?
Yao Zhongqiu:
The vast majority of civilizations outside China believe in personal gods, who are specific transcendental beings, which are prominently manifested in speaking to people. Therefore, there is light.” God is separate from man and all things, and has its own independent body. Therefore, Western gods and man are completely divided, and there is absolutely no possibility of “God and man being one.”
God has absolute authority over man, and he promulgates complete laws to man through words, which can punish man, and man must obey absolutely.
In this way, belief in God has become the most important issue in life, and religious issues have become the core issue of Western civilization, so much so that great political scientists like Huntington have fallen into the ideological trap of "clash of civilizations" being "conflict of religions".
Comparing different civilizations can provide a clearer understanding of the nature of the sky.
The sky in China is different from the main god worshipped by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and it is also different from the only true god worshipped by Judaism and Christianity.
Heaven is the totality of all things that exist incessantly. Humans are in it, and Heaven does not speak. Therefore, there is no belief in Heaven. The Chinese just take the law from Heaven and live independently.
Therefore, Chinese people's lives are highly independent, and life, social and political problems must ultimately be solved by people themselves. Therefore, Chinese civilization has always been people-centered.
Therefore, the biggest objects worshipped by Chinese and Western civilizations are different, one is Heaven, and the other is Personality God.
Understanding the difference between Chinese and Western civilizations can be traced back to the point that "Heaven" has no personality, but "God" has personality.
China News Service: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We insist on combining the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of China and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture." What are the new theoretical and practical developments of "harmony between man and nature" in contemporary times? What kind of reference can it provide for promoting the progress of human civilization?
Yao Zhongqiu:
There are many similarities between the idea of "harmony between man and nature" centered on reverence for heaven and Marxism, which are mainly reflected in the following aspects.
First, the spirit of materialism.
Under the concept of the unity of heaven and man, heaven is the totality of all things that are inexhaustible, and there is no other transcendental world; the gods worshipped by the Chinese are also "materialistic", the so-called "unpredictable Yin and Yang are called gods", ancestors and saints are humans, gods The world is the world of people and things in the distance, and there is no absolute will or omnipotence.
Second, take equality as a fundamental political value.
"Only the heaven and the earth are the parents of all things." Human beings are born, and humans are equal to each other in the sky.
As early as in the Warring States and Qin dynasties, by establishing a direct ruling mechanism of the county system and eliminating various aristocratic forces, China achieved political and legal equality of all citizens.
"The princes and generals prefer to have the same kind", which is the fundamental political value of both ancient and modern Chinese and Marxism.
Third, develop productive forces.
Marxism believes that productive forces are the driving force of historical development.
The concept of "harmony between man and nature" actually also represents the Chinese people's attitude of loving life and production: people's "vocation" is endless, and they should actively work to support themselves; the fundamental responsibility of the government is to make the people live better and raise future generations.
Dayu said: "Virtue is good governance, and governance is to support the people." To this end, the government must "righteousness and utilization", that is, to develop productive forces.
In May 2021, the Longji Ancient Zhuang Village, Longji Town, Longsheng Autonomous County, Guilin City, Guangxi will hold the annual Ploughing Festival. Villagers will carry out traditional farming activities such as ploughing, digging, and chopping on the terraced fields.
Photo by Pan Zhixiang issued by China News Agency
Since modern times, China has accepted and realized the Sinicization of Marxism.
Using this ideological weapon that integrates Chinese and Western cultures and traditional Chinese culture such as "harmony between man and nature", China has achieved independence and national development in the capitalist-imperialist system, and is committed to solving many problems facing the world today , such as the aforementioned issues of inclusiveness, equality, and development of productivity.
In addition, the concept of reverence for heaven and the unity of man and nature is also the most profound philosophical basis for the Chinese ecological outlook.
Song Confucian Zhang Zai said in the "Xi Ming": "Gan is called the father, and Kun is called the mother; I despise Yan, it is the middle of the chaos. Therefore, the fortress of heaven and earth, my body; the commander of heaven and earth, my nature. People. , my compatriots; things, I am also." Both come from heaven, and all things in heaven and earth are related to me, so we must "benevolent people love things".
At the same time, China's ecological outlook also pays attention to the human-centered position.
"Only heaven and earth are the parents of all things; only human beings are the spirit of all things", people need to use all things born in heaven and earth, but man is the spirit of all things, and he is responsible for future generations and all things in heaven and earth. First of all, to realize the "righteousness of life and harmony in harmony" between human beings and all things, this is the ecological view of humanism and the middle way.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Yao Zhongqiu is a professor at the School of International Relations of Renmin University of China and director of the Center for Historical and Political Science. Currently, he mainly studies economics, historical politics, and the theory of modern world political systems.
He has published more than ten Western legal and political translations and various Chinese classics and history research works.
His latest publications are "China Moments in World History" and "Last Time: History of Chinese Political Civilization".