China News Service, Beijing, March 22: How can the Chinese civilization’s cosmology enlighten today’s people?
——Exclusive interview with Zang Fengyu, Dean and Professor of the School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China
China News Service reporter An Yingzhao
The first Wuyi Forum series of activities sponsored by Renmin University of China and others is being held in Nanping, Fujian. On the 22nd, Zang Fengyu, Dean of the School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China, gave the first lecture of the Chinese Civilization Forum at the Zhuxi Garden in Wuyishan with the theme of "The Cosmology of Chinese Civilization".
In an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" in Beijing a few days ago, Zang Fengyu pointed out that the Chinese civilization's cosmology has been passed down to this day, which not only reflects the ancient people's exploration of looking up at the sky and observing geography, but also reflects the wisdom of life in understanding the way of all things in the universe. This kind of philosophical thinking has given people profound enlightenment to this day.
Video: [East-West Question] Zang Fengyu: How can the Chinese civilization’s cosmology enlighten today’s people?
Source: China News Network
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: Compared with Western civilization, what are the main characteristics of the cosmology of Chinese civilization?
Zang Fengyu:
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In the long historical process, the Chinese nation, with its determination and will to constantly strive for self-improvement, has traveled through mountains and rivers, and has gone through a development process that is different from other civilizations in the world." This reflects the cultural consciousness of the Chinese nation. , and become a unique civilizational creation in its practical transformation.
Beautiful starry sky in Qingshui Bay, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province. Photo by Liu Guoxing
Regarding the understanding of the universe, different nations have similarities, which are also reflected in their own unique ways of thinking and values. The cosmology of Chinese civilization is embodied as an organic whole. The ancient sages regarded the endless universe as organized and operating rules, and as a network of life intertwined with new life and old life, this life and that life.
As early as the barbaric era, the Chinese ancestors began to think about the relationship between man and the world. We can see the ancients' original understanding of the universe in mythological texts such as "The Classic of Mountains and Seas". In the ancient world of mythology, when the people were not enlightened, the sages not only admired the magic of all things, but also wanted to explore the mysteries of the universe and explain the creation and changes of all things.
When Chinese civilization gradually took shape, people dug wells to drink, plowed fields to eat, appointed talents and talents, "connected to the virtues of gods", "imitated the emotions of all things", observed the world, and discovered the laws of changes in the four seasons. Emperor Yan tasted hundreds of herbs, Emperor Huang sown hundreds of grains, Leizu raised silkworms and reeled silk, and Fuxi created Bagua. They communicated the relationship between humans and gods in rituals such as sacrifices, understood "the movements of the world" and "the aspirations of the world", and understood the will of God through the cultivation of mind. Thus "joining the heaven and the earth" can be seen from this concept of civilization in the early days of the Chinese nation.
At least in the late Neolithic Age, the Chinese nation formed a cosmological schema of "a round sky and a round earth". Ancient thinkers used concepts such as Yin-Yang and Tai Chi to analyze the basic existence of the universe and understand people's position in time and space.
For example, "Xunzi: Theory of Heaven" contains: "The stars rotate with each other, the sun and the moon shine brightly, the four eras are governed, the yin and yang are transformed, the wind and rain are generous, all things are harmonious to live, and each is nourished to be successful." The definition of yin and yang is directly related to sunlight. The south of the mountain is yang, and the north of the mountain is yin; those facing the sun are yang, and those facing away from the sun are yin. The emphasis on the harmony of yin and yang reflects the initial form of the Chinese cosmology. Life under the sun has two sides, Yin and Yang. They are all made up of the harmony of Yin and Yang, and we can all experience the mutual opposition or mutual growth and decline expressed by Yin and Yang.
The cosmology of Chinese civilization comes from the ancients' observation of the external world, such as day and night, men and women, sun and moon, cold and heat, concave and convex, square and circle, life and death. "Heaven and earth generate yin and yang", which constitutes a simple form of Chinese dialectics, not a positive and negative. It is not a process of combined speculation, but a contradictory movement full of practical spirit. It contains historical concreteness and emphasizes the mutual transformation of opposites. The resulting concepts such as "being prepared for danger in times of peace," "being full but not overflowing," and "knowing the white and keeping the black" embody dialectical wisdom.
Sunrise at Tongzi Bay, Yanjingling, Maoming City, Guangdong Province. Photo by Liu Guoxing
Reporter from China News Service: In addition to the concepts of Yin and Yang and Tai Chi, what other concepts did the Chinese ancestors have when they looked up at the universe?
Zang Fengyu:
The ancient sages believed that the universe is vast and infinite. Although it is ever-changing, it has a constant and orderly cycle. The universe carries all things in the world, and all things have different natures and are endless. Humans live in the center of the universe, and "sages" know the way and guide the world. Act appropriately. This formed a grand ambition: "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the unique knowledge of the past saints, and create peace for all generations." People should "see the transformation and education of heaven and earth", imitate heaven and earth, "continuously strive for self-improvement" and "be virtuous" "Ziwu", from "inner saint" to "outer king". This cosmology of the unity of man and nature advocates the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, embodies the important influence of time and place on farming civilization, and emphasizes that man and nature are a closely related whole. Tao follows nature, and production and life according to the laws of nature should be There is meaning.
This cosmology emphasizes "keeping pace with the times" and was later widely used in farming, education, traditional Chinese medicine, governance and life customs, and developed into the concept of not violating the farming season, doing things in accordance with the times, and doing things at the right time. Only by understanding the seasons and phenology can you understand people and the world. Therefore, people are familiar with the twenty-four solar terms, which contain the changes in the transportation and transformation of all things. Spring, summer, autumn, harvest, and winter storage all reflect the laws of yin and yang changes in time and space of heaven and earth.
March 16, 2024 is the seventh day of the second lunar month in the Tibetan calendar, and spring plowing and sowing have started in Lhasa, Shannan and other places in Tibet. The picture shows villagers in Chundui Village, Linzhou County, Lhasa City rushing to the fields to participate in spring plowing in the morning. Photo by Zhao Lang
Of course, in addition to the concept of Yin-Yang and Tai Chi, ancient Chinese thinkers had many other understandings of the universe. For example, the theory of Gaitian, which dates back at least to the Western Zhou Dynasty, emphasizes that "the sky is round like a cover and the place is like a chess game." There is also Huntian theory, which regards the earth as a complete sphere and believes that the earth floats on water. Half of the ground is visible and the half below the ground is invisible. There are other worlds outside the "celestial sphere".
The cosmology of the unity of heaven and man reflected in Gaitian theory and Huntian theory is often reflected in classical Chinese philosophy. With the development of modern natural science, the cosmology of Western scientists was introduced to China in the late 16th century. The cosmology emphasizing the heliocentric theory and the large earth updated the Chinese people's concepts and enabled people to understand the cosmology of different civilizations from a comparative perspective. Today, scientific research on how the universe was formed is becoming increasingly sophisticated. There are many data and scientific arguments that tell us the process of the origin of the universe.
Reporter from China News Service: The cosmology of Chinese civilization has been passed down to this day. What is the significance of the times?
Zang Fengyu:
The Chinese civilization’s cosmology has been passed down to this day. It not only reflects the ancient people’s exploration of looking up at the sky and observing geography, but also reflects the wisdom of life in understanding the way of all things in the universe. This kind of philosophical thinking has given profound enlightenment to people to this day.
From the perspective of "two combinations", there are many inherent similarities between the Chinese civilization's view of the universe and the Marxist view of nature. For example, in the perspective of Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture, nature has original significance to humans, and humans are the product of the long-term development of nature. For another example, Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture both emphasize the movement and changes of nature, believing that all things are generated in it, and that the withering and flourishing of vegetation reflects the laws of nature.
For another example, Marxist philosophy emphasizes the interconnection, interdependence, mutual influence, interaction and mutual transformation between things and the elements within things. It believes that universal connections are reflected in all things, phenomena and development processes, and that everything in the world is An interconnected unity. Ancient Chinese thinkers emphasized the integrity of things and their infinite hierarchical relationships. This concept is fully reflected in the cosmology. In this sense, Marxism and China’s excellent traditional culture are also intrinsically consistent in terms of systematic thinking.
In addition, from the perspective of Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture, protecting nature is the proper meaning of people's pursuit of a better life, and realizing the harmony between man and nature is a matter of course and in line with the laws of development of all things in the world. Both also emphasize that nature has important aesthetic significance for people. To reconcile with nature and protect the green waters and green mountains in our lives is to live according to the laws of beauty.
In August 2022, the rice growth in Sanmen Village, Sanjia Town, Anju District, Suining City, Sichuan Province was gratifying. Photo by Liu Changsong
There is a saying in "Shangshu": "The latitude and longitude of heaven and earth are called Wen, and the illumination of the four directions is called Ming." Chinese civilization emphasizes the harmony and symbiosis between man and nature, man and man, and man and society. The far-reaching concepts of harmonious living and eclecticism. It is true that these concepts and their objectified practices alone cannot constitute the endogenous driving force for modernization, but the cultural tradition combined with Marxism has unique value in transcending the misunderstandings of modern Western civilization.
The Chinese civilization is a civilization that is intertwined with still waters and deep currents and magnificent waves. It is a civilization that is reforming the past and making new achievements. For more than five thousand years, Chinese civilization has evolved from the past, inheriting not only ancient traditions but also modern traditions, and has both moved towards and from the depths of history. Today, we should have a profound understanding of the intrinsic relationship between the "two combinations" and the development of Chinese civilization over five thousand years, and better promote the practical creation of Chinese-style modernization and new forms of human civilization. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Zang Fengyu, dean, professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China. Selected into the National High-level Talent Special Support Program as leading talents in philosophy and social sciences, cultural celebrities and "four batches" of talents. He concurrently serves as the vice president of the Chinese Dialectical Materialism Research Association, the secretary general of the Nishan Joint Graduate School of Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture, and the vice chairman of the National Applied Ethics Graduate Teaching Steering Committee. Published monographs such as "The Era Interpretation of Marxist Philosophy", "Introduction to Marx's Political Philosophy", "Research on Marx's Political Philosophy in the Textual Context", "Study on the Inner Logic of Engels's Philosophical Classics in His Later Years", "The Road to Wisdom", etc., and translated He is the author of "Different Paths", "The Biography of Engels", etc.