China News Service, Beijing, March 25th: How to understand Chinese civilization from the perspective of "harmony"?
——Exclusive interview with Hannes Fellner, professor at the School of Linguistics, University of Vienna
Author Sun Chenhui Xu Guanguan
"Compared with 'harmony', which usually means static meaning in Western culture, the Chinese concept of 'harmony' pays more attention to interdependence and mutual support." Hannes Fehr, professor at the School of Linguistics at the University of Vienna, Austria, and Ph.D. in linguistics at Harvard University Hannes Fellner recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and talked about the origin of his research on China and his understanding of civilization from the perspective of the concept of "harmony." He believes that China's idea of "harmony" is crucial to solving the challenges faced by contemporary society. The concept of openness and inclusiveness advocated and practiced by China has created space for international exchanges and cooperation and has become a model for civilizational exchanges.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: How did you get involved with China? Why study China?
Hannes Fellner:
My grandfather was a communist fighter in Austria who fought against the Nazis. From him, I learned the spirit of anti-fascists and internationalists.
As a historical linguist, I study Tocharian and ancient Chinese languages and the culture and history behind them. The rich connotation of ancient Chinese civilization I felt from it further stimulated my interest in studying China.
In addition, my philosophy teacher Hans Heinz Holtz had a great influence on me and made me pay more attention to Chinese classical philosophy and Chinese Marxist philosophy. Through his guidance, I began to deeply explore Chinese ideological traditions and became connected with Chinese culture.
Foreigners learn to write the character "福" in Yantai, Shandong Province. Chinese culture has become a window to understand and understand China. Photo by Qu Zhengyang
China News Service reporter: What is your most prominent feeling about Chinese civilization during your years of research and contact?
Hannes Fellner:
To me, one of the main characteristics of Chinese civilization is connection thinking, which is the belief that everything is interconnected, entangled and interdependent. In this mode of thinking, all things reveal their existence and meaning in interaction with other things. Therefore, symbiotic and "harmonious" relationships should be established between humans and nature, between humans, and between different cultures. This symbiotic relationship reflects Chinese culture’s profound understanding of the dynamic relationship between the whole and its parts, provides a reliable foundation for social stability and prosperity, and also promotes the relationship between humans and the environment, humans and society, and between different cultures. Integration and progress. I believe that this connected thinking generates unity, inclusion and peace. Through exposure to Chinese philosophy and Chinese politics, I became more interested in the concept of "harmony." This is also the reason why I chose "Harmony and Socialism" as the topic of my speech at this Wuyi Forum.
On March 17, 2019, the Canton Tower was lit up green to host the St. Patrick's Carnival. Actors in traditional costumes took selfies under the Canton Tower. Photo by Ji Dong
China News Service reporter: What do you think are the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western cultures’ understanding of the concept of “harmony”?
Hannes Fellner:
In Chinese culture, "harmony" usually means unity in diversity, which is a dynamic process. In Western culture, it usually means "harmony" in a static sense.
"Harmony" in Chinese philosophy means the diverse relationships embedded between humans and nature, society, and each other. It is through interdependence and mutual support that all things thrive. Therefore, we need to consider the interaction of different positions and different elements in order to maintain a state of "harmony" with each other under different tensions.
Unfortunately, "harmony" is not a core concept in Western philosophy, although there are a few exceptions in Western culture, such as the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and later Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Dialectical tradition, but after all, this is only a few exceptions and not the core concept. The connotation of the concept of "harmony" in Chinese culture does not occupy a mainstream position in Western philosophy. In terms of expression, it is also different from the Western concept of harmony, which may lead to philosophical and political misunderstandings among people with different cultural backgrounds.
The sculpture "Encounter with God - Dialogue between Confucius and Socrates" was unveiled at the first Hohhot International Sculpture Art Exhibition. Photo by Liu Wenhua
China News Service reporter: What do you think the concept of "harmony" in Chinese and Western philosophy has to do with solving the challenges facing contemporary society? What is the meaning and value of the concept of "harmony" in contemporary society?
Hannes Fellner:
"Harmony" is a key factor for social stability and sustainable development. "Harmony" always takes into account the importance of the diverse relationships and interdependencies between the different changing elements of the whole. The world today faces many challenges, in part because some people do not consider the dynamic relationship between the whole and its parts. Therefore, the value of "harmony" lies in allowing people to understand the complexity, dynamics and interconnectedness of their relationships.
On February 23, 2024, the Lantern Festival event was held on the 5630 public welfare "Slow Train" from Zunyi, Guizhou to Chongqing West. Actors presented unique performances with national characteristics to passengers. Photo by He Penglai
In China, all ethnic groups are economically interdependent, emotionally understand each other, and are culturally inclusive. Everyone upholds the understanding of "harmonious coexistence" and has formed a stable social structure and cultural ecology. This stability helps promote the development and prosperity of the country, and also provides a stable basis for peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups.
Reporter from China News Service: Contemporary China attaches great importance to the values of connection and tolerance, which are also reflected in its understanding of international order and global civilization. What do you think of China’s global civilization initiative?
Hannes Fellner:
China is an ancient civilization with a long history and has always been an important part of the world. China's history proves the stability, diversity and unity of Chinese civilization. Both diversity and unity are a major feature of Chinese civilization.
On the evening of January 7, 2023, the 2023 "Happy Spring Festival" "Echoes of Tang Poetry: iSING! Suzhou and the Philadelphia Orchestra Chinese New Year Concert" was performed at the Alice Tully Concert Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. The audience enjoyed a leap An audio-visual feast that blends ancient and modern times with Chinese and Western influences. Photo by Liao Pan
Historically, China was an important participant in the ancient Silk Road and plays a vital role in the current multipolar world. Today, the world is facing multiple crises, which can only be overcome by promoting exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations on the basis of mutual equality. China upholds the concept of openness and inclusiveness, supports multi-party development, and creates space for exchanges at all levels. In this regard, China once again serves as a role model. I believe this is precisely because "harmony" is the core of Chinese philosophical theory and practice. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Hannes Fellner. Photo by Zhang Bin
Hannes Fellner is a professor at the School of Linguistics at the University of Vienna and director of the Institute of China and Southeast Asia in Austria. Since 2021, he is principal researcher at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Vienna. PhD in linguistics from Harvard University and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Vienna. His research interests include Tocharian linguistics, ancient Chinese, Central Asia and the Silk Road.