Philosophy is a kind of wisdom of thinking. If we want to understand why Chinese and Western ways of thinking are different, the issue that needs to be solved urgently is to understand the differences between Chinese and Western philosophy. Everything has a stage of emergence. The process of emergence may not be clear, but may be ambiguous. This requires exploring the origin of things, starting from the beginning, clarifying the development of things, and trying to predict the future development of things, and philosophy is no exception. In the study of Western philosophy, ancient Greece is a necessary link that cannot be left behind. Ancient Greek philosophy is the source of Western philosophy. Western philosophy originated in ancient Greece and has gone through stages such as ancient Greek philosophy, Christian philosophy, modern philosophy, and modern philosophy. During its long-term development process, the philosophical issues that Western philosophy focuses on are constantly changing. But it still inherits the philosophical spirit of ancient Greece, which is expressed in the concern for the causes behind various phenomena and the pursuit of certainty. However, the emergence of Chinese philosophy does not have a clear starting point like Western philosophy. There was no attempt like the early Greek philosophers to completely separate themselves from tradition or create a new one. Most scholars believe that Chinese philosophy begins with the "Book of Changes" and can even be traced back to earlier concepts such as Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Since then, the development and theoretical basis of Chinese philosophy and science often come from these traditional concepts. Throughout Chinese philosophy, the succession of various theories is obvious. Although the issues discussed by each school are different, they are mainly concentrated on political ethics, that is, they are all expressed in the care and regulation of people.
1. Chinese and Western Philosophy
The emergence and characteristics of Chinese and Western philosophy
Chinese and Western philosophy represent the crystallization of two major ideological civilizations. , the two sides formed their own completely different ideological orientations and characteristics. Later development just followed the path of their predecessors. On the basis of attaching importance to criticism, Western philosophy continued to criticize the old tradition and create new traditions, thus developing into A brand-new philosophy; while Chinese philosophy follows the tradition of its predecessors, with few breakthroughs and mainly inheritance. In this way, Chinese and Western philosophy eventually moved towards different ideological and ideological systems.
Chinese philosophy should have originated in the pre-Qin period, when various theories stood side by side, forming a scene of hundreds of schools of thought contending in the early days of Chinese philosophy. But as mentioned earlier, although the issues discussed by various theories are different, they mainly have the following characteristics:
1) They mainly focus on political ethics, that is, they are all expressed in the care and regulation of people; < /p>
2) Shows the main characteristics of ethics, compatibility and introversion;
3) It also has the characteristics of closed self-development and inheritance of traditional stability.
As mentioned above, Western philosophy originated in ancient Greece and has gone through stages such as ancient Greek philosophy, Christian philosophy, modern philosophy, and modern philosophy. It has the following characteristics:
1) It inherits the philosophical spirit of ancient Greece - both manifested in the concern for the causes behind various phenomena and the pursuit of certainty;
2) Emphasis on rational cognition;
< p>3) Regarding the relationship between man and nature, it is advocated that man should be the subject and nature is the object, an object that humans can understand and conquer. Human beings can understand nature through their own abilities and then transform nature.Exploring the reasons for the differences between Chinese and Western philosophy
The emergence of philosophy requires certain natural, social and economic conditions. This is the case for ancient Greek philosophy as the initial stage of Western philosophy, and Chinese philosophy is no exception. .
First, natural conditions: Ancient Greece was mountainous and did not have the conditions for farming. It did not have fertile land like most ancient civilizations, but it was suitable for growing fruit trees, especially grapes and olives. , most of the wine and olive oil it produces are exported. In the absence of smooth land transportation and lack of farming conditions like China, the economy of ancient Greece must use its good coastline to vigorously develop maritime trade in order to develop. Only then can they communicate and exchange with other regions through the sea, and exchange what they need. Therefore, ancient Greece formed a relatively developed commodity economy in the process of maritime trade. In the process of economic exchanges with other regions, we have the opportunity to come into contact with different civilizations, learn and absorb their civilizational achievements and cultural essences, and criticize, transform and synthesize them, thereby forming a philosophical-scientific culture with ancient Greek characteristics. .
In terms of natural factors, China's geographical environment is quite different from that of ancient Greece. China has vast and fertile land and convenient land transportation. Its agriculture is relatively developed, and its economic exchanges are mainly through various inland countries (or even It only focused on the exchange of supplies between a few vassal states), and it was not necessary and difficult to achieve economic development through maritime trade exchanges. Secondly, in ancient times, due to limitations of transportation conditions, cultures in the same region often had similarities. For example, the cultures of China's neighboring countries either had no fundamental differences, or were vassals of Chinese culture. Although they were different in specific manifestations, In essence, they are all oriented toward their own "inner culture." Such external conditions limit the vision of Chinese culture to a similar traditional environment, making it an introverted culture. Thirdly, Chinese culture was the advanced culture at that time. Advanced cultures often find it difficult to accept and identify with backward cultures, while backward cultures can better accept and identify with advanced cultures (such as ancient Greece, Japan, etc.). Therefore, in such many situations, Under the influence of natural conditions, ancient China had fewer interactions with other different civilizations and introduced less advanced culture from other civilizations, thus forming a unique, stable and perfect cultural structure. These natural conditions make Chinese philosophy characterized by a closed self-development with stability.
Second, social conditions: Due to the obstacles of natural factors in ancient Greece, it was difficult to form a unified centralized country under the historical conditions at that time. Various city-states were naturally isolated, which meant that It is conducive to the independent and free development of each city-state. In a diverse environment, it can promote mutual comparison and thinking. People's thoughts also show diversity, stimulate people's critical spirit and creative ability, and is also conducive to the formation of mutual comparisons. New and more correct understanding. In this free environment, it became possible to transcend tradition, thus forming a new tradition of ancient Greek philosophy: transcending tradition. Therefore, ancient Greek philosophy has the characteristics of scientific spirit and continuous transcendence. In China, although a centralized state was formed earlier, which was conducive to rapid economic development, due to the excessive inheritance of traditional thinking and the constraints of the patriarchal system, a family-centered and people-focused system was created. The relationship is based on the value orientation of seeking harmony between body and mind, internal and external, forming Chinese culture with its own characteristics in a unified country, and vigorously promoting it through state power, so that ideological traditions are formed earlier and are more consistent. On the other hand, stricter ideological restraint restricts freedom of thought within a narrow scope, leaving less space for discussion, research and debate. Most thinkers regard traditional thought as the main source of political behavior, etiquette and moral norms. To further develop Chinese philosophy as a whole in the direction of ethics (politics). Although the views of various schools of thought during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were different, they could not transcend tradition. They all developed within the scope limited by tradition. Their theories also tried to seek proof and support from ancient legends and ancient books. own doctrine, which also shows that the attitude of Chinese philosophy towards tradition is not to actively criticize, but to inherit and interpret. This attitude has been strengthened and become the mainstream of Chinese philosophy: inheriting tradition.
Third, economic conditions: The increasing development of society and economy, and the increasing abundance of material materials, enable some people to directly break away from material production labor and engage in mental work. Aristotle believes that the emergence of philosophy comes from "after almost all the necessities of life and the things that make people happy and comfortable have been obtained." Therefore, in ancient Greece, the discussion of politics and philosophy obtained material prerequisites after the development of social economy. Some people have turned their attention to political systems and norms, as well as people and society, to nature and the causes behind phenomena. They use reason rather than experience to explore the causal relationships between phenomena. They marvel at the various phenomena of nature. "They were first amazed by various puzzling phenomena, and gradually accumulated explanations bit by bit. They explained some of the more important issues, such as the movement of the sun, moon and stars, and the creation of the universe." He also tried to find non-divine, constant causes behind various natural phenomena, tried to use theories to demonstrate their rationality, and focused on conceptual clarity and logical rigor, thus producing the unique philosophical-scientific way of thinking of ancient Greece. But in ancient China, the economic development should have been more prosperous than in the ancient Greek period. But why did China, which had the prerequisite for material satisfaction, not be as "amazed" by nature as the ancient Greeks were? The reasons are: on the one hand, Chinese traditional culture attaches great importance to the role of experience.
Among various theories in China, both science and technology and ethics need to be practical, and philosophy is no exception. Therefore, ancient Chinese science has always been rich in practical technologies and various inventions, but lacked scientific Theoretical resources; on the other hand, China’s intellectual class (scholar class) is also under the premise of material satisfaction, but they are not independent in social status. They are dependent on the powerful and are supported by the powerful. Therefore, they need to serve the powerful The struggle for power and profit serves. The relative exceptions in China are Laozi and Zhuangzi. Neither of them were scholars serving the nobility. Their philosophical thoughts are also most similar to those of ancient Greece. They both proposed the origin and even further proposed the general concept of "Tao". However, the Taoist culture they formed did not become the mainstream of the development of Chinese culture. On the contrary, under the general direction of Chinese culture focusing on human affairs, Taoism eventually became the main focus. Concerned about human survival issues, although they also discussed nature, their ultimate goal was for personal self-cultivation rather than finding the origin of the world. This formed a development direction different from that of ancient Greek philosophy, and finally became a religion of self-cultivation. . Thirdly, ancient Greek philosophy regards nature as a cognitive object, while China’s ideological tradition of “harmony between man and nature” formed under the influence of primitive mythology and primitive religion, as well as the ideas of respecting heaven and filial piety to ancestors, have had a greater impact on the development of Chinese philosophy. Among them, the idea of ??"respect for heaven" is particularly important. "Respect" consists in belief and fear, which means that heaven is regarded as something that cannot be doubted as having a sacred status. The existence of this kind of idea directly affects and limits people's understanding of nature.
In short, when Chinese culture faces natural things, it always avoids paying attention to the reasons behind natural phenomena, and focuses more on reality, solving problems that arise in reality and understanding human beings through experience. As for the norms of behavior, ancient Greek philosophy focuses on "what?", while Chinese philosophy explores "how to do it?"
After discussing the differences between Chinese and Western philosophies, it becomes clear at a glance the differences between Chinese and Western ways of thinking.
2. Chinese and Western ways of thinking
Examples of the differences between Chinese and Western ways of thinking
We can see the difference between the ways of thinking through an interesting joke The difference: The wishes of Germans and French people before they die can tell you the difference. You ask the French, what is your greatest wish before you die? The French answer is "I want to drink a glass of the best champagne". Ask the German again and he will say, "If I still have the strength, I would like to give another report."
A way of thinking often permeates various fields, and even the phenomena we often see can reflect its way of thinking. For example, if an American writes a letter to a Chinese person, and the Chinese person reads the American letter, he or she will immediately get angry. Because Americans go straight to the point at the beginning of the letter, putting their demands first, and only say some polite words at the end. In order to maintain a psychological balance, the Chinese read the back of a letter from an American first. When Americans read letters from Chinese people, they start to get more and more confused. They don't know what the other party wants to explain. They are preceded by pleasantries and so on. Americans also read Chinese letters upside down. This different writing method reflects different ways of thinking.
There is such a classic example: Germans, Japanese, and Chinese took a train from Frankfurt, Germany to Paris. These three people sat in the same carriage. A guest came up on the way and placed the fish tank he was holding on an empty seat. The Germans began to ask: "Can you tell me the name of this fish? What are its biological categories and characteristics? What is their scientific significance?" After listening to the Germans, the Japanese then asked: "Can this kind of fish be introduced into our country? According to Japan's climate, water temperature, and water quality, can this kind of fish grow?" It was the Chinese's turn to ask: "Would this kind of fish taste better braised in braised sauce, or steamed?" This shows the characteristics of three different cultural ways of thinking.
Looking at the differences between Chinese and Western thinking and art from the field of literature and art
The different philosophical pursuits and different thinking directions of the East and the West are reflected in the creation of literature and art. China values ????roundness, harmony, The pursuit of neutrality, the pursuit of a state of perfection and perfection, is just like what Sikong Tu and Zhong Rong preached; the West pursues breakthroughs and pays attention to improvement. For example, Greek tragedy has a breakthrough of breaking the cauldron and creating a new world. .
Many Chinese novels remain in witnessing and description of human feelings, with the exception of "Dream of Red Mansions", which lacks the necessary philosophical depth. Cervantes, Balzac, and Proust dug deep. Dante, Baudelaire, and Shakespeare were also progressive and dug deep. Most Chinese dramas deal with injustice and grudges and the tragedy of life. Some of them touch on the true aspects of life, so they are touching and vital, while some do not.
The author personally speculates that in order to create works that can impress Eastern and Western readers in modern times, the author must have an understanding of the fate of Chinese philosophy, the spirit of the universe, the artistic essence of Chinese poetry, painting and calligraphy, and To have a unique understanding of the true meaning of Chinese art, the harmony of spirit, virtuality and reality, and the harmony of yin and yang, you must also have a deep understanding and grasp of Western literature, art, and philosophy.
A brief explanation of the reasons for the differences in the way of thinking between China and the West
The author believes that on the one hand, it is due to the different development paths of Eastern and Western societies. The long-term agricultural society and small farmer economy have caused the development of my country’s Cultural national psychology. The characteristic of this psychology is to a large extent that it emphasizes a kind of local friendship and a kind of neighborly friendship. Don’t we often say that there are four major happy events in life? "A long drought brings sweet rain, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, a night of flowers and candles in the bridal chamber, and when the gold medal is named." "Meeting an old friend in a foreign land" is indifferent in Germany, and Westerners generally do not have hometown associations. Germans are not very excited if they meet a fellow countryman abroad. And we often talk about the soil and water supporting the people, fallen leaves returning to their roots, etc. We have a strong sense of locality. These are all related to our society and carry strong emotions. This emotional factor is very weak in the West.
On the other hand, from the perspective of philosophical and cultural systems, we are most affected by Confucian philosophy, and they are Christian culture. The Confucian philosophical system emphasizes "cultivating one's moral character, regulating one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world." Putting "self-cultivation" first means paying attention to moral culture. This kind of moral culture emphasizes a kind of "righteousness". "The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water" also emphasizes "righteousness". Now there are some changes, and some people advocate balancing justice and interests. Our philosophical thinking emphasizes synthesis, while their philosophical thinking emphasizes analysis, which creates a difference between focusing on overall thinking and individual thinking.
The integration of Chinese and Western philosophy
Globalization is the reality that Chinese philosophy must face today, and it is also the foundation on which future development must rely. With the export of strong civilization, the super discourse hegemony formed by Western philosophy in China since the 20th century is almost a cleansing for Chinese philosophy, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. This in itself is an inevitable part of globalization. It even constitutes a necessary condition for the regeneration of Chinese philosophy. The rational analysis temperament, critical innovation spirit and religious persistence of Western philosophy, as well as Marxist scientific methodology, should all become available resources for reconstructing Chinese philosophy in the future.
Learn from the West
1. The strict conceptual analysis and clear rational logic of modern Western philosophy can be extremely effective in opening up the ambiguous and trivial ideological content in the old Chinese philosophy, and more importantly It is helpful to clarify the problem without preventing the rich philosophical connotation from entering the depths of people's thinking and academic discourse.
2. The sharp and sharp critical spirit of Western philosophy can play a more important role in Chinese traditional thought and culture.
3. The rich original spirit of Western philosophy can become the yeast for Chinese philosophy to flourish. Traditional Chinese philosophy puts too much attention or energy on the construction of "academic tradition". Every word said must have a source, and every argument must be quoted from classics. This objectively inevitably leads to a lack of academic creativity among a large number of philosophers. . The hermeneutical tradition of "I annotate the Six Classics" has caused Chinese philosophy to fall into the difficult situation of "explaining but not writing" for a long time.
[Conclusion] Today, with increasingly frequent exchanges between China and the West, if we correctly grasp the differences between Chinese and Western cultures and ways of thinking, we will surely seize the opportunity to reshape the Chinese people in the increasingly internationalized economy and culture. Style and style develop harmoniously and healthily on the basis of removing the dross and promoting the essence of traditional culture.