The Multiple Perspectives to the Nature of Human Being in Chinese Philosophy and Culture Gorizia Conference, October 2-5, 2008 Professor Dr. Ouyang Kang Vice President of HUST Director of Institute of Philosophy Director of institute of Scientific Progress and Human Spirit Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST) The nature of human being is always the riddle of philosophy and culture from ancient to today and from East and the West. Sir ANTHONY KENNY’s paper, HUMAN BEINGS, has done a very good analyse to the viewpoint of human being in the history of Western philosophy and give us many enlightens to a deep understand to human being. However, different with western philosophy and philosophers, Chinese philosophers have their own understandings to human being based on Chinese culture. Comparing the Eastern and Western view to human being, may give us a more complete outlook to human being. This paper will introduce the multiple perspectives to the nature of human being in Chinese philosophy and culture and focus on its contemporary studies in China. I hope this paper can help western scholars to learn and understand more about Chinese culture and philosophy. 1, Goodness(善) and Badness(恶)：In the ancient China, human being mainly is regarded as moral subject, so many scholars reflected the nature of human being from the angle of goodness and badness. For example, Confucius(孔子) said that the original nature of human being is goodness, but Xun Zi(荀子) said badness. The debate about goodness and badness run though the all history in China. 2, Holiness(神圣)and Plebeian(世俗): In the Western culture, the concept of holiness mainly used to express the special respect to God, the Heaven, the Lord and other religion idols, but in the Chinese philosophy and culture, beside the same usage with in the west, holiness is also used to admire the king, empire, sage and saint. Sometimes it is use more in the plebeian meaning. For example, Feng Youlan（冯友兰）divides human spirit into 4 levels or stages: natural(自然), benefit(功利), moral(道德), heaven and earth(天地). 3, Rational man(理性人) and Irrational man(非理性人): In Chinese culture, the rational aspect of human being is not as developed as in the west, but in the Song dynasty there is a special school called as Chen and Zhu Rational School（程朱理学），that paid very close attention to the rational aspect of human being. In the meantime, also some scholars stressed the irrational aspect of human being, such as Lu and Wang Mind school(陆王心学)； 4, Individuality(个体性) and Sociality(社会性)：generally speaking, the nature of human being is understood more from collective and social angle in China, so the main character of Chinese culture be called a kind of collectivism. Some western scholars asked to learn from the Chinese collectivism. But from the angle of personality and individual development, it is actually a kind of mistake or limitation, since it ignores the personal development and individual right. Now China asked to pay more attention to the human right and to liberal the individual freedom. 5, Reality(实在) and Virtual(虚拟) man：This is a new problem in the new information science-technology time and special in the internet world. There are mainly two kinds of virtual man, one is in the human spirit and mind, that is very general phenomenon in the historical development and all time of human being in the world, another one is in the web and created a kind of new situation of virtual reality or even virtual realistic man. Some people lost themselves in the virtual world and can not find their own self-identity. There is a new branch of philosophy emerged since 90’s of 20’s century, it is called as humanology(or the theory of human studies) in China. There are many very famous scholars joined the research and produced many important achievement in the area. It expresses the special meaning of human studies. We belief that the international communication will be benefit to both of the theoretical research and practical progress of human life.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:27:14 +0000
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