As we all know, both China culture and Western culture have a long history and traditions. We say that if western civilization starts from Crete civilization, it has a history of about 45 years. As for our China civilization, we often say that the history of China civilization is 5, years, but in fact it is only about 3,1 years. Even from the Xia Dynasty, it is only 4,1 years at most. However, western academic circles only admit that the history of our civilization started from Shang Dynasty, not Xia Dynasty. Because, they think that the Xia Dynasty is just a legend, and there is no evidence to prove that it is a civilization, especially no words have been found. A culture without words can only be regarded as a primitive culture or a legend. However, we still insist that our civilization began in the Xia Dynasty, which is roughly consistent with the history of western civilization. Let me compare Chinese and western civilizations from several aspects.
I. the origins and traditions of Chinese and western cultures
western civilization mainly comes from three major origins: Greek civilization, Roman civilization and Christian civilization. There is a great contrast between these three civilizations. In modern culture, these three origins can be regarded as a hundred rivers returning to the sea, all of which are merged into modern western culture. The origin of China's civilization is mainly about the pre-Qin period. In the pre-Qin period, when the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River were regarded as the origin of Chinese civilization, it claimed to be China. In the Han dynasty, it should be said that it was still a long-term stability. There is a saying in history that "Xionghan flourished in the Tang Dynasty", which means that the Han dynasty was very powerful. It was after the Han Dynasty that China people became weak. Due to the influence of Confucianism, China people began to pay attention to benevolence rather than bullying. It is precisely because of the persecution of the Han Dynasty that a large number of Huns had to run west because they could not beat the Han Dynasty and cross the Great Wall. In this process, the Huns, like snowballs, became stronger and stronger, and finally reached the Rhine and Danube, which overwhelmed the Germanic barbarians in that area. The Germans couldn't beat the more savage Huns, so the Germans had to run to the west, so the disaster finally fell on the Roman Empire, which was destroyed. Therefore, I think that there were two powerful empires on both sides of the Eurasian continent at that time, the Qin and Han empires in the east and the Roman Empire in the west. Both empires liked to fight and conquer, but because of geographical reasons, they didn't confront each other head-on, but they used their gas to crush each other as if they were masters. The so-called "qi" is the vast forest and grassland between the two countries and the nomadic people there. Therefore, in this protracted war, the Qin and Han empires gained the upper hand. After that, it passed through Wei, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties. With the continuous progress and development of China, since the Song Dynasty, the political and economic center of China has been moved to the south, and the south has gradually flourished.
II. Changes in the Axis Age
The Axis Age is a concept put forward by the philosopher Jaspers in his Origin and Goal of History in the 192s. He said that within 6 years from around 6 BC to the turn of the AD, a number of great figures appeared in three civilized areas of the old continent. The three major civilizations refer to the West, India and China. The influence of these great figures on their own civilization is unmatched by anyone afterwards, and they basically laid the spiritual backbone of these three cultures. For example, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in the west all appeared in this period until later Jesus, and hundred schools of thought, the founder of Indian Buddhism, Confucius, Mencius and Laozi Zhuangzi in China, all appeared in this era. Therefore, this era is called "Axis Age". I think it is a great pioneering work of Jaspers as far as this concept is concerned, but it is a pity that he did not explain two issues clearly. The first is why there is such an almost miraculous situation. The second is what changes have taken place in Chinese and western cultures in this era? On these two issues, I read in a book: First of all, look at China, its transformation has gone through a three-step process. In Shang Dynasty before the advent of the Axis Age, China, like other primitive civilizations, was a kind of parent culture with a strong superstitious color. Our earliest Oracle Bone Inscriptions is a kind of religious writing specially used for divination, which is used for sacrifice. There is a view in western academic circles that civilization originated in temples, and temples are the earliest urban centers. The replacement of Shang Dynasty by Zhou Dynasty is not only the change of political power, but also the change of religion. Next is the change of Confucian thought carried out by Confucius and Mencius in the pre-Qin period. In Mencius, there was a systematic explanation for this. As long as a person goes to explore his own nature, he will certainly be able to explore the beautiful and kind things in his own nature and become a good man and a saint. Therefore, as long as everyone is "self-cultivation and family harmony", they can "govern the country and level the world" and finally achieve an ideal world of great harmony. This is a major change in China culture in the Axial Age, which determines the basic spirit of China culture. It pays attention to the moral cultivation of people in this world, and pays little attention to things like external gods and ghosts. In other words, China Confucianism finally put the ideal of a harmonious society into practice. Similarly, great changes have taken place in western culture at this time. Through Greek culture, Roman culture and Christian culture, it is a process of transcendence, not a process of introversion. In the end, China culture emphasizes that everything starts from the heart, while western culture emphasizes that everything is decided by external God, that is, God determinism. There is a famous saying in the middle ages: no sparrow fell from the tree, not because of God's special will. China culture emphasizes inner self-cultivation, and "from the inside to the outside, you can become a thing", from the inside out. Therefore, this is the fundamental change of Chinese and western cultures in the "axis era".
Third, the basic spirit of Chinese and Western cultures
After China completed the process of convergence from the outside to the inside, all intellectuals began to work hard on their inner morality. Therefore, from this time on, China people, especially Confucian intellectuals, gradually became indifferent to foreign religions, and they paid more attention to their inner moral consciousness than external determinism of God. Therefore, from this point of view, China culture is more humanistic than western culture, rather than deism. However, China people don't talk much about things other than Liuhe, and they take the attitude of "keeping things". Confucian intellectuals always take a "stay at a respectful distance from ghosts and gods" attitude. It advocates filial piety when parents are alive and loyalty when monarchs are alive, and pays attention to the moral standards of interpersonal relationships in this world, rather than those things on the other side. In fact, this thought was very clear when I was in Zhou Gongdan: "The saints teach by Shinto, and the world belongs to them", that is to say, they are talking about ghosts and gods. In fact, they are using ghosts and gods to promote moral education and advise you to do good deeds in this life and this world. Confucius has always been uninterested in ghosts and gods. "I don't talk about Machamp's confusion with gods," and "I don't care about it except Liuhe." Many words of Confucius show that he is a thorough atheist. One of his disciples once asked him, "Do you know anything after death? Ignorance? Confucius' answer can be said to fully show his great wisdom: "I know what I want to say, and I am afraid that my filial son and grandchildren will hinder my life and death;" I am ignorant, and I am afraid that my unfilial descendants will abandon and not be buried; As for whether you know or not after death, you know yourself after death. " That is to say, the purpose of talking about ghosts and gods is to educate people to be good. No matter how profound and abstruse things are, they must take the realistic code of conduct as the foothold, and be good and accumulate virtue in order to "cultivate one's morality, keep one's family in order, govern the country and level the world". This is the basic connotation of China culture and a harmonious realistic spirit. In the west, academic circles call it an ethical culture. Western culture is mainly Christian culture, which is a transcendental romantic spirit. It constantly transcends reality and pays more attention to things other than Liuhe.
iv. the process of modernization of Chinese and western cultures
this process was initiated by the west at first, so we have to talk about the west first. Because of China's realistic spirit of coordination, China culture has been like a cat chasing its own tail for two or three thousand years. After all the fresh blood was dissolved, it was assimilated. After assimilation, it still goes its own way, changing with the same, "the sky remains unchanged, the morality remains unchanged, and the law of the ancestors remains unchanged", so it has never developed much. If it weren't for the modern western foreign guns rushing into our country, we in China still don't know how many years we will continue in the middle of the complacent great country and China consciousness. I tend to think that China's modernization is carried out under the compulsion of the western countries. In the Middle Ages, when the southern Latin world set off a humanism and Renaissance movement, the northern world began the religious reform. Then the religious reform is of great significance in the western world. The religious reform produced four major effects: 1. It broke the autocratic rule of the Catholic monolithic block in the Middle Ages and led to the division of North and South Europe. 2. It has led to the development of the nation-state. 3. Religious reform promoted democratic politics and tolerant spirit. 4. It has promoted the development of capitalist economy. The primitive accumulation of capitalism is a long and painful process. Of course, it is also full of blood and tears, such as "enclosure movement", "sheep eating people movement" and capitalist overseas colonial expansion, which provide the necessary conditions for the development of capitalism. Therefore, it was through this series of religious reforms, especially in modern western countries. After two centuries, at the beginning of the 18th century, with the development of the Enlightenment, a brand-new Europe appeared in the West. The main differences between China and the West are the differences in emotional expressions between the East and the West and the differences in abstract and concrete ways of thinking. Cultural differences and complementarity between China and the West are also topics we often talk about. Today, the changes in history, economy and ideas reflected behind cultural differences are also changing with each passing day, which also reflects some problems.
Fifth, it is the relationship between justice and benefit.
Generally speaking, westerners value profit over righteousness, while orientals value justice over profit or give consideration to both. Orientals' consciousness is that righteousness comes first, and Guan Yu in ancient times was not an out-and-out loyal hero. It was also greatly appreciated by people at that time. I think this is also a kind of cultural consciousness caused by various ideas in ancient times. The 5,-year-old culture is also a cause that can not be ignored. Relatively speaking, short western culture pays more attention to interests, which is precisely the performance of realism. Their self-consciousness can be seen from the war of aggression against China and all life in the West. Of course, this is only for the vast majority of the East. In the life of people in the East, such as China, humility is a virtue, but westerners don't know what to do about it. Westerners can sacrifice their own righteousness for the benefit most of the time.
Sixth, it is the problem of wholeness and individuality
Orientals emphasize wholeness and comprehensiveness, while Westerners attach importance to individuality. For example, Chinese medicine and western medicine emphasize the whole, which is different from western medicine. From the anatomical point of view, it attaches importance to the parts in the whole. The difference between overall thinking and individual thinking is also manifested in communication. For example, in many reports, an China person went to a western family for dinner. When the host asked whether to eat Chinese food or western food today, the guest politely said, "Whatever." "It's up to the guest." Westerners can't understand this answer. They say that when they hear this word, they have a headache, don't know how to fix it, and it's not easy to operate. Deep in our way of thinking, we think that being a guest with the host is a sign of courtesy and respect for the host, but westerners don't think so. This is the difference. On the other hand, if a European comes to China and you ask him what he is doing today, he will definitely not say "whatever", but will definitely make his wish clear.
VII. Differences in emotional expressions between the East and the West
On many issues, it is true that westerners may not understand butterfly lovers. The biggest problem here is the difference between Chinese and Western cultures, which leads to two different expressions: the subtle and implicit feelings of China people and the direct expression of westerners. China's ancient ladies must have no imagination in the west, not to mention China's ancient ideas of "men are superior to women" and ancient family law.
VIII. Differences between Chinese and Western speeches
In terms of values and moral standards, social relations, social etiquette and social customs, western culture advocates personal honor, self-centeredness, innovative spirit and freedom of personality, while China culture advocates modesty and prudence, selfless dedication, the golden mean and unity and cooperation. Westerners have a strong sense of equality and a simple family structure, and parents and minor children form a nuclear family, while China people have a strong hierarchical concept and a family structure. In cross-cultural communication, it is not uncommon for people to misunderstand information and even hurt each other due to cultural barriers. Sometimes well-meaning words will embarrass the other party, and polite manners will be misunderstood as absurd and vulgar. Therefore, the study of cultural differences and correct cross-cultural communication behavior has become a problem that cannot be ignored. In China, showing concern for other people's health is a sign of being educated and polite. But showing concern for the health of westerners cannot be done in the traditional way of China. When a China student learns that his American teacher is ill, he will say with concern, "you should go to see a doctor! You should go to the hospital. Unexpectedly, this thoughtful remark made the teacher very unhappy. Because in the teacher's view, even children know such a simple thing as seeing a doctor when they are sick, and no one needs to teach them. If you give people advice on a small matter, it is obviously a doubt about their ability, which greatly hurts their self-esteem. China people's hospitality at the dinner table is often misunderstood by westerners as uncivilized behavior. Because westerners think that it is entirely up to the guest to eat more or less, and there is no need for the host to add food and wine for him, and overeating is a very shameful thing, so after the guest has eaten, the host does not have to persuade him to eat again. An American guest was very upset when he saw China's master constantly carrying food for him. Afterwards, he complained that "the master treated me like a pig". When people from China know each other in Lu Yu, they often say, "Oh, man, you've put on weight again recently!" Or say in a concerned tone, "Dude, you've lost weight again. Pay attention to your health!" " Westerners will feel embarrassed and difficult to answer if they hear you say "you are fat" or "you are so thin", even if they are familiar with it.
IX. Differences between values and moral standards
1. Personal honor and modesty Westerners worship personal struggle, especially pride in personal achievements, and never hide their self-confidence, honor and ecstasy after achievements. On the contrary, China culture does not advocate showing off personal honor, but advocating modesty. China people object to the boasting of the old woman selling melons, but Chinese self-modesty or self-denial often makes westerners dissatisfied. “your English is very good ,”“No , no , my English is very poor ”，“you've done a very good job