中西文化概论-第四周.ppt

In western culture, every person is an independent one, who is dignified as he is and has his own free will, being capable of behaving in a rational way and holding responsible for his own. In Chinese culture, every person exists as a component part of a group, and his value as an individual is measured in terms of his social value. Derivative from a certain social relationship, he has to entrust his own fate to the group he belongs to. Group identification vs individual standard Obligations Come First: On the Group Principle in Chinese Culture Cause: families as basic units of social structure Result 1: an emphasis on the bonds among people 仁者，“亲也，从人从二。” ----《说文》 “仁之实，事亲是也。” ----《孟子. 离娄上》 “母以子贵”，“夫荣妻贵”，“一人得道，鸡犬升天” “与乡人处，由由然不忍去也。” ----《孟子. 万章下》 八拜结交，义结金兰 师父，弟子，师祖，师兄，师叔，师兄，师妹 Result 2: with Li as established standard for behaviors “人而无礼，虽能言，不亦禽兽之心乎。” ----《礼记. 曲礼上》 “自卑而尊先祖”，“自卑而尊人” “虚心以侍令……有口不以私言，有目不以私视。” ----《韩非子. 有度》 Positive effects: build-up of harmonious interpersonal relationships; enhancement of social stability and national cohesion Negative effects: doing harms for individual initiative and individual rights; keeping the traditional social order taking its effect in quite a long time Liberty and Individual Rights Count: A Counterpart about the Norm of Man in Western Culture Causal analysis: business boom equal exchange based on business principles The awakening of individual consciousness The ethos of individual standard An affirmation of individual values and rights; advocating of free wills and initiatives; seeing such individual qualities as courage, strength and wisdom, etc. as the highest manifestation of human dignity. “一个人最高的善在于自我实现，也就是运用人的本性中最能真实显示出人之所以为人的那部分，因之自我实现便与理性生活相一致。”