2. The Quintessence of China’s Cultural Heritage San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach California, U.S.A. January 27, 2000

3. 2 Preface A macrohistorical and holistic approach New inspirations from an age-old theorum

4. 3 Preliminary Considerations What is “culture”? A multifaceted phenomenon A tree vs. a forest Cultural resiliency and infragmentability The unity of Heaven, Earth, and Man

5. The Anthropocosmic Unity: Heaven, Earth, and Man êHeaven-----Religion êEarth -------Cosmology êMan---------Ethics

6. The Anthropocosmic Unity: Heaven, Earth, and Man

7. Cosmology kosmos + logos =cosmology

8. 7 Earth---Cosmology Existential continuum (ontology) Organismic whole (microcosm-macrocosm) Dialectical pattern of cosmic forces (epistemology)

9. Existential Continuum êHarmony of the opposites êThe absence of cosmogonical myths êAbsence of interest in the “First Cause” êUnity of the spiritual and the material, the subjective and the objective, the secular and the sacred êAn existential continuum

10. Organismic Whole êJoseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China ê“Heaven and I are one” êThe law of conservation êThe fear of Nature

11. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces êHarmonized opposites--Book of Changes êMutually creative yet destructive G wood, fire, earth, metal, water G wood, earth, water, fire, metal êThe Yin and the Yang êConfirmation by modern physics

12. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces

13. Wood EarthFire Metal Water

14. Cosmology êCoincidentia oppositorum êReconciliation of the opposites

15. Earth---Cosmology êCosmology---Weltanschauung êPan Gu--the only cosmogonic myth êYin-Yang and the Five Cosmic Forces êThings of the same genus activate each other ê microcosm-macrocosm

16. 15 Man---Ethics Cultivation of the self Self-family-state-world Inner sageliness and outer kingliness Humanism (Asian vs. European)

17. Man---Ethics ê Karl Jaspers, The Great Philosophers Socrates Buddha Confucius Jesus ê The Confucian “Ethos” ê Intense moralism

18. Man---Ethics êThe “self” and the “society” êThe process of daily renewal êThe concept of “self-renovation” ê Transforming potential ê A process of becoming êFrom “what is” to “what should be”

19. Man---Ethics êThe five cardinal human relationships êThe hierarchical structure: misinterpretations from the Han êCore values in Confucianism benevolence,loyalty, filial piety, and social decorum êThe physical, natural order and the social, moral order are identical and often spoken as one and the same.

20. Man---Ethics The Five Cardinal Human Relations Self Monarch-Subject Father-SonHusband-Wife Brother-Brother Friend-Friend

21. Man---Ethics The Core Values in Confucianism Ren (Benevolence) Zhong (Loyalty) Xiao (Filial Piety) Jie (Chastity) Li (Rites) Xin (Faithfulness)

22. Man---Ethics ê Confucian personality is not private but public êPublicly accountable and communally significant

23. Man---Ethics êThe Confucian “subjectivity” êA moral concept sui generis ê“It is man who magnifies the Dao; the Dao does not magnify a man.” êThe concept of “matching Heaven” êCharles A. Moore, The Chinese Mind ê“The ethical and the spiritual are one in China” êFaust and Prometheus

24. 23 Heaven---Religion «The concept of “Creator-God” «Institutional religion vs. diffused religion «What is “religion”? «A means of ultimate transformation

25. Heaven---Religion êPrerequisites of a religion G possesses transforming potential G spiritually uplifts and transcends

26. Heaven---Religion êReligion in the Chinese langage: zongjiao Zong (ancestors) Jiao (doctrines/teachings)

27. Heaven---Religion Zong (ancestors) Jiao (doctrines/teachings)

28. Heaven---Religion êThe Creator vs. the created (polarity) The 17th-century Scientific Revolution 命 êAtman and atman in Hinduism êSpontaneity and naturalness

29. Heaven---Religion êMatteo Ricci and the “rites controversy” in the 18th-century êSpace and time in Asian traditions ê“Timeliness” in the Book of Changes (Yijing) Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong)

30. Heaven---Religion êTwo types of Religion: K Institutional religion K Diffused religion

31. Heaven---Religion êInstitutional religion êHas a system of theology, rituals and organization of its own êDistinguishable from and independent of other secular social organizations

32. Heaven---Religion êDiffused religion êIts theology, rituals, and organization are intimately merged with the concepts and structure of secular institutions and other aspects of social order.

33. Heaven---Religion êReligion êA means of ultimate transformation

34. The Anthropocosmic Unity: Heaven, Earth, and Man

35. 34 Concluding Remarks The anthropocosmic trio -- Heaven, Earth, and Man Fundamental cultural differences between East and West, each has its intrinsic value The importance of understanding each other Reconstruction of value system for our “Global Village” Challenges of the new millennium

36. The Quintessence of China’s Cultural Heritage San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach California, U.S.A. January 27, 2000

37. 36 Please keep in touch! sanpaoli@csulb.edu http://www.csulb.edu/~sanpaoli

38. 37 A Dedication We dedicate our knowledge and wisdom to the future generations whose youthful energy and intercultural understanding will create a more civilized world.

39. 38 Thank you! Your comments and questions are welcome!