迦思佑2010年考研英语写作预测(三)

If Chinese culture hopes to contribute to the "coexistence of civilizations" in contemporary human society, it must needs to know itself, which means a cultural self-consciousness. The so-called "cultural self-consciousness" is the serious self-reflection by certain people in certain cultural tradition on their own culture's origin, its history of formation, its characters (including both advantages and disadvantages) and its tendency of progress. The renewal of Chinese nation is on the eve. To achieve this goal, we must have a self-knowledge about Chinese culture, posit it on a proper place, and search with enthusiasm the genuine spirit of this culture with a long history, in order to present its essence to modern human society. Besides, we must reflect the disadvantages of our culture as well, to better the absorptions of other cultures' essences, and to re-interpret it in a modern way adapting to the general tendency of progress of modern society. Only after this retrospective reflection could our country march as vanguard in the progress of global culture, and create a brave new world together with other cultures.

Confucianism and Taoism were principle schools of thinking in traditional Chinese culture, usually regarded as mutual complementary - of course, after Indian Buddhism was introduced into China, it also played an important role in Chinese society and culture. Now I'd like to discuss whether the Confucian and Taoist thinking could provide meaningful sources for the doctrine of "coexistence of civilizations".

(1) The Confucian doctrine of Ren (仁: benevolence, virtue) is a resource of thinking with positive meaning for the "coexistence of civilizations".

"The Way originates in Emotion" (道始于情), as prescribed in "Destiny is the resource of Human nature" (性自命出), manuscript in Guodian Bamboo Slips (《郭店竹简》). "The Way" here means "the Way of Human" (人道), i.e. the principles in dealing with human (or in anther word, social) relationships, which is different from "the Way of Heaven" (天道), i.e. the laws of nature or of universe. Human relationships are established on the basis of emotion, which is the starting point of Confucian doctrine of Ren. Once a disciple named Fan Chi asked Confucius: "What is Ren?" The answer was: "To love people." Where is the origin of this thought, "to love people"? In The Doctrine of the Mean a saying of Confucius was quoted as: "Ren is the characteristic element of humanity, and the great exercise of it is in loving relatives."[17] The spirit of Benevolence and Love (仁爱) is rooted in human nature, and to love one's relative is the most basic exercise of it. But the spirit of Ren goes far beyond this level. To quote Guodian Bamboo Slips: "To love and love deep, that is love; but to enlarge the love of one's father to the love of human being, that is Ren."[18] "The enlargement of filial piety is to love all the people below Heaven."[19] From these sayings we observe that the Confucian Doctrine of Ren demands to enlarge "the love of relatives" to "the benevolence on people", i.e. to "enlarge one's self-concern to the concern on others" (推己及人), to "treat with the reverence due to age the elders in your own family, so that the elders in the families of others shall be similarly treated; treat with the kindness due to youth the young in your own family, so that the young in the families of others shall be similarly treated"[20] - that is Ren. It is not easy to practice the doctrine of "enlarging one's self-concern to the concern on others", which requires a "practice of Ren" rooting in "the Way of Loyalty and Forgiveness" (忠恕之道), i.e. "never do to others as you do not wish done on yourself"[21], "wishing to be established himself, he seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others".[22] ("Loyalty is complete devotion of oneself; Forgiveness is the deduction of one's self-concern." 朱熹：《四书集注》).

If Ren is to be enlarged to the whole society, it would be as what Confucius once said: "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a junzi (君子: gentleman, nobleman) can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will return to Ren (after his example). Is the practice of Ren from a man himself, or is it from others?"[23] "To subdue one's self" and "to return to propriety" are usually interpreted as paralleling teachings, but I don't think this is the best explanation of this doctrine. "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue" actually means only the "returning to propriety" based on "subduing of one's self" could be regarded as Ren. Mr. Fei Xiaotong had his own interpretation about this doctrine: "Only after one has subdued one's self could one return to propriety. The return to propriety is prerequisite for one to enter the society and become a social man. Perhaps it is just on this point Western and Eastern civilizations have parted, that is, whether to expand or to subdue one's self."[24] I think Mr. Fei has made a proper remark. Zhu Xi also had an exegesis on this doctrine. "To subdue means to conquer," he said, "and the ‘self' means one's personal desires. To return means to restore, and the ‘propriety' means the laws and patterns of the Principle of Heaven." According to this exegesis, one should subdue one's personal desires to abide by proprieties and social criterions. Ren is one's natural virtues ("Love is born in nature."[25]); and propriety is exterior conventions to rule one's behavior, the function of which is to adjust social relationships so that people could live in harmony, as: "The most valuable function of propriety is harmony."[26] Only if one abides by proprieties and social criterions by free will, i.e. by an innate will to love people, could one fulfill the demands of Ren. Thus Confucius asked: "Is the practice of Ren from a man himself, or is it from others?" He made definite prescriptions to the relationship between Ren and propriety: "If a man be without Ren, what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without Ren, what has he to do with music?"[27] He who sets the rites or music without a heart of Benevolence and Love is hypocrite, and is in a purpose of cheat. It is in this sense that Confucius thought, if people would pursue Ren by freewill and practice the demanding of a heart of Benevolence and Love according to proprieties in everyday life, harmony and peace would be realized in society, -- "If a junzi can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will return to Ren." I think this Confucian teaching is not totally meaningless for the political leaders of a state or the ruling classes in developed countries (United States in particular). "The politics of Ren" (仁政), or "the Way of virtuous emperor" (王道) instead of "the Way of hegemon" (霸道), is indispensable to "order the state" (治国) and to "harmonize all under Heaven" (平天下). If "the politics of Ren" or "the Way of virtuous emperor" is practiced, different cultures would be able to coexist and develop in peace; while "the Way of hegemon" will bring forth the "clash of civilizations", resulting in monoculturalism and cultural Hegemonism. If Confucian doctrine of Ren is applied in regulating intercultural relationships, clash or war of civilizations will be avoided, and the coexistence of civilizations achieved.