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发帖数: 18403 | 1 【 以下文字转载自 CivilSociety 讨论区 】
发信人: onetiemyshoe (onetiemyshoe), 信区: CivilSociety
标 题: The Origin of Chinese Humanist Tradition (770 BC- 86 BC)
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Fri Dec 6 13:22:16 2013, 美东)
These days, one only has to mention Chinese human rights to get snickers
from Americans and the western media. Admit it, the Chinese culture is
known for food, customs (some disturbing) and test-taking. But Chinese
human rights? Oh Come on. Isn't that an oxymoron?
Two great rivers ran through the Chinese Americans. The first river, the
Western Democratic Tradition, originated in the Ancient Greece. This river
coursed through Hellenistic empires, dried to a trinkle, preserved through
two millenia by Romans, Christians and Jews and Arabs, reformed and expanded
in the Religious Reformation and Classic Renaissance in Europe and
eventually landed to America and made USA in its image. It is our American
river, the one we know.
But the second river, no less deep and no less long, the Chinese Humanist
Tradtion, is the hidden river that goes through our heart. Around the same
time Greek philosphers and scientists posed questions for posterity, the
Chinese scholars congregated in schools all over China. The Chinese
scholars and Greek scholars never met each other then, did not know each
other existed and their descendents would not know for 2000 years. But the
two rivers existed and ran parallel and until fairly recently, no man have
even drunk from both. We are the first to drink from both rivers and to
claim descent from both.
As the world's most reluctant writer, I am writing this because even Chinese
and Chinese Americans remain ignorant of the unique Chinese perspective and
deep vein of Humanism that permeates much of Chinese culture. I hope to
start this conversation and ask everyone to help expand it.
Unlike the ancient Greek culture, which inspired the lasting Western
renaissance that continued to this day, there was never a renaissance for
the Chinese classic pre-Qin culture, this is a good time to start one.
When our children grow up one day, we will show them
the mirror of time and tell them: Your little eyes are beautiful, your
gentle character is strong, your journey is unique and you will make the
world a better place; there are no limits.
Earlier series: 敝帚自珍还是明珠蒙尘？ (II) and (I)
http://www.mitbbs.com/article0/CivilSociety/3913_0.html |
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