东西方伦理文化差异比较研究

Abstract

Many famous classical writers think that the East and the West has formed two different ways when commenting on the historical process from primitive society to enter the civilized society. These two different ways are represented by Ancient Greece of “Classical Ancient”, and represented by ancient Eastern countries of “Ancient Asia”. Specifically, the development path of “Classical Ancient” is from clan to private property and then to state, individual private ownership breaks through the clan organization, state replaces the clan. In the absence of digestion of the original clan organization, the “Ancient Asia” directly develops into slavery countries, and consanguinity clan system integrates with national organization form. Different paths of historical development have created different cultural characteristic, therefore there are many differences between Eastern and Western culture. “Cultural Comparison” is a major problem, limited to textual length, in this article we will mainly do some research on different rational thinking mode, social governance mode, human nature theory and other issues of Eastern and Western ethical culture, and study the social causes behind cultural differences. For example, while Western culture highlights the cultural system of scientific rationality, Eastern culture focuses on the thinking system of value rationality; Eastern social governance follows a path different from the Western contract legal system; in the theory of human nature, the Western advocates of evil of human nature, the Eastern of Confucian advocates of good of human nature. Therefore, the result is “politics of spread the goodness” in Western in comparison with “politics of restrain the evil” in Eastern of Confucian. The existence of every culture has its realistic reasons and historical reasons for its existence. Investigating the significant differences between Eastern and Western culture and studying the deep reasons of these differences has important significance for understanding the differences between Eastern and Western culture, also better understanding Chinese culture, Korean culture, Western culture, accommodating Eastern and Western Culture to get better development of human culture. The social and material condition of production determines the mode of social life, and also the ideology and culture of the mode of social life. If we want to understand the history and ideology culture of East and West, and if we want to understand the Confucianism which guides and influences the history and culture of Eastern, we must make deep research on background of the social and historical causes of the Confucianism of East to analyze the specific social and historical conditions. From the view of different ways which generate the Eastern and Western history road, “Classical Ancient” is formed on the basis of private ownership after the collapse of the system “Ancient Asia” is transformed from the clan public ownership of land into state ownership of land. Direct transition from the clan to the state makes the whole social structure of generating legacy system of clan, which is linked by consanguinity. This is the key issue to understand the mode of production, social system, ideology and culture of the ancient Orient, and especially it is the direct historical basis to study the formation and characteristics of Confucianism. The history road of “Asian” shows that public ownership of land in ancient orient and the forms of social organization that determined by low productivity, makes the national publics function created in the absence of complete differentiation and disintegration of the clan organization. Thus, the country’s social structure naturally depends on the natural consanguineous organization. “Classical Ancient” is from the family to private property and then to the state. The family is replaced by state. “Ancient Asia” is from family to the state and the state is mixed with the family. Clan exists as prototype organization for the nation. The state is established by the relationship of clan consanguinity, the rule mode, which can be learned from and imitated, is also directly derived from the clan rule mode. The strong legacy system of clan in state’s political system makes the social structure, cultural spirit and historical process of ancient orient with great particularity. The Confucianism founded by Confucius is a theoretical reflection of real existence of clan (patriarchal clan system) of the Ancient Oriental state and another extension of the history road of “Asian” in the ideological field. Today, as a very profound way, globalization is gradually reconstructing the social life of different countries and nations all over the world. Due to the historical and practical reasons, the Eastern and Western has developed two different historical paths, creating their own characteristics objectively. How to grasp the demands of cultural accommodation in the world of globalization, how to get better development in the cultural conflict and cultural integration of these two different culture, it is the question which must be answered in the study of comparative subject of Eastern and Western culture.