中国文化三个特点The characteristics of Chinese culture1.Chinese culture regards human life as part of nature and ,as such, the only way for us to survive is to live in harmony with nature.The fundamental significance of civilization lies in the creation of a peaceful world, which also requires avoiding conflict between humans and nature.Instead of dictating to nature, people should hold nature in awe and gratitude.2Chinese culture emphasizes harmonious human relationships.An individual cannot live without community and society.Chinese culture strives to build a world of harmony based on friendship between individuals, mutual assistance between families, and respect between nations.3.Chinese thinking stresses self-reflection. People should not only understand the external world, but also and more importantly, improve their internal state of mind.孔子Confucius(551-479 BC), known as Kongzi, given name Qiu and alias Zhongni,lived in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period.He was a great thinker, educator and founder of Confucianism.Confucius is an ancient sage to the Chinese people. His words and life story were recorded by his disciples and their students in The Analects.“天/自然”Confucius on Heaven/Nature: the Source of Everything Confucius regarded “Heaven” as nature. Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.Heaven equaled nature, nature was not a lifeless mechanism separate from humans, it was the great world of life and the process of creation of life. Human life was part and parcel of nature as a whole创造生命Equation of Heaven with the creation of life.The natural process of life creation was the “way of Heaven”. This idea was later developed in The Book of Changes.As the natural process of creation of life, Heaven was the source of all living things and the source of all values.The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is creating life.( The Book of Changes)In the natural process of creation of life, Heaven had its inner purpose in creating all things as well as protecting and improving life.天命Heavenly mission:Heaven had originated humanity, and humans were obliged to accomplish this purpose. In other words, humans are born with a sense of “heavenly mission”, and this is the meaning of human life.Confucian “Heaven” also had a certain sacred element, which was related to its being the source of life. Thus Confucius required people to hold Heaven in awe. He said a person of virtue must “respect his heavenly mission”, listen to and live out the purpose of Heaven by caring for and improving life.Under the influence of Confucius, the ancient Chinese developed a sense of awe and belief in Heave.Heaven was not a supernatural, personified deity, but was the world of ever-generating life.To them, Heaven was the highest sacred being, with the profound mystery never to be fully understood by mortal.Confucius on People: ren and li 仁Ren: love of people This kind of love begin with the love for ones parents.No one could love people in general if they did not even love their own parents.The essence of ren is “filial piety and fraternal duty”(孝悌）The Doctrine of the Mean中庸quotes Confucius : The greatest love for people is the love for ones parents.【Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.】【Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.】Confucius: One should be aware that other people may have similar desires as oneself.【While fulfilling ones desires, allow others to fulfill their desires as well.】【Do not do toward others anything you would not want to be done to you.】礼Li Mencius: Loving ones parents, loving the people, loving everything in the world.Li refers to rituals, traditions and norms in social life. Of these, Confucius regarded burial rituals and ancestral worship rituals as the most important, because they arose from human feeling.The role of li is to maintain harmony among people.Li also has philosophical implications.While individuals have a limited lifespan, life in nature is everlasting. Life is given by ones parents and extended through ones children.In this way, a limited, individual life becomes merged with the limitless life of nature.教育Confucius was the first figure in Chinese history to initiate private education.Confucius taught for many years and trained 3000 disciples. 72 of them excelled in the sixth arts., i.e., ritual, music, archery , (carriage) driving, calligraphy, and mathematics.Confucius believed the basic goal of education was to cultivate “persons of virtue”, who should have sound character and uplifted minds. Such persons should be able to shoulder important social responsibilities and to make contributions to society.Confucius regarded lofty ideals, great virtue,