Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Researcher at the Institute of Modern Intellectual Culture at East China Normal University; Major research field: Intellectual thought and the Sense of Taste; Selected books: The Conceptualization of “Busy” and “Idle” in Chinese Language (2015) [Chinese], Taste and the Flavor of the Way (2008) [Chinese], Knowledge and Existence: An Existentialist Investigation of Modem Chinese Epistemology (2004) [Chinese].

Speech Abstract

Outline for the Nature of the Way

The contemporary “status of humanity and Heaven” is based on the view that “humanity is greater than Heaven.” Unfortunately, taking humanity as the ends, prioritizing human relations, worshiping the values of “higher, faster, stronger,” and emphasizing “humanity is beautiful but Heaven is not” results in the “mutual damage of Heaven and humanity.” In rethinking the relationship between Heaven and humanity, we must first reevaluate the value of Heaven, Earth, humanity, and the various creatures. Transcending the narrow anthropocentric perspective, we study the relationship between Heaven and humanity in the context of “Heaven, Earth, humans, and creatures,” and assert that affirming “Heaven is not greater than humanity” and “humanity is not greater than Heaven” must be the cornerstone for the reconstruction of the world order. More specifically, we must consider the nature of the way to be one of resonant responsiveness in order to shift from humanity being the ends toward all creatures being the ends; we must consider relationships with humans as the minor relationship and the relationship with Heaven as the major relationship; we must diminish the importance of the way of humanity, increase the important of the way of Heaven, Earth and the myriad creatures, especially establishing the way of creatures; we must unite with the nature of the way to transcend rationality and establish a common way for Heaven, Earth, humanity, and the creatures so we can realize the “shared beauty of Heaven an humanity.”