Review the Past>>
Specialists

Principal and Professor of Jiujiang University, Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Mt. Lu Cultural Transmission and Propagation, Member of the Council of the International Confucian Association; Major research fields: Confucianism and its Modern Transition, the Axiomatic Interpretation of Pre-Qin Confucianism; Selected book: An Axiomatic Interpretation of the Analects (2011) [Chinese].

Speech Abstract

The Dialogue between and the Transmission of Different Civilizations Notions of “Valuing the Center” and “Valuing Harmony”

China has valued “balanced harmony” from ancient times, and it always required people to adhere to the principle of moderation in the social activities of associating with others and governing the state. As a result, it achieved the integration of the body and the mind, the harmony of the whole society, and the fusion of nature and humanity. The notion of “balanced harmony” is not unique to Chinese civilization, as all the master teachers of the great “Axial Age” civilizations stressed the notions of “valuing harmony” and “valuing balance.” However, the different civilizations have different heritages. The European notion of the balance of power and the idea of “balanced harmony” have been linked, but the essence is not the same. In the face of current complex international situations, we must grasp the themes of “peace and development” and “harmony in diversity” to strengthen the dialogue among civilizations. This in turn will create a favorable milieu for the noble goal of advancing humanity.