Welcome to the new cultural transformation period - (I-II)

Author: Yue Daiyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: If it is said that in the Axial Age (starting around 5th century BC), different civilizations developed almost simultaneously in a state of mutual isolation, then by the late 20th century (some call it the second Axial Age), the interaction, integration, communication, coexistence, permeation, and absorption among major civilizations became an essential and prominent cultural phenomenon, especially among the vast and populous regions of East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and America, which are influencing over a billion people. How to create a "social world" of peaceful development and common prosperity, rather than an "imperial world" of unilateral dominance, culturally speaking, requires dialogue and exchange among diverse cultures. In fact, as Russell said, "The exchange between different civilizations has already been proven many times to be a milestone in the development of human civilization"（《Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Civilizations》), and the basic form of this exchange is dialogue. Before his death, the German philosopher Gadamer particularly emphasized the need to expand "understanding" to the level of "generalized dialogue." Only in this way can the two parties in the dialogue move from an unequal relationship where one party imposes itself on the other to an equal relationship. Conversely, only when the two parties in the dialogue are on an equal footing can the dialogue truly take place and be successfully completed.