Okay, here is the translation following your instructions: Conquer the New Culture of the 21st Century -- Foka Think Tank

Author: Shanghai Fuka Economic Forecast Research Institute
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: In today's world, humanity is undergoing a phase of civilizational transformation, with the "Nebula Culture" increasingly taking shape. With its qualities of "colliding," "learning," "forward-thinking," and "creative," it is poised to dominate the 21st century. This book systematically introduces the process of transitioning from a "Root Culture" to a "Nebula Culture." When it comes to culture, many people can speak passionately and offer insightful perspectives. Indeed, in China, a nation with millennia of splendid culture, it is hard to believe that someone could lack a cultural perspective. When discussing works on cultural research, almost all scholars and cultural figures instinctively propose the same model: cultural research must be guided by history, which is the prerequisite. If history and tradition are ignored, the research is shallow, unrigorous, lacks authority, and the researcher is considered unskilled, even nonsensical. In China, it is difficult to become an outstanding cultural scholar because if you adhere to convention, it is hard to surpass predecessors and you remain in the shadow of the "giants"; if you break from norms, innovate, and stand out, you must endure criticism and suppression from various "patriots." Moreover, if you do not follow established conventions in terms of writing, viewpoints, styles, logic, and models, your work may be completely dismissed as "alternative," your research will not be recognized, or even rejected. The main reasons for the "hardening" in the cultural field are two: First, excessive emphasis on the weight of history, revering the original laws of historical development with little skepticism or denial. The saying "History is the coordinate of the future" and "Original laws cannot be bypassed" is rarely questioned, and precisely because of this, rigid cultural research models have emerged, even academic styles must be uniform. The roots of historical culture are deeply embedded in the hearts of scholars. Second, because original laws are extremely important, various perfect theoretical systems have emerged to general laws, and it is believed that these systems can achieve the ultimate goal of being "universally applicable." Hegel's thought system is extremely complete, and even Eugen Dühring, the protagonist of Anti-Dühring, arrogantly believed his philosophy could "end" all intellectual problems. In reality, each system has its own historical context and assumptions, and they are constantly evolving and changing, so that a system may be immediately stripped of its theoretical premises by reality, resulting in a comical outcome. Real life always stays ahead of theoretical research, which is a resigned interpretation of the saying "Theory is gray, but the tree of life is evergreen."
In today's world, humanity is undergoing a phase of civilizational transformation, with rapidly evolving technological breakthroughs constantly undermining the foundations of existing civilizations. For millennia, humans have believed in causal relationships in development, but in the subatomic world, the concept of causality no longer exists—only possibilities. The weight of historical experience and original laws is declining in analyzing reality and predicting the future, which is a rather frustrating trend. Yet, this frustration is the prerequisite for the great progress of world civilization, demanding that humans change their perspectives and adopt new ways of thinking to understand and transform the world. If we continue to guide practice based on past conventions, we may end up repeating the story of "marking the boat while crossing the river." "If you don't change your mindset, you'll lose your position." For a nation, this means being marginalized, with its strategic decisions constrained by others. Without a cultural revolution, competition among enterprises, nations, and ethnic groups can only stagnate at the current level, with no major breakthroughs possible. If history and original laws must be mentioned, the conclusion is that all successful individuals are revolutionaries, with their defining characteristic being the negation of history, the courage to transcend, and the use of uniqueness to break through the constraints of original laws. Nations that fit this description have a "Nebula Culture," emphasizing collision, conflict, expansion, and negation, looking forward to the future, and oriented toward exploration and conquest of the unknown. They are less influenced by historical sedimentation or selectively accept historical experiences. The most prominent of such nations is that they are "carnivorous," acting as predators, with a mindset that is vigilant and aggressive, proactive, and concerned only with "eating" or being eaten. Their corresponding actions are primarily to fight or flee. The embodiment of this description in reality is the United States, one of the most successful nations to date. Its success lies in its lack of "roots" (short history, absorbing the essence of European civilization while discarding the dross). Currently, American culture is embarking on a "root-seeking journey," which involves modeling its own experiences and then "formatting" other cultures. For example, the "Washington Consensus" serves as the primary tool for the United States to format global culture, and it also marks the "rooting" of American culture. However, the wise people in American society are also reflecting and proposing ways to ensure vitality, such as Joseph Nye's "soft power," Zbigniew Brzezinski's "great choice," and Samuel Huntington's "who are we?"
The counterpart to the "Nebula Culture" is the more familiar "Root Culture." The mindset of its real-world carriers resembles that of herbivores, focusing on only one thing: whether they are being eaten. If they are, they flee; if not, they coexist peacefully. They are generally passive and do not take the initiative to attack others. The fundamental reason is that "Root Culture" values historical sedimentation, enjoys finding practical justifications in history, and is fond of arguing and debating, leading to internal conflicts rather than expertise in "going out" and unwillingness to consider "what lies beyond the horizon." It adheres to historical fundamentalism, believing that original laws can solve everything, and that continuous self-reflection and moral improvement can "govern the state and pacify the world," ultimately leading to conservatism and closure, taking pride in building systems. When facing threats from predators, they either avoid them or assimilate them, becoming new branches of the "roots." However, for better or worse, not all Chinese think this way. Deng Xiaoping's "Three Theories" (the "cat theory," the "feel-your-way theory," and the "don't debate theory") intentionally or unintentionally negated the characteristics of "Root Culture": the "cat theory" treats all issues with realism, breaks free from historical constraints (e.g., the attitude toward "two certainties," the belief that practice is the sole criterion for truth, and the negation of class struggle by "one center and two basic points"); the "feel-your-way theory" embodies the principle of exploration over systems; and the "don't debate theory" gives space to innovation, encouraging trial and error, acting first and then defining, and not caring whether words and actions are historically grounded or aligned with the spirit of literature. It is precisely this "rebellion" within the "Root Culture" society that brought about China's achievements in the past two decades of reform and achieved the goal of "liberating the mind," enabling the Chinese people to create an "economic miracle." However, this subtle, forward-thinking awareness has not yet shaken the cultural circles, making people realize that cultural figures should add value, following Deng Xiaoping's ideas to provide soil and cultural foundations for innovative society.
The defining feature of the 21st century can be summarized as: the marginal utility of original laws is declining, the premises of traditional culture are being stripped away, "atypical" changes are becoming the trend, and unrestrained innovation is flourishing. In this environment, the core of enhancing national competitiveness lies in cultural revolution and transformation, i.e., shifting from "Root Culture" to "Nebula Culture," and making "innovation the soul of the nation" a reality. This transformation is bound to be long and painful, and without experiencing several major setbacks and hardships, it is difficult to achieve genuine consensus. The collective in the East Asian region, under the influence of "Root Culture," is currently plagued by historical issues, with emotions growing increasingly agitated and attitudes more resolute. Koreans have even resorted to self-immolation and collective finger-cutting to express their feelings. Reality does not align with the historical logic of regional development. The emergence of the European Union undoubtedly provides a new approach, but the cultural collisions in East Asia have not yet gone through the "eighty-one trials" and cannot yet enjoy the "blessing."