Cross-cultural dialogue 14

Author: Yue Daiyun et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: One-third of the new century has passed in hope, disappointment, war, hatred, and anxiety. People have gradually realized that seeking a more stable future for our shared world amidst power and revenge requires mutual understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among different cultures, with dialogue as the prerequisite. At the end of 2003, in a congratulatory letter to an international academic conference at Peking University, Ms. Catherine #8226;Stenou, Director of the Division for Cultural Policies and Inter-Cultural Dialogue of UNESCO, specifically mentioned UNESCO's "World Declaration on Cultural Diversity," noting that this declaration has gained unprecedented widespread acceptance. It emerged from the awakening following the 2001 "9/11" events, and cultural exchange is now the axis of the new globalization phenomenon. She elaborated on the relationship between "diversity," "dialogue," and "development" (the three "Ds"). She argued that cultural diversity is not a rigid sum of unchanging "heritage," but rather a vibrant, renewable human wealth—a dynamic process that ensures the continuity of human survival. She emphasized that in inherently diverse societies, every individual must not only recognize various forms of "otherness" but also acknowledge the "diversity" within their own self-identity confirmation. Her insights are highly illuminating, and we have published the full text of her letter in this issue. To achieve this new approach to the relationship between the "other" and the "self," one must break free from a century of historical and cultural conflicts between East and West, and view everything from a new perspective. Professor Tang Yijie's article, "Moving Beyond the Debate on 'East and West, Ancient and Modern' and Integrating 'East and West, Ancient and Modern' Studies," provides a rather incisive discussion of this matter. Jin Silian's article, "Chorus and Concealment: A Concept of World Literature—On the Attitude of Contemporary Chinese Literature," serves as a practical example of discussing modern Chinese literature from a world literature perspective, transcending the "East and West, Ancient and Modern" dichotomy. The discussion by Drs. Gong Gang et al. on "Power" and "Benevolence" also takes a global perspective to explore "global governance." Since the publication of the book "Empire—The Political Order of Globalization" in 2000, "global governance" has been a highly popular global topic. The discussion by these three young scholars offers a thought-provoking depth, showcasing the diverse perspectives of the younger generation in China on this issue. Another global issue discussed in this issue is how to eliminate the isolation between the "scientific" and "humanities" cultures. Snow's "two cultures" argument not only shocked the entire Western world at the time but also remained a focal point of academic attention for nearly half a century thereafter. The renowned French physicist Professor Lévi-Strauss pointed out that since the 19th century, humans have been divided into scientists and the masses. The former were considered possessors of universal and comprehensive knowledge, while the latter were deemed ignorant, lacking discernment, and in need of being taught. Professor Lévi-Strauss argued that this is merely an illusion, as scientists, apart from some specialized knowledge in extremely narrow fields, are fundamentally no different from the masses. He proposed that science must return to the center of culture. Professor Sun Xiaoli's monograph, "The Fusion of Arts and Sciences—The Scientific Trend Towards the 21st Century," conducts a comprehensive study and reflection on the nature of science and technology and their relationship with society. She points out that as a whole, Western culture in modern Western society is being split into self-enclosed "two cultures": the natural science culture centered around scientific knowledge and technological operations, and the humanities culture centered around humanistic research. As a result, scientists and humanists hold biases against each other, leading to the separation and antagonism of the two cultures. She believes that it is necessary to acknowledge the differences between science and the humanities, strive to promote understanding and communication between these two major knowledge domains, and simultaneously value the educational ideal of "integrating arts and sciences" proposed by Mr. Cai Yuanpei many years ago. This is the fundamental way to correctly understand and effectively address the issue of the "two cultures." Additionally, reading the notes on "Literature and the University in America" by Bywater and the review of "Humanism: A Comprehensive Reassessment" both continue the "University Reform Forum" of the previous issue and also connect to the "Commemoration of Bywater's Death 70th Anniversary" of the issue before that. Both articles offer insightful connections to current realities. Notably, the article by Kristofer Schipper, a member of the Dutch Academy of Sciences, "The Maritime Silk Road and Nan Yin," firmly transcends the boundaries of China and the West, ancient and modern. With its rich documentation and profound insights, it was already shocking when first presented at the Second Annual Meeting of the China Comparative Literature Teaching Research Association in Yinchuan in 2003, and it continues to offer significant today!