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Beijing Forum 2007: Cheng Chung
Ying -- On Greek and Chinese
Metaphysics and Ethics: In Reference
to the Olympic Spirit
PKU NEWS 2007--11--17
http://ennews.pku.edu.cn/news.php?s=195255755
Peking University, Nov. 2, 2007: The panel ―Tao and Sophia: The Olympic Spirit
from Athens to Beijing‖ of Beijing Forum 2007 was held in the Great Hall of People of
China, Nov. 2nd, 2007. On the afternoon, Cheng Chung Ying from University of
Hawaii at Manoa delivered a lecture with the topic about the Greek and Chinese
Metaphysics and Ethics manifested from Olympic Spirit in the Yunnan Hall.
In his speech, Prof. Cheng gave out his opinion that the Olympic Spirit in Olympic
game and sport had created a rich background of cultural values and philosophical
ideals in the Greek Tradition of metaphysics and ethics. But very few explorations
had been made to articulate this background and its significance he said that, the
question we confronted today was how the Greek tradition of metaphysics and ethics
was to be understood in conjunction with the Chinese tradition of the same so that
we can speak of a New Olympic Spirit which would be based on the integration of the
Greek and Chinese Spirits. This was important for the formation of a new world-order
and a new social harmony among individuals and communities in the world and it
was in this light we can see how native Chinese tradition of metaphysics and ethics
profoundly contributes to the formation of this New Olympic spirit.
Prof. Cheng began with discussions on how the Olympic Spirit led to Greek
metaphysics and Greek ethics and then moved on to discussions on Greek
metaphysics and Greek ethics in conjunction with Chinese metaphysics and Chinese
ethics. He showed how they could be initially interrelated with each other and how
they could be finally integrated into a comprehensive whole of organic unity for the
benefit of a global community of human beings. At last he explained that how a new
spirit of Olympic harmonization could germinate and generate a new global culture
and creativity of the humankind.
Edited By : Liu Xiaohua
Reported By : Liu Xiaohua
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