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Beijing Forum 2007: Ecological
Consciousness in Traditional Culture of
China
By Liu Xiaohua
PKU NEWS 2007--11--06
http://ennews.pku.edu.cn/news.php?s=194529944
Peking University, Beijing, 2007/11/2: Ye Lang, the Senior Professor of Philosophy
and Social Science and Dean of School of Arts of PKU and also Member of the
Standing Committee of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference,
gave a lecture about the ecological consciousness in traditional cultures on the
opening ceremony of 2007 Beijing Forum in the Great Hall of People of China on
Nov. 2nd, 2007.
Prof. Ye said the multi-civilization brought differences in the culture including two
aspects. One is between different areas, different nations and religions; the other
between traditional and modern cultures. They co-exist together and are mutual
infiltration. This difference could bring effect in politics, economics, even in the
international society, so we should treat it properly. First, each culture has its unique
particularity and we should respect, understand, appreciate and learn it. Second,
those different cultures all have some same points, which illustrate the common
value of human in the international society that we must pay attention to.
Then Prof. Ye talked about the Chinese culture including philosophy, religion,
politics, ethics, literature and art, lifestyle and aesthetic. He said the value of
humanity generally reflected on ecological aspect showed from those cultures.
He quoted some classical works to explain that in the ancient China, people
considered the highest state of survival is the harmony between human and nature.
The ecological aesthetic is the beauty of both human and all living things. Chinese
people considered the ecological consciousness from ancient to nowadays.
He also talked about other countries‘ ecological consciousness and hoped the
harmony of multi-civilizations come soon.
Edited By : Liu Xiaohua
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