A symposium on the compilation paradigm of Chinese philosophy was held in Wuhan, Hubei Province, from November 8 to 9. Scholars from Peking University, Tzu Chi University in Chinese Taiwan and Northeastern University in Japan attended the symposium and conducted in-depth discussions on philosophy in China.
 

Since the 1990s, discussions about the legitimacy of Chinese philosophy have occurred within Chinese philosophy circles.
 

Chinese philosophy has undergone nearly a century of development. Guo Qiyong, dean of the School of Chinese Classics at Wuhan University, claimed that scholars chiefly hold two opinions: one taking ancient Greek and European Continental philosophy as its main reference system, while denying the Chinese philosophical system; the other holding that Chinese philosophers divide philosophy into several sections, rather than fundamentally seek its essence.
 

In a broad sense, all understanding of the world and people’s lives can be included in the scope of philosophy. Western and Chinese philosophies reflect peoples’ thinking from their respective sides. Some scholars therefore claim that it is meaningless to discuss the legitimacy of Chinese philosophy. However, professor Li Xianghai from the School of Marxism at Peking University said that discussing the legitimacy of Chinese philosophy is conducive to deeper reflection of its theoretical characteristics.
 

“The development of contemporary Western philosophy strongly verifies the legitimacy of Chinese philosophy,” said Li, adding that Chinese philosophy also focuses more on heaven and humanity, rather than just following Western philosophy’s steps. The development of Chinese philosophy is a process of explaining and criticizing Chinese culture through Western philosophy. Nowadays, it is gradually developing the potential to critique Western culture under the aim of ushering in a higher stage of development and expanding dialogue, said Li.
 

The compilation paradigm of Chinese philosophy attracted the attention of scholars attending the symposium. Wu Genyou, dean of the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University, explained that each compilation of philosophical history is in fact a re-interpretation of the ideological history of philosophy.
 

Some scholars claimed that the compilation paradigm of the ideological history of Chinese philosophy should be interdisciplinary, requiring mutual cooperation between philosophers, historians and intellectuals. There should be deeper integration between the compilation paradigm and social and cultural factors, added scholars.
 

In terms of the history of Chinese philosophy, Wu stressed that Chinese philosophy has its own characteristics that should be incorporated into Chinese civilization. Guo backed this view, saying the disciplinary paradigm of Chinese philosophy should be “constructed by comparing Chinese and Western philosophy.”

It requires further enriching the connotation of philosophy by deeply and systematically exploring its unique spirit, said Li, adding that Chinese philosophy should have the same status as Western philosophy.
 

However, revamping the status of Chinese philosophy still faces many difficulties. On one hand, it requires drawing on useful experience and lessons from the process of constructing and developing Chinese philosophy. On the other hand, there is also a need to internationalize Chinese philosophy, said Jing Haifeng, dean of the College of Arts at Shenzhen University.
 

In the era of globalization, many global issues have impacted philosophy. “Ideologists and philosophers from different nations urgently need to cooperate with each other to address common issues facing people,” said Jing.
 

 “It is necessary to develop ‘world philosophy’ in the era of globalization and localization,” claimed Sun Bangjin, deputy director of the Institute of Philosophy and Culture at Wenzhou University in Zhejiang Province. Sun added that consciousness should be largely distinguished from other schools of traditional philosophy.
 

In addition to developing “world philosophy,” it is necessary to enhance Chinese philosophy by inheriting both ancient and contemporary ideological achievements. Wu said that reflecting on contemporary Chinese philosophy with a worldly vision will advance its globalization. “Chinese philosophy and Western philosophy should conduct positive dialogue with each other to form ‘world philosophy’ that embraces different nations’ spirit,” added Wu.