Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 5, 2024

The “Ancient vs. Modern and China vs. the West Debate” and the Contemporaneity of Chinese Philosophy

(Abstract)

Liu Liangjian

In the intellectual and cultural domains, the central contemporary question of “where is humanity headed?” manifests as the debate between the “antient and the modern, China and the West.” The progression from the antient to the the modern, from China to the West, illustrates a developmental process from isolation to systematicity, from separation to mutual generation. Its global characteristics gradually become apparent, not only manifesting in China’s overflow into the world dimensionally but also embodying the global historical significance of China’s new culture over time. The imagery of “pearls in every moment” aids in understanding the intertwined structure of the “ancient, modern, China and the West.” This debate constrains contemporary Chinese philosophy; even “Chinese philosophy” itself embodies such a structure, highlighting generation, consistency, and commonality. We shall reflect on the Clash of Civilizations theory with new spaciotemporal experiences, transcending abstract universality by generating commonality, and then move from commonality to community, from the small world of human beings to the great world of all things under Heaven.