Professor Amitabh Chatji of Jadap University in India elaborated on the understanding of the relationship between spirit and body in ancient Indian philosophy for participants in the World Congress of Philosophy. Images courtesy of the conference organizer
Beijing, 20 Aug (Xinhua) -- At the World Philosophy Conference that closed in Beijing on 20 August, experts and scholars from all over the world generally believed that seeking inspiration from the oriental wisdom of advocating "the unity of nature and man" and promoting the innovation and evolution of human self-cognition will help the future of the earth and the construction of human ecological civilization.
From the 13th to the 20th, the 24th World Congress of Philosophy was held in Beijing. Under the theme of "Learning as An Adult", scholars from institutions of higher learning and research institutions around the world exchanged new achievements in philosophical research, reflected on the lessons of the past, and made suggestions on the current challenges facing mankind and the direction of future development.
On the basis of the anthropocentric thinking of modern Western philosophy, human activities ignore the harmonious balance with nature and have serious consequences. Many scholars attending the meeting pointed out that this arrogant, self-interest-based thinking basis has led human beings to neglect the respect and protection of the environment and ecological integrity in the process of development.
The scene of the Philosophical Congress. Images courtesy of the conference organizer
Princeton University Professor Peter Singer dissected the ethical issues of human treatment of nature and urged participating philosophical researchers to explore and reflect on the impact of human activities on other species and the overall ecology of the earth.
Professor Graham Parks from the University of Vienna pointed out that drawing on China's highly sophisticated and developed philosophical tradition is beneficial to the prosperity and development of mankind and even the home of the earth.
"We should withdraw from the idea that only human beings have a soul." Parks argues that humanity needs to re-examine the philosophical perspective of other life and the earth's home as an organic whole.
He pointed out that in China, Confucianism emphasizes "forgiveness", that is, pushing oneself and others, putting oneself in the position of animals, plants, and other things. The Taoists developed it into a philosophical idea of "the unity of heaven and man", using energy, "qi", as the common element that constitutes everything in the world.
Pax pointed out that in Chinese philosophy, everything in the world is a continuous unity, and qi provides energy not only for living things, but also the source of energy for all individuals. In the Chinese qiwu theory philosophy of "heaven and earth are one finger, all things are also horses", man is an organic part of nature, man and the earth's ecology are harmonious and co-existing, and people respect and maintain the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the earth's homeland.
He called for the moral responsibility of human existence to be extended to the entire home of the earth.
Professor Mercedes de la Garza from Mexico introduced the long-standing Maya civilization to the Chinese audience, and the Maya people used the observation of the stars to determine and write accurate calendars, use hieroglyphs to record major events, and believe that people are born with a close spiritual connection with a certain animal, etc., so that philosophy enthusiasts who also come from ancient civilizations listened to it with relish. Provided by the conference organizer
Dr Paul Healy, from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, said the cosmology of traditional Eastern philosophies and man's orientation in nature usefully balances Western anthropocentrism. He argues that Eastern philosophy understands human beings as "a small part of the universe" and is well aware of their inescapable internal connection with the rest of the universe and their dependence on them.
"The impact on our relationship with the natural world is particularly pronounced." Because," he said, "all living organisms, including humans, animals, plants, and even sentient beings, are seen as part of a fundamental unity."
Peter Singer, a leading Australian scholar and professor of applied ethics at Princeton University, reviewed the reflection and improvement of human species discrimination and egocentrism over the past 40 years at the plenary session on the theme of "Nature". Since the 1970s, Singh has proposed the theory of animal liberation, arguing that human beings should re-examine their place in the ecology of the earth and establish ethical responsibility for ecology and other species. Provided by the conference organizer
He pointed out that the Chinese Taoist philosophical idea of "the unity of heaven and man" emphasizes that man is an organic part of the whole of all things in the universe, emphasizes the harmony between the universe and nature, and the Confucian concern for social harmony also has its superiority, and these Oriental traditions provide valuable reference for human beings to coordinate the relationship between the two "worlds" at the level of nature and the level of human society in the current era.
He argues that, furthermore, the Eastern emphasis on benevolence (Confucian benevolence) and compassion (Buddhist compassion) can provide a correction to the kind of Western-style tendencies we need for self-centered computing. As the supreme ethical ideal and fully realized human being or the supreme virtue of a sage (gentleman), Confucian benevolence can provide many contributions.
Healy points out that the idea of "benevolence" or "oneness of heaven and man" is in harmony with the environment, others, and ultimately, indeed, with the universe. Under this concern, the improvement of human well-being is also balanced through the good management of resources.
Professor Sigridur Torgistotti from the University of Iceland analyzes the challenge of "posthumanism" to human nature from an ethical point of view. Provided by the conference organizer
Healy sees the promotion of the spirit of benevolence as "embracing the whole global village." "It's like a concentric circle extending outward, from family and friends to the community, the country, and finally to the world."
Professor Zhang Xianglong of Shandong University said that Confucianism emphasizes "kissing relatives and benevolent people, benevolent people and loving things", that is, migrating the love for relatives to a wider range, from human compatriots to all things in the world.
Professor Yang Guorong of East China Normal University said that the source of ecological problems is the "separation of nature and man", that is, the separation of man and nature. Chinese philosophy advocates "all things breed together without harming each other", "people's things and", "benevolent people and all things are one", that is, nature and sentient beings coexist in harmony.
He believes that ecological civilization is related to the harmony and sustainable development of human society, the perfection of man and the perfection of nature are essentially unified, and the harmonious development of man and nature should reach the realm of "common beauty of heaven and man".