论中西文明中的天下观和世界观

China and the West:Two Kinds of World Views

中国和欧洲分处欧亚大陆两端,有不同的自然地理格局,中西文明也有不同的发展路径。古代中国文明的主体在大陆,受其特定地理格局和传统政治文化的影响,古代中国人建构了一种以自己的文化为中心而达及四海的"天下观"。古代西方文明发源于地中海沿岸,周边的文明通过地中海彼此联系,这使西方人建构了一种关注外部世界并通过海洋相互联系的世界观。近代以来西方文明跨海东进,引发了两种不同文明的碰撞和交融,这其实也是两种世界观的碰撞和交融。中西文明应相互尊重和彼此理解,通过互鉴互学,实现彼此的提升。

Located on the east and the west of Eurasian continent respectively,China and Europe have different natural geography as well as different mentality towards foreign civilization,which has affect-ed their ways of development in history.The main body of ancient Chinese civilization is found in main-land China.Ancient Chinese has constructed a “world view”subj ect to China？s specific geography and the influence of traditional political culture.In contrast,Western civilization originates from the Medi-terranean coast,and therefore neighboring civilizations are normally associated through the Mediterra-nean Sea,which helps the Europeans establish a world view to reach another civilization by the sea.In modern times,the Western civilization expended eastward by the sea and triggered collision and blend-ing with Chinese civilization.This paper proposes that the two types of civilizations should respect and understand each other as as to promote themselves through mutual learning and reference.