中国的“三实”与西方的“三理”:一个总结性的回顾、反思与前瞻

China’s“Three Shi”and Western“Three Li”:A Summary Review,Reflection and Prospect

中国传统和改革时期的基本思维方式可以用“三实”——实践、实用、实质来总结,与西方的“三理”——理性、理推、理想(类型)十分不同。“三实”是基于二元(或多元)互动与合一的思维方式,与西方主流二元对立、非此即彼思维十分不同。当然,两者在历史中都显示过其偏颇的一面。当代中国曾经显示趋向平衡之外的极端,譬如,脱离实际和过度管控的“大跃进”,或与其相反的过度动乱的“文化大革命”。西方现代则在自由主义的同时,长期显示帝国主义侵略、资本主义无穷逐利和西方中心主义的偏颇。中国未来的正确发展道路在稳定、平衡地推进由上而下的领导与由下而上的民众参与,也在继续吸纳必须的“三理”思维和其连带的机械化发展,以及自由主义和西方法律的个人权利观,借此追求超越中西二元对立,迈向综合中西优点的长远道路。

The basic mode of thinking in Chinese tradition,as well as in its present-day Reform period,may be termed the“three shi,”of practice(shijian),practicality(shiyong),and substantivism(shizhi),very different from the West’s“three li,”of reason(lixing),deduction(litui),and idealization(lixiang[leixing]).The Chinese“three shi”mode of thinking is based on a cosmological view of dyadic(or multi-adic)interaction and unity,very different from the West’s mode of dualistic,either/or opposition.To be sure,both sides have deviated greatly on occasion from its standard mode.China in its contemporary period had gone through the extremes of the impractical and overcontrolled“the Great Leap Forward,”and the excessively violent and anarchic“Cultural Revolution.”As for the West,while evincing strong liberal ideals,has engaged also in expansonist and exploitative imperialism,boundlessly acquisitive capitalism,and exclusivist Western-centrism.The future road of development for China is to pursue a balanced reliance on both strong top-down leadership and bottom-up popular participation,and continuing to absorb the essential dimensions of the West’s“three li”mode of thinking that underlay the machine-age revolution,as well as its ideals of liberalism and individual rights,thereby to find a long-term path of development that can combine and transcend the either/or opposition of the two.