中国论

Discussion on Zhongguo,the Central Land

中华文明传承八千年,没有中断。是什么原因造就了己身文明文脉的延续?其中最关键的一点就是先贤对于天地之中这一地理中央的追求,并直接导致居中而治传统政治观的形成,这当然是由君权天授的天命观所决定。准确地说,由于君权本为天帝所授,而天帝居于天之中央——北极,那么为君者配帝在下,也就必须居于地的中央,如此才可能建立人君与授予其天命的天帝最直接的联系。这意味着在己身文明的政治与宗教传统中,首先必须解决的问题就是对于地中的确定,这个工作只能借助立表测影的天文活动来完成。因此,见于早期文献的“中国”与今日作为国号的中国,其含义有着本质的区别,前者仅具政治地理中央的意义,故又称中域、中土、中原、中州。事实上,这种根深蒂固的守中传统不仅标志着王朝正统,而且也使由不同民族所建立的正统王朝同样肩负有传承中国文化的使命,从而使中华文明绵延不绝,最终形成多元一体的中华民族和中国文化。

Chinese civilization is the only civilization in the history of mankind that has been handed down for 8000 years without interruption.what is the reason for the continuation of the civilization lineage of our own civilization?One of the most crucial points is the pursuit of the geographic center of heaven and earth by the sages,which directly led to the formation of the traditional political outlook of the center of the world,which is of course dictated by the concept of heavenly destiny that is the granting of sovereignty to the emperor of heaven.This means that in the political and religious traditions of one's own civilization,the first problem that must be solved is the determination of the center of the earth,which can only be accomplished by means of the astronomical activity of making watches and measuring shadows.Therefore,there is an essential difference between the meaning of“China”in the early literature and that of today's China as a national title.As a matter of fact,this deep-rooted tradition of keeping the center not only marks the orthodoxy of the dynasty,but also makes the orthodox dynasties established by different ethnic groups also shoulder the mission of inheriting the Chinese culture,which makes the Chinese civilization continue unceasingly,and ultimately forms the diversified and integrated Chinese nation and Chinese culture.