"Harmony" and "Sameness" are generally regarded as different concepts in traditional Chinese thinking. There was even "a debate on the difference between Harmony and Sameness". As a story recorded in Zuo-zhuan told us, once the Duke of Qi asked Yan-zi: "Is there only Ju get on with me in harmony?" The reply of Yan-zi was: "Ju merely expresses the same opinion with Your Highness, -- how could it be called harmony?" "Is there any difference between Harmony and Sameness?" asked the Duke. "They are quite different." replied Yan-zi, "Harmony is like well-cooked dish, you must concoct fish and meat with water, fire, vinegar, sauce, salt and plum, and then cook the dish with firewood. The cook harmonizes these flavors to make it moderate. If it is too light, then salt should be added; if too salty, then water. When Junzi dines with such a dish, his heart would be pacified. This is analogous to the relationship between the King and his magistrates... But Ju is different from it. When Your Highness say that something is right, he agrees; when Your Highness say the opposite, he agrees as well. It is as if to moderate water with water, -- who could tolerate to eat such a dish? Or as if a zither always plays the same tune, -- who could tolerate to enjoy such music? This is why Sameness differs from Harmony." (《左传•昭公二十年》) Another saying of Shibo (史伯) was recorded as: "In fact, only Harmony could activate the growth of lives, and Sameness would stop it on the contrary. Harmony is to moderate something with heterogeneous things, -- only in this way, the lives would flourish and find their belongings. If something is supplemented by homogeneous things, it could only be abandoned after exhausted. Thus the ancient virtuous emperors had concocted Earth with Metal, Wood, Water and Fire[30], to transform it into miscellaneous lives." [31](《国语•郑语》). From the quotes above we see that Harmony and Sameness are totally different concepts. Only under the presupposition of difference and correlation could things "be moderated with heterogeneity", and the diverse things progress together in harmony with each other. "To supplement something with homogeneity" is to aggregate the sameness, which would only suffocate the lives. The supreme ideal of traditional Chinese culture is that "miscellaneous lives are nourished together without harming each other; miscellaneous ways are practiced together without counteracting each other."[32] The "miscellaneous lives" and "miscellaneous ways" mean Diversity; the "without harming each other" and "without counteracting each other" mean Harmony. This doctrine would provide us with inexhaustible resource of thinking for the coexistence of diverse cultures。
Now in Western countries, people of insight have already admitted the possibility of coexistence of civilizations, that the clash or war provoked by mere cultural differences should be avoided. They believe that different nations and states should be able to achieve common understanding through cultural exchanges, dialogues, and discussions. This would be a process from "Diversity" to mutual understanding. This mutual understanding is neither to extinct nor to assimilate the other, but to find a crossing point in the coordinate system and to propel the progress of both cultures, -- such is the function of "Harmony". It is just because of the differences of cultures that human civilization has become so colorful, and that the inter-supplementary and interactive structure has been formed gradually in the flowing river of human history. Cultural differences might lead to clashes or even wars, but not all differences are destined to cause clashes or wars. Especially in an era when sciences and technologies are rapidly developing, a massive war, if it happened, would destroy human being ourselves. Thus we must endeavor to pursue the harmonious coexistence through intercultural dialogues. Many scholars in China and abroad has realized now the importance of mutual understanding achieved by the dialogues bridging different cultures; for example, Habermas, who begins to emphasize the concepts of justice and solidarity. In my opinion, they are significant principles in dealing with international cultural relationships. Habermas' "Principle of Justice" could be understood as a right for every national culture to protect its independence and autonomy and to develop by free will; his "Principle of Solidarity" could be understood as an obligation to sympathize, understand and respect other national cultures. By incessant dialogues and communications, there will be one day, sooner or later, that a positive cycle of interactions between different national cultures be formed.[33] Another example is Gadamer, the German philosopher who left us only recently. He proposed that "understanding" should be extended to "universal dialogue". Because of this extension, the relationship between subject and object (as cognitive or grammatical concepts) is able to be transformed from inequality to equality; in another word, only when the dialogists are in equal status could they have meaningful dialogues and fruitful results. Gadarmer's consciousness of equality between subject and object and his theory of "cultural dialogue" are important ideas earnestly needed by our time,[34] illuminating enough for us to understand properly and thoroughly the cultural or national relationships between China and other nations. However, no matter Habermas' principles of justice and solidarity or Gadamer's theory of universal dialogue, their common presupposition should be the principle of "Diverse Harmony", since, only when nations and states in different cultural traditions could coexist in harmony through dialogues, could they acquire equal rights and obligations and could the "universal dialogue" between them be meaningful and fruitful. Thus, the Confucian principle of "Harmony in Diversity" based on the belief that "harmony is most valuable"[35] could be practiced as one of the basic principles in dealing with intercultural relationships. This principle, if practiced in dealing with relationships between states and nations in different cultural traditions, would be of positive meaning not only in eliminating the disaccords, conflicts and even wars, but as dynamics in propelling states and nations to progress through communications. It is just in this sense that Bertrand Russell said: "Contacts between different civilizations have often in the past proved to be landmarks in human progress."[36] The contemporary human society needs different cultures to develop their proper traditional characters through mutual learning and convergence, in order to realize the coexistence of civilizations on a new basis。
(2) The Taoist Doctrine of the Way (tao) could provide significant resources of thinking to prevent "the clash of civilizations"。
If Confucius is a "man of virtue" (仁者)， then Lao-zi is a "man of wisdom" (智者). The Way is the basic concept in Lao-zi's Tao Te Ching, while "the spontaneity and doing-nothing" (自然无为： to obey natural laws without offences) is the basic feature of the Way. "The spontaneity and doing-nothing is the Way of Heaven," said Wang Chong in his Lun Heng.[37] All kinds of conflicts in contemporary human society are undoubtedly caused by the greedy desires for power and wealth. Those great powers, in their pursuit of selfish gains and expansions of power, exploit the resources of undeveloped countries and practice a politics of great powers, which is the fundamental cause of global chaos. Lao-zi's doctrine of "spontaneity and doing-nothing" could be interpreted as to do nothing against people's will, which will render the society and the world peace. Lao-zi once quoted the saying of an ancient sage: "As I do nothing, the people will reform by themselves; since I like quiet, they will keep order by themselves; when I seek no trouble, the people will prosper by themselves; when I have no desire, they will live in austerity by themselves."[38] It means: the ruler with political powers should neither interfere his people (doing-nothing)， nor disturb their everyday life (liking quiet)， nor act against their will (seeking no trouble)， nor exploit them insatiably (having no desire)； thus, the people will reform by themselves, keep order by themselves, prosper by themselves, and live in austerity by themselves. If we give a modern interpretation to this teaching and renew it in contemporary world, it would not only render peace to a country but function significantly in eliminating the clash of civilizations. It could be interpreted as: in international politics, the more a country interferes another, the more chaotic the world will be; the more those great powers threaten others with military might, the more turbulent and disorderly the world will be; the more those great powers exploit the undeveloped countries under the pretext of international aids, the poorer those undeveloped countries will be; the more those developed countries desire and fight for the world dominance of wealth and power, the more immoral and terrorized the world will be. So I think, maybe the doctrine of "doing-nothing" is a medicine prescription for the leaders of the so-called "new empires". If they would accept this prescription, the world will have peace. However, the "new empires" always treat other states and nations with means of "doingness" (有为)， such as interference, exploitation or military threat, which is undoubtedly determined by its greedy desires in the nature of all empires. According to Lao-zi, "No calamity's worse than to be discontented. Nor is there a sin more dreadful than coveting. He who knows to be contented, truly he'll always be so."[39] Aren't the "new empires" discontented and coveting? Lao-zi said again: "Is not the Way of Heaven much like a bow bent? The upper part has been disturbed, pressed down; the lower part is raised up from its place; the slack is taken up; the slender width is broader drawn. For thus the Way of Heaven cuts people down when they have had too much, and fills the bowls of those who are in want. But not the way of man will work like this: the people who have not enough are spoiled, for tribute to the rich and surfeited."[40] Why is human society in a state of turbulence and disorder now? Isn't it totally caused by human being themselves, especially those leaders of "new empires" acting against the Way of Heaven and losing the hearts of men, practicing a policy of spoiling those who have not enough for tribute to the rich and surfeited? Isn't it the root of disaccords, conflicts and wars in contemporary world? Thus we find that the "clash of civilizations" theory is closely related with the theory of "new empire" hiding in its back。
Lao-zi strongly opposed wars for world peace. In Chapter 31, Tao Te Ching, he said: "Weapons at best are tools of bad omen, loathed by all. Thus those of the Way avoid them."[41] In wars there are always people dying, production destroyed and social orders broken, thus Lao-zi thinks it's nothing good, that people hate it, and statesmen of the Way should not engage the country in war to solve their problems. Again Lao-zi said: "To those who would help the ruler of men by means of the Way: let him not with his militant might try to conquer the world; this tactic will be revenged by Heaven. For where armies have marched, there do briers spring up; where great hosts are impressed, years of hunger and evil ensue."[42] This is generally true in histories of all nations. In our country, after each mass war, the population would reduce dramatically, earth disserted, production destroyed, and robbers and thieves infesting. The two world wars were ended in this way, and so is the present warfare in Middle East. "New empire" whatsoever, if its leaders enkindled wars every where, as consequence, it would surely slide into hot water, since the people in the conquered countries would not surrender, and would fight without fearing even death, as Lao-zi said: "The people do not fear at all to die; what's gained therefore by threatening them with death?"[43] And: "As for those who delight to do murder, it is certain they never can get from the world what they sought."[44] From history we see that those who had initiated the wars, though momentary successes they might get, would finally fail and be dishonored. Hitler was an example, and Japanese Militarism another. As a "man of wisdom", Lao-zi could observe the latent converse side with his wisdom, as he said: "On bad fortune the good fortune always leans; in good fortune the bad fortune always hides."[45] Now people in some countries are suffering, but it would be a necessary precondition prepared for their nation's renewal in future. Take an example from the recent hundred years of history of our country, it is just after being beaten times and times again that our people had finally waken up, and that today we dare say the Chinese are on the eve of their nation's great renewal. In my opinion, leaders of every country, especially of the new empires, should learn some teaching from the wisdom of Tao Te Ching, and realize that, in a long run of world history, the politics of great powers and Hegemonism have no future. Thus, I think the thinking of Lao-zi is very valuable to dismiss the theories of "clash of civilizations" and "new empire". We advocate the theory of "coexistence of civilizations" and agree with Lao-zi's thinking of "doing-nothing", in the expectation of a world of Great Equality, of peace, of general progress and of common wealth for human being. Of course, as the thinking of Lao-zi was born two thousand years ago, it could not solve all the problems that contemporary human society is confronted with (including the disaccords and conflicts among nations)， but his wisdom should be of important value to illuminate our way. Our task is to rediscover and develop the essence of his thinking, to give it a modern interpretation, and to facilitate those researchers for edifications in the treasury of classical thinking。
责任编辑：小草
您现在的位置： 