TOWARD A NEW RELATION BETWEEN HUMANITY AND NATURE: RECONSTRUCTING T'IEN-JEN-HO-I |
| |
| Authors: | Shu-hsien Liu |
| |
| Institution: | Professor and chairman of philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a leading neo-Confucian philosopher and has published extensively in Chinese and also in English. This paper was presented during sub-conference V, "The Human Encounter with Nature: Destruction and Reconstruction," of The World Academic Conference of the Seoul Olympiad (21 August-8 September 1988). The paper is reprinted with the permission of WASCO, which is publishing the conference proceedings in a series of books under the conference's general title, "The World Community in Post-Industrial Society."©by the Korea Christian Academy. |
| |
| Abstract: | Abstract. The traditional Chinese idea of t'ien-jen-ho-i (Heaven and humanity in union) implies that humanity has to live in harmony with nature. As science and technology progress, however, the idea appears increasingly outmoded, and it becomes fashionable to talk about overcoming nature. Ironically, though, the further science reaches the more clearly are its limitations exposed. The exploitation of nature not only endangers many life forms on earth but threatens the very existence of the human species. I propose that a reconstruction of the traditional Chinese idea of T'ien-jen-ho-i will help us envisage a new and salutary relation between humanity and nature. |
| |
| Keywords: | functional unity li-i-fen-shu (the one and the many) methodological pluralism organism regulative principle t'ien-jen-ho-i (Heaven and humanity in union) |
|
|
