Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Life Series III Asian Philosophical Studies, Volume 1 Man and Nature: The Chinese Tradition and the Future Edited By Tang Yi-Jie, Li Zhen & George F. Mclean The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy 1 Copyright © 1989 by The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy Gibbons Hall B-20 620 Michigan Avenue, NE Washington, D.C. 20064 All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Man and nature: the Chinese tradition and the future / edited by Tang Yi-Jie, Li Zhen, George F. McLean. p.cm. — (Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series III. Asia ; vol. 1) Volume derived from the first of a series of joint colloquia sponsored by the Dept. of Philosophy of Peking University, International Society for Metaphysics, and the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. Includes bibliographies and index. 1. Man—Congresses. 2. Philosophy of nature—Congresses. 3. Philosophy, Chinese— Congresses. I. Tang, Yi-Jie. II. Li, Chen. III. McLean, George F. IV. Pei-ching ta Hsueh. Che Hsueh his. V. International Society for Metaphysics. VI. Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. VII. Series BD450.M2656 1989 89-30881 191’.11—dc19 CIP ISBN 0-8191-7412-2 & 0-8191-7413-0 (pbk.) 2 Table of Contents Preface Introduction Part I. Classical Philosophies on Man and Nature 1. Theories Concerning Man and Nature in Classical 3-12 Chinese Philosophy 3-12 by Zhang Dai-Nian (Peking University, China) 2. On the Unity of Man and Heaven 13-24 by Tang Yi-jie (Peking University, China) 3. Liu Zongyuan's and Liu Yuxi's Theories of Heaven and Man 25-32 by Fang Li-tian (People's University of China, China) 4. Paradigms of Nature in Western Thought 33-54 by Kenneth L. Schmitz (University of Toronto, Canada) Part II. Hermeneutics and the Application of Classical Philosophies to Contemporary Life 5. Hermeneutics and Heritage 57-70 by George F. McLean (RVP) 6. Towards an Hermeneutics of Nature and Culture 71-83 by Ghislaine Florival (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium) 7. Man and Nature in the Indian Context 85-99 by Margaret Chatterjee (Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, India) Part III. Marxism on Man and Nature 8. On the Relationship Between Man and Nature 103-112 by Huang Nan-sheng and Zhao Guangwu (Peking University, China) 9. Slave - Master - Friend, Philosophical Reflections upon Man and Nature 113-127 by Li Zhen, Peking University, China) Part IV. Person, Subjectivity and Nature 10. Man vs. Nature and Natural Man: One Aspect of the Concept of Nature in 131-141 China and the West by Chen Kuide (Fudan University, China) 3 11. Western and Chinese Philosophy on Man and Nature 143-148 by Richard T. De George (University of Kansas, USA) 12. The Development of the Principle of Subjectivity in Western Philosophy and 149-167 of the Theory of Man in Chinese Philosophy by Zhang Shi-Ying (Peking University, China) 13. The Fate of Metaphysics 169-192 by Zhu Desheng (Peking University, China) Part V. Ethics and Nature 14. Human Nature Reflected in Moral Experience 195-208 by John Farrelly (De Salles Hall, USA) 15. The Concept of an Eco-ethics and the Development of Moral Thought 209-218 by Tomonobu Imamichi (University of Tokyo, Japan) 16. On Nature and Values, Ideology and Hope 219-228 by Manuel Dy (Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines) Acknowledgements 4 Preface This volume contains the results of a joint symposium on "Man and Nature," co-sponsored by the International Society for Metaphysics and the Philosophy Department of Peking University and held in Beijing on July 25-27, 1987. The work is the fruit of the cooperation of philosophers of many nations: Japan, the Philippines, India, Belgium, Canada, the United States and China. This symposium is the first which the Philosophy Department of Peking University has co- sponsored with scholars from other nations in recent years. The experience of this Symposium has proven that cooperation between philosophers of various countries in an exchange of scholarly concerns, insights and ideals is not only interesting and stimulating, but of great benefit to all participants in thinking creatively on crucial issues of our day. The historical reality is that of a world becoming smaller and of communication between nations and peoples becoming ever closer. In these circumstances the shared problems which threaten the peace and even the existence of all peoples increase and intensify. Hence, it has become an urgent contemporary task for philosophers to develop a deep awareness of the problems to awaken reason and to think creatively on the tools and means for the protection of the peace and indeed of life. The promotion of peace and friendship between the peoples is then a holy and honorable duty of philosophers and other scholars, whether they be Marxists or liberals or conservatives, existential phenomenologists or analysts, Hindu, Confucian or Neo-thomist. The lofty aim of philosophy--along with other fields of academic work--is to promote the welfare and to deepen and enrich the happiness of mankind. We would like to express our profound thanks to Professor George F. McLean for his enthusiastic work in developing this joint Symposium. We are very grateful to all the scholars from China and other lands, whose rich contributions and open and enlightened discussion constituted the success of the Symposium. Finally, we express our gratitude as well to the Administration of Peking University and to the State Commission of Education for their sponsorship and support. Tang Yi-jie Li Zhen Beijing Philosophy Department Peking University Beijing, P.R. China November, 1988 5 Introduction The contents of the present volume on "Man and Nature" derive from the first of a series of joint colloquia sponsored by the Department of Philosophy of Peking University with The International Society for Metaphysics (ISM) and the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP). The times are particularly appropriate for this work. Throughout the world, intensive efforts were made after World War II to develop scientific and technical structures for economic, industrial and political life. More recently attention has turned to the search for ways in which the life of nations might better reflect persons and their creativity. Everywhere, it is hoped that this will contribute, not only to economic development, but to raising the quality of the life of persons and of entire peoples. This appears to be consistent effort of such diverse steps as the liberation movements of the l950's, the Second Vatican Council in the l960's, the student and minority movements of the 1970's, and efforts in this decade toward social reconstruction and perestroika. This promises to be the point of convergence for human efforts in these years of proximate preparation for the XXI'st Century. This has placed a special responsibility upon philosophers to seek out the resources available for this work in the cultural traditions of their various nations, to analyze the precise nature of the present challenge, and to elaborate the component insights required for facing the problems and constructing the vision needed by mankind for the future. To respond to this need the ISM and RVP joint colloquia have had the following characteristics: (1) They are planned particularly for work with philosophers in areas in which metaphysics in principle has not been a point of recent interest, but who inevitably are concerned with the basic issues in philosophy. (2) They focus upon a specific theme of common interest, which they treat in terms, not of a dialogue of opposing views, but of a point of mutual concern and cooperative inquiry regarding ideas still in flux. (3) The number of participants at these colloquia have been kept to 15 or less so that all might join around the same table and all might be actively engaged. (4) The number of papers presented has generally been held to one or at the most two papers during a three-hour session in order to promote in-depth discussion. Over a period of three days the cumulative effect of these discussions has been deeper joint insight regarding the central issue and complementary understanding which broadens horizons. The present colloquium has been particularly successful. It took place in the midst of intensive changes in the life of the people of China. These have challenged philosophers to work intensively and simultaneously on a number of levels. They have had to reach deeply into the heritage of China to discover and articulate anew the deepest inspirations and aspirations of their people; they have had to do the same for Marxism in order to find new potentialities in this philosophies; and they have had to look forward to ways in which these resources could be articulated in truly new ways for new times. Hence, the visiting philosophers joined an on-going, deeply authentic and vibrant philosophical quest. 7 The theme chosen for the discussions was "Man and Nature" (to be followed by an exchange colloquium on "Man and Society"). The first term stands, of course, for "mankind", but appeared the most appropriate in the language context. The term "nature" included the physical universe, but extended much further, for the term "nature" means also mankind and even heaven. It stands then for the entirety of reality. The topic for discussion then was not merely the physical context or the material implementation of human life, but the much broader issue of the total horizon of that life. In this light the discussions were rich and complex. They concerned both past and present philosophies, the spiritual as well as the material dimensions of the person, and looked perhaps above all for the horizons which were needed in order to develop a vision adequate for the future.