Cultural Differences between East and West-Historical and Cultural Differences between East and West
Abstract: From a cultural point of view, world history is actually a history of blending and collision between nations and cultures. Influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, western history and culture and eastern history and culture have reflected many places of integration and conflict since ancient times, and the two civilizations have brought two different glories. This paper discusses the cultural differences between the Middle East and the West in the process of world history from the aspects of cultural characteristics, ideological concepts and religious concepts.
Keywords: Eastern culture, Western culture, religious concepts, ethical and cultural differences
About the author: Shen, female, Han nationality, from Nanchong, Chongqing. He is currently a teacher of Chongqing Railway Middle School.
China Library Classification Number G04 Document Identification Number A Document Number 1002-
Judging from the development of western history, the ancient Greek civilization, as the source of western history, is a splendid cultural history and is regarded as the deep foundation of the whole western civilization. From the historical development of oriental society, three cultural circles, namely, ancient Egyptian culture, ancient two-river basin culture and ancient China ancient Indian culture, have also become the source of medieval oriental society. World history, from primitive tribal and clan struggles to slavery society, to imperialist society, feudal society, capitalist society and socialist society, shows a vast and difficult history of the blending and collision of eastern and western cultures. Next, I will talk about the social and cultural differences between the East and the West reflected in world history from the aspects of culture, ideology and religion.
First, the characteristics of eastern and western cultures
1, oriental cultural characteristics. First, the oriental culture presents multi-sources: ancient Egyptian culture, ancient two-river basin culture and ancient Sino-Indian culture, forming three cultural circles and becoming the cultural source of the Middle Ages. Second, oriental culture is characterized by autocracy, closure and conservatism. Ancient oriental culture is river culture, inland culture and agricultural culture, and its civilization matured earlier. Marx said: "There are rude children and precocious children in human society. Many ancient peoples lived in this category, and the Greeks were normal children. " Oriental nations belong to precocious children. The cause of precocity. Oriental society has superior natural conditions. Most ethnic groups in the east live in large river basins, with good climate, irrigated farmland by rivers and developed agriculture and animal husbandry. At the same time, all ethnic groups in the East are hardworking and brave, thus making the East society enter the civilized society at the earliest. The eastern society experienced a long process from slavery to feudal religious social system. Most of the kings in eastern society came from clan and aristocratic leaders, preaching "divine right of monarchy" They are incarnations of gods, such as Egyptian pharaohs. The feudal patriarchal society took the family as the standard, attached importance to the family, attached importance to consanguinity, suppressed personality and destroyed people's desires, thus forming the absolutism of the eastern society. The nature of small-scale peasant economy in patriarchal society has caused the closure and conservatism of eastern society. Third, oriental culture has a strong mysticism and religious color. Oriental society is the birthplace of Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and other major religions. Eastern culture is permeated with religious thoughts, forming different value systems of religious thoughts. Fourthly, oriental culture advocates nature, and has the idea of "harmony between man and nature" and the spirit of pursuing "benevolence" and "sacrifice".
2. The characteristics of western culture. First, there is only one recognized source of western culture: ancient Greek civilization. Marx said: "The ancient Greeks were healthy children of human beings." Ancient Greek civilization became the cornerstone of the whole western civilization. Greek civilization is full of free and lively spirit, regards the universe as a beautiful harmony and pays attention to concrete things in the real world. Second, western culture is characterized by rationality and openness. Since ancient Greek civilization, individualism, rationalism and heroism in western culture have been particularly prominent. Greeks attach importance to the realization of personal value and the establishment of personal merits, and pursue personal standards, enjoyment and lust. Third, the religious color is strong. Religion is a historical phenomenon that human society has developed to a certain stage. Marx and Engels believed that religion originated from people's initial blind worship and belief in the mysterious forces of nature and society. Feuerbach said that the essence of religion is the essence of human beings and the result of human self-alienation. Western society is deeply influenced by religious theocracy, and God occupies the supreme position in their hearts, which makes their concept of original sin particularly rampant. Fourth, westerners have strong rationalism. Westerners are good at thinking rationally, and rationalism runs rampant in the west. Westerners believe that the relationship between people is based on the rule of law, practical interests and interests, while orientals are more emotional and think that the relationship between people is based on blood, feelings and morality.
Second, the cultural differences between the East and the West.
The differences between eastern and western cultures are shown in the following aspects:
1 the source of eastern and western cultures is different from religious beliefs, and the source of western culture is Christ. The source of China culture is Confucius. Orientals believe in Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, while westerners do. From the religious point of view, the eastern religion is a kind of liberated religion, which advocates refinement and liberation, believes in fate, and advocates quietness and silence. Western religions are redemption religions, advocating humanitarianism, creation and redemption. The image of God as the savior has a supreme position in their hearts. Western religions advocate finding life from life, teaching people to discover and create a new life, and their teachings also persuade people to struggle endlessly before being saved. For example, the idea of redemption embodied in the Bible is regarded as an eternal classic and cultural symbol of the western real world and has become the source of the whole European culture. Faust's insatiable enterprising spirit has also become a symbol of the western spirit.
The east is quiet and the west is active. Western nations are based on war, individuals, the rule of law and practical interests, while eastern nations are based on rest, affection, family and empty words. People in China are ancient and cyclical, while people in the West are modern and emphasize evolution.
The belligerence of western countries is its nature, and the wars of religion, politics and commerce constitute the history of European civilization. Western countries demand the protection of individual freedom and happiness, freedom of thought and speech, personality development and equality before the law. From nomadic society to patriarchal society, from chieftain politics to feudal politics. The patriarchal society takes the family as the standard and has no individual rights, while the patriarchal society emphasizes the morality of loyalty and filial piety.
Eastern culture attaches importance to the whole, while the west attaches more importance to the individual. Oriental culture emphasizes the world of experience, reality and utility; Western divinity and humanity pay equal attention to pursuing truth and personal honor beyond experience and reality. Oriental culture is characterized by attaching importance to interpersonal relationships, real life and metaphysics. Westerners attach importance to the realization of their own rights and personal values, and attach importance to metaphysical rational life.
East and West have different views on freedom, development, human strength, human wisdom and human morality. Oriental culture advocates implication, while the west advocates direct opening. The East is pan-moralized, people are bound by morality, and the West is legalized, which attaches importance to individual rights rather than morality. Orientals' ethics is based on self-sacrifice, while westerners' ethics is based on self-satisfaction. Therefore, the morality in the East is maintained by destroying individuality, while the morality in the West is the liberation of individuality.
The way of thinking and attitude towards life are different. The east is sentimental, while the west is brilliant. The East emphasizes experience and sensibility, while the West attaches importance to reasoning and logic. Orientals attach importance to feelings, morality and sensibility, which is what we often say: impulsiveness and kindness, tolerance, loyalty and filial piety, and mild thinking. Westerners, on the other hand, pay attention to rationality, rational thinking, pursue rationalism and egoism, attach importance to the realization of personal value, and solve problems rationally rather than emotionally.
6 Oriental emphasizes artistic exaggeration, such as Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes; The west emphasizes science and objectivity and advocates artistic truth, such as Mona Lisa. Liang Shuming believes that the West is a scientific art and the East is a scientific art..
Sharing is better.