Chinese Thought and Culture

xiànɡ 象 Xiang (Semblance) 可见而不具有形体的物象或图形。“象”大致包含四种不同的含义：其一，指“道”的某种显现形态。老子将“道”描述为“无物之象”，也称为“大象”。其二，指事物的某种显现形态。“象”的具体化或固定化程度要低于有形之物。常指“天象”，即日月星辰的运行、风雷云雨的施降。“天象”与“地形”相对。其三，指人的气象，即人的精神、意志在言行、姿态上的显现。其四，指象征或模拟天地万物的图形。古人创造了多种“象”的系统，并通过对“象”的观察与解释，来阐发自然与社会的运行变化及其法则。其中《周易》的卦象系统影响最为广远。 Xiang (象) refers to a visible but formless image or figure. It approximately has four different meanings. First, it refers to a manifest shape of Dao. Laozi described Dao as “a semblance of the unsubstantial,” also called “the great semblance.” Second, it indicates a manifest shape of objects. Xiang is less concrete or […]

xiānɡfǎn-xiānɡchénɡ 相反相成 Being both Opposite and Complementary 处于对立关系中的两个事物之间既相互排斥又相互成就、相互转化。一切事物都处于与他者的对立之中。对立双方具有相反的性质或意义，因而彼此间是相互排斥的，如有与无、长与短、高与下、善与恶、美与丑等。但同时，事物的性质或意义又是借由与之对立的事物而获得确立的，对立双方在一定条件下还可以相互转化。这一观念在先秦时期即已出现，在班固《汉书·艺文志》中始被概括为“相反相成”。 This term refers to two things that are mutually opposite to but complementing each other and that they mutually transform between them. Everything is an antithesis to something else. Both antithetic sides are opposite to each other. Therefore there is mutual exclusion between them, such as you and

wúyù-zégāng 无欲则刚 People with No Covetous Desires Stand Upright. 人没有非分的贪欲，就能做到刚正凛然。“欲”指各种私欲、贪欲；“刚”即刚正公道、正直有力。“无欲”并不是绝对禁止人们有“欲”，而是提倡克制自己的私欲、贪欲。“无欲则刚”讲的是立身处事尤其是执政做官的基本道理：一个人面对来自各方的种种诱惑，应该大公无私、端正品行、淡泊守志，不要有非分的贪图，这样就能一身正气，无所畏惧，就像高高的峭壁一样，挺立于天地之间，坚不可摧。 People with no covetous desires stand upright and maintain integrity. Yu (欲) refers to all sorts of selfish and covetous desires. Gang (刚) means fairness, justice, integrity, and forcefulness. Wuyu (无欲) does not mean that people should not have any desires, but rather, people should not harbor any

wēngù-zhīxīn 温故知新 Review the Old and Learn the New 温习旧有的知识，并获得新的理解与体会。也指回顾历史，对当代有新的指导意义。“温”，温习；“故”，指旧的、已知的知识；“新”，指新的、未知的知识。前人对“温故知新”的理解主要有两种：其一，将“温故”与“知新”理解为并列的两方面，认为在“温故”的同时就逐步获得新知，“知新”在“温故”的过程中得以实现。其二，将“温故”理解为“知新”的前提与基础，认为没有“温故”，就不可能“知新”；“新”是“故”的进一步发展，并且摒弃了其中陈腐的旧见。“温故知新”在今天已经超出一般学习方法的意义，也是个体、企业、组织甚至一个国家自我成长的基本机理。其中包含新与旧、古与今、已知与未知、继承与创新的辩证思想。 This term means to review what has been learned and to gain new understanding and new insights. It also means to obtain guidance in the present moment by recalling the past. Wen (温) means to review; gu (故) means knowledge that has been acquired in the past;

tónɡɡuī-shūtú 同归殊途 Arrive at the Same Destination via Different Routes / Rely on a Common Ontological Entity 虽然有着相同的目标，但所走的道路不同。“同归殊途”语出《周易·系辞下》，大致包含两方面的含义：其一，指不同学派、不同人对于社会秩序、价值的理解虽然不同，主张的社会治理方法也有差异，但他们的目标是一致的，都是谋求社会的安定、繁荣。其二，指万事万物虽然呈现出不同的样态，但他们都归附或依赖于一个共同的本体。 This term means to reach the same goal through different routes. Coming from The Book of Changes, the term has two meanings: First, different schools of thought and different people have different understandings of social order and

tiānxià-xīngwáng，pǐfū-yǒuzé 天下兴亡，匹夫有责 The Rise and Fall of All Under Heaven Is the Responsibility of Every Individual. 天下的兴盛与衰亡，即便是普通百姓也有义不容辞的责任。源于明末清初著名思想家顾炎武所说“保国者，其君其臣，肉食者谋之；保天下者，匹夫之贱，与有责焉耳矣”。“天下”在古代多指天子统治或名义下的中国全部疆域，而顾炎武提出“天下”与“国”是完全不同的概念：“国”仅代表帝王一家一姓，而“天下”所代表的则是整个中华民族及中华文明的统系。近代思想家梁启超等继承了顾炎武的这一思想，并将其概括为“天下兴亡，匹夫有责”，使语意更为显豁、语势更为有力，后经许多政治家、思想家的引用，这句话最终成为中国家喻户晓的名言。近代以来，它对激发中国人的爱国主义精神，唤醒人们心系民族和国家安危并以天下为己任，产生了巨大影响。 The view that ordinary people also share responsibility for the fate of the country originated with the famous late Ming- and early Qing-dynasty thinker Gu Yanwu. He stated that the ruler and his officials were in charge of

tiānmìngzhīxìng 天命之性 Character Endowed by Heaven 天所赋予人的道德本性，又称“天地之性”，与“气质之性”相对。先秦时期即有儒者提出人的道德本性源自于天。宋儒继承这一观念，提出了“天命之性”的概念，用以指称每个人都具有的禀受于天的道德本性。“天命之性”是纯善的，是人的道德行为的内在依据。但由于人性还受到其他因素的影响，“天命之性”可能会被遮蔽。 This term refers to the moral character endowed to a person by Heaven, also known as the “properties of heaven and earth,” as opposed to the “properties of qi, or vital force.” Some early pre-Qin Confucian scholars maintained that human moral characters originated from Heaven. Confucian scholars of the

tiānmìnɡ 天命 Mandate of Heaven 天的命令与赐予。“天命”主要包含三种不同含义：其一，指天对于人事的命令。命令的内容最初集中于王权的更替，即上天授命有德者征讨并取代失德之君，享有至高无上的权力和福禄。其二，指命运，具有不可抗拒之义，标志着人力的限度。其三，指天赋予人的禀性。《中庸》称“天命之谓性”。宋儒发挥这一思想，以“天命之性”指称人禀受于天的纯善的本性。 The term means order and bestowment from Heaven. “Mandate of heaven” mainly contains three different meanings: The first is the order of heaven over human affairs. Such order first of all focuses on a change of the supreme ruler’s authority: Heaven empowers the virtuous to attack and replace a

tiānlǐ 天理 Natural Law 天地万物与人类社会所遵循的普遍法则。宋明儒者认为，“天”的本质意义就是“天理”，并将“天理”作为具有终极意义的最高范畴。“天理”是事物的本体或本原，决定着人与事物的本性，是自然法则与人伦道德的依据。“天理”超越于有形的具体事物，但又包含在每一个具体事物之中。在人性之中，“天理”表现为人天生所禀受的至善之性，常与“人欲”相对。 The term means the universal law observed by all things in heaven and on earth as well as by human society. Confucian scholars in the Song and Ming dynasties held that the essence of heaven was natural law, and they regarded natural law as the realm of ultimate significance. Natural

tiāndào 天道 Way of Heaven 天地万物的存在与变化所遵循的基本法则，与“人道”相对。古人对“天道”的理解并不相同：其一，认为“天道”尤其是与日月星辰运行有关的天象暗示或决定着人事的吉凶成败。古代有专门的职官负责通过对天象的观察来推知人事。其二，认为“天道”是人的道德与人伦秩序的根源或依据。人的言行以及人伦秩序应该效法于“天道”，或者通过体认、发挥“天”所赋予的心性来通达“天道”。其三，认为“天道”与人世的道德、秩序乃至人事祸福之间都没有必然的关联。 The way of heaven refers to the basic rule governing the existence and changes of all things between heaven and earth, as opposed to “the way of humans.” Ancient Chinese interpreted “the way of heaven” in different ways. First, some believed that “the way of heaven,” especially the celestial