What are the main values differences between China and the West

The main manifestations of the differences between Chinese and Western values

1. Mainstream of values. The mainstream of values in Western culture is the spirit of striving for self-fulfillment. Western culture promotes individuality, emphasizes the protection of personal interests, focuses on independence and the development of personal potential, and strengthens the sense of individual rights. Individualism is the criterion of all behaviors, self-realization is the highest need and purpose of life, independence is the most effective means of self-realization, and human rights are sacrosanct and inviolable, and are the guarantee of self-realization. The mainstream cultural value of China is the spirit of harmony. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have emphasized harmony. In the relationship between man and nature, it advocates the unity of heaven and mankind, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature; in the relationship between man and man, it emphasizes the value of peace and goodwill; in the relationship between countries, it advocates the principle of "goodwill and good neighborliness", and the principle of harmony among all nations. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving and people-friendly nation.

2. Unitary and pluralistic values. Chinese people are y influenced by Confucianism. They believe that the value of life is in what one does in this world, and that the more one does in society, the more meaningful one's life will be. In an authoritarian society, power is everything, and therefore, there is nothing better than realizing one's ambition in politics, and the grand ideal of "keeping the family together, ruling the country, and pacifying the world" ruled the lives of millions of Chinese literati who did nothing. Under the influence of this monistic value of life, most people are unwilling to inquire about natural science, resulting in science being trapped in the embryonic state. In addition, human wisdom and talent were concentrated on political power, creating a political and cultural model that is unique in the world, which is unpredictable and ultra-solid in substance. In this special pattern, a unique historical phenomenon in China was created: those who failed to become officials sought to become saints; those who failed to serve the country retreated to become hermits, or recited poems and drank wine to enjoy the wind and waves. Thus, Taoism and Buddhism emerged, and those who were greedy for life

went to monasticism, and those who were misanthropic might as well pray to Buddha. The value of life in Western culture is diversified, politics is also the realization of the value of life, business is also considered valuable, the best career in the eyes of Westerners than lawyers, doctors.

3. Individual-oriented and group-oriented. Western culture is characterized by the emphasis on

individual value, that is, the advocate of personal independence, emphasize personal initiative, personal behavior and personal interests, the courage to forge ahead, and cherish the rights of the individual. Individualism is the core of Western culture. Individualism has multiplicity and complexity, they believe that they can save themselves; seek self-expression, emphasize personal dignity, pay attention to personal privacy, personal rights are inalienable; unlimited human power, advocate competition, the survival of the fittest. In Western society, people generally regard personal freedom and individual rights as positive manifestations of self-worth, and "individualism" has been given positive significance as a generalization of this spirit. Everyone tries to embody his or her own individuality: personal self-confidence, self-affirmation, freedom to express one's inner feelings without external constraints, and openly expressing different opinions. The three basic structures of Chinese society, i.e., the highly centralized bureaucracy, the absolute monarchy, and the patriarchal system, are all inherently incompatible with individualism, resulting in group-oriented collectivism. The Chinese advocate that the interests of the family, society and the state should be given priority in all matters, that the individual should be subordinate to the collective, and that "chieftaincy and selflessness" are highly regarded. In dealing with the relationship between the individual and the collective, people are required to "restrain themselves and observe the way" and "keep in line with the collective or the leadership". In the relationship between the individual and the family, it is emphasized that the individual survives for the family, and that the life, death, honor and disgrace of the individual are closely related to the family. In this cultural atmosphere, "individualism" has naturally become a pejorative term opposite to "collectivism", such as self-righteousness and conceit, all of which are pejorative, and "individualism" is considered to be "egoism". Individualism" is regarded as "egoism". Semantics is a product of cultural atmosphere, and language symbols have established cultural connotations. In Chinese, the definition of "individualism" is "the wrong thinking that everything starts from the individual, puts individual interests above collective interests, and cares only for oneself and not for others".

4. The concept of heaven and man. Western tradition holds that the universe is created and controlled by God, and that human beings and the universe are two separate entities, therefore, the natural laws of the universe

must be obeyed. Such a view of the universe gave rise to the later dualistic worldview. They believed that man and the world were separate and in opposition to each other, and that man was in a position to dominate and transform nature. Man's task was to discover the truths set forth by a supernatural creator, and his goal in life was to conquer nature. Change is regarded as progress, and the attitude toward life tends to be objective and rational. Therefore, Westerners look at problems on an individual basis, emphasize differences and oppositions, and are accustomed to analytical abstract thinking. This kind of individual-oriented cosmology has led to the emergence of the concept that human beings are natural egoists. In the relationship between man and nature, the Chinese people believe that man and nature **** as one, pay attention to the time, location, people and do things, obey the laws of nature, pay attention to the unity of man and nature, therefore, the Chinese people are accustomed to the overall imaginative thinking.

5. Knowledge. Chinese and westerners have different understanding of the universe, and they have different ways of acquiring knowledge. The Chinese often apply the deductive method, focusing on the overall observation of things, the ultimate goal of acquiring knowledge is to transcend the superficial differences and discover the inner connection and unity of things. Western theology tells us that Westerners often apply the analytical method to see things as an individual, the manifestation of a certain attribute, but do not think that each individual is equal; they recognize the individuality of things, and at the same time, they realize that all individual differences are interconnected in an all-encompassing unity, and realize that the unity of individual differences is the highest learning. In the whole cognitive process, the Chinese emphasize mental process, overall observation, intuitive experience and aesthetic interest. Their way of thinking tends to be vague, imprecise and flexible. Westerners acquire knowledge based on a dualistic worldview and emphasize rationality. Thinking style tends to form direct and clear views through categorization and linear analysis, such as the typical trinitarian theory. Chinese people look for the power of progress in spiritual fulfillment, while Westerners consider it as material progress and social development[3].

6. Sociability. Reasonable egoism, utilitarianism, pragmatism and existentialism and private economy make people form the concept of self-centeredness and supremacy of individual in communication. Therefore, Westerners are extroverted, seek independence and utilitarianism, and advocate the transformation of nature by human beings, and sexuality is inherently evil. The formation of these ideas is directly related to the natural and social environment in which they live. Most of the western countries are in the open ocean-type geographical environment, industry and commerce, navigation industry is developed, since the ancient Greek period has been emphasizing the study of natural objects, explore the mystery of nature tradition. The object of people's thinking tends to the outside world, and people hope to re-know nature, transform nature, conquer nature, and seek the most valuable things in the outside world for their own use. In China, the idea of the unity of heaven and mankind, the social structure based on differential order, the ethical concept of maintaining hierarchical status, and the socialist tenet of "serving the people" require that individuals should be integrated into the group, and that the interests of the state, the collective, and other people take precedence over the interests of the individual, which determines that Chinese people are introverted and subtle in their social interactions, Modesty, do not seek merit, selflessness. The concept of the unity of man and nature also believes that man and nature should develop in harmony, rather than man and nature to fight. Interpersonal relationships are governed by intangible social norms, values and etiquette. In the beginning of man, nature is good, advocating the return of man to nature, to maintain the nature. All things remain unchanged, and there is no difference between them. The idea of benevolence and the middle way of life make people peaceful, live and work in peace and contentment, and progressively follow nature. In the closed continental cultural environment, people are contented and happy. From this, we can see that the Chinese people are seeking development in a stable way, seeking stability but not seeking change, and emphasizing tradition and the past. In communication, they respect the old people, call the older people "masters" and the experienced people "veterans", pay attention to the contact between old friends, and believe that the longer the interaction, the deeper the feelings.

7. The view of rhetoric and defense. Westerners respect rhetoric, they are willing to master the language as a favorable tool (language is the extension of self-influence and transformation of others). They favor language because they believe that it is only through language that people can get to know each other. In today's Western society, rhetoric and logic courses are widely offered in universities to motivate students to communicate effectively, and verbal communication in business is widely studied and emphasized. The concept of emphasizing language and debate directly or potentially influences Westerners' communicative behaviors, strategies and styles. Therefore, in the individual-oriented Western society, people are willing to express what is in their inner world, even if it is trivial, through language, and they are talkative and good at expressing themselves. Rhetoric in China is merely a communication skill, and is not

considered a science. Eloquence was considered superfluous, and the talkative were seen as showy and insincere. In the group-oriented Chinese society, people are self-suppressed in their social interactions, speak politely and implicitly, use words carefully, pay attention to the way they speak, and are highly sensitive and receptive to the environment. Language is often seen as a means of maintaining social harmony, not just a tool for expressing ideas and information. Confucius' attitude towards language is cautious, and he has always advocated that "a gentleman should be careful with his words and sensitive in his actions".

8. Time and money. The Western view of time is a linear concept of time, time is like a straight line, is a one-way continuous movement, is "passing, flying". In the eyes of Westerners, there is no way out of reversion, only forward beyond the hope, so in the time orientation, the West is the future orientation, that is, once gone, never return linear forward orientation. This is also the reason why westerners tend to change and like to seek differences and new things. Chinese people are predominantly past-oriented, emphasizing things that happened in the past. When people do something, they first consider whether they have done it in the past, what successes or failures they have learned, etc. And even how well they are doing today, they have to consider how well they are doing in the past. And even how to do today, often to the past as a standard, so follow the rules has become a social norm, and this is closely related to the people worship ancestors, respect for the old and respect for the teacher, the importance of experience, the importance of age, because these are linked to the past. Westerners' view of time and money is linked together, time is money is a deep-rooted concept, so they treasure time, often in life on time to do a careful arrangement and planning, and developed a good habit of going to appointments on time. The Chinese belong to a multi-directional time habits of the country, in the use of time has a great deal of arbitrariness, generally not in strict accordance with the plan as Westerners, Westerners often feel uncomfortable with this.

9. Age. In Chinese culture, elders are symbols of wisdom and authority. The word "old" symbolizes experience and knowledge. "Teacher", "old cadres", "Li Lao" have become a few highly respected people are entitled to have honorifics. On the contrary, respecting the youth is the first value in western culture. Youth represents the future, symbolizing infinite plasticity and possibilities. In the eyes of Westerners, youth symbolizes health, wealth and wisdom. Western society is a society of fierce competition and individual struggle. When people get old, it means that they have retreated from the stage of social competition; for women, "old" also means the loss of charisma, which is a painful and sad thing for individuals, so people are not willing to admit their old age; and the old people's sense of independence is very strong, and there is a kind of self-esteem to defy the old. So age has also become a person's privacy.

10. Family values. China is family-oriented. "Cultivating one's body, keeping one's family in order, and ruling the country and the world are the programs of our country. In the minds of the Chinese, the home is the universe of life, a harbor of life, with supreme cohesion. When one leaves home, one is a "wanderer", and it is advocated that one should not travel far when one's parents are present. In the family, there are relationships between the parents and the husband and the wife, and each of them should fulfill their obligations, i.e., "fulfilling the family's obligations"! According to Mencius, the saints are the "people of the human family", and the core of the family is "absolute obedience", with young children obeying their elders and wives obeying their husbands. One of the reasons why the family has become so important is "filial piety", which is China's national essence, the essence of the nation. Western culture emphasizes the self, the individual, and the pursuit of independence. Elders and juniors can call each other by their first names. Children move out of their homes after they become adults to live on their own and support themselves, and the elderly generally do not live with their children, relying on their own independent life. In the West, there is a clear line of demarcation between family members, and the young and old get together to pay for their own meals, and there is a great deal of respect for the children, with the first question asked when entering a child's room being "May I come in," and with the emphasis on pride in the children's independence from their parents and their struggle to live on their own, and a willingness to talk about their personal insights.

Conclusion:

Chinese and Western values are two cultures with different natures and origins, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They have both strengths and weaknesses. There is a great deal of difference, but also a great deal of complementarity. In cross-cultural communication, we should pay attention to the differences to avoid mistakes. Scientific treatment of Western civilization and other outstanding civilizations, absorbing the strengths of others, make up for their shortcomings, in order to promote the development of their own people.