What are the economic and cultural differences caused by different geographical conditions between China and the West?

The difference of geographical environment is an important reason for the difference of cultural development between East and West.

In ancient times, it was not easy for people to travel, and the traffic was not as developed as our modern society. Some people can't even leave their place for life. In this case, people living in various regions may realize.

The area is limited, and if it is a settled farmer, the living area is even more limited. Therefore, early civilization, especially settlement civilization, was greatly influenced by its geographical environment. When we look at any country or

Civilization, the first thing you see is their geographical environment. So it is of great significance to study the comparative geographical environment!

Starting from the geographical environment, this paper compares the different development experiences of Chinese and western ancient cultures, and briefly analyzes the political, economic, scientific and ideological reasons for their formation. I hope this will help to strengthen mutual understanding and tolerance in ideological conflicts between the two sides.

1. Overview of culture and topography

1. 1 general situation of geographical environment and culture in China

The geographical situation of Chinese mainland is that mountains, plateaus and hills account for about 66% of the total land area, while basins and plains account for about 34% of the land area. Jiping

There are few original areas and many mountainous areas, and the land height difference is very large. Nearly 70% of counties in China are located in mountainous areas. The offshore area is in the east and south, with a length of about 5,500 kilometers from north to south and a width of about 5,200 kilometers from east to west. It is also the source of China national culture.

Head, but the earliest from the inland Yellow River basin. Because the inland of China is far from the ocean, the human culture of China should be bred by the grazing economy in the two river basins composed of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, among which the Yellow River basin is the most important.

Become a representative.

1.2 overview of western culture and geographical environment The European continent basically presents a trapezoid with a wide south and a narrow north. The area of peninsula and islands accounts for about 1/3 of the total area.

Land and bay crisscross, and the area of Europe is not large, which makes the distance from all parts of Europe to the sea not far. The distance from all parts of western Europe to the sea is no more than 700 kilometers, and the farthest distance from eastern Europe is only about 1600 kilometers.

On the left and right. Therefore, European humanistic culture should be a culture produced by the integration of marine economy and inland economy. The main source of European culture is ancient Greek culture.

1.3 comparison object Through the analysis of the above general situation, we can know that the ancient Chinese and western cultures compared in this paper are the ancient Yellow River valley culture and the ancient Greek culture.

As a representative. Culture is the crystallization of thousands of years of wisdom and painstaking efforts of people living in different regions, and it is the precipitation of history, with a deep foundation and a long history. At the same time, culture is also composed of many different contents. This paper mainly discusses classics.

Economy, politics, ideology, science, technology, art and spirit all discussed and reached my conclusion.

2. The influence of geographical environment on economy

2. 1 China's agricultural economy is well known, which is the basis of China's ancient economy.

Based on agricultural economy, it can be seen that the geographical environment of China is very suitable for the development of agriculture. Because of the vigorous development of agriculture in China, there is an old saying in China, called: Food is the most important thing for the people! Visible agriculture in people's minds

The importance of status. In fact, as early as 5000 BC, Banpo people in the Yellow River basin and Hemudu people in the Yangtze River basin had developed mature rice cultivation techniques. The development of agriculture needs several natural elements, which are fertile.

Good soil, plenty of irrigation water and sunshine.

2. 1. 1 soil China's agricultural economy is a typical river basin economy, and the important agricultural belts are all around the big rivers. Because there are many rivers in China, there are many plains with fertile soil for river precipitation. These places are not only fertile and soft, but also flat, which is very conducive to large-scale agriculture.

2. 1.2 China's water source agriculture can't be irrigated only by rivers, because the rainfall in China is also abundant.

According to Mr. Huang Renyu's account in The Great History of China, there is a so-called rain line of 15 inch.

Concept, in the southeast of isorainfall line, the average annual rainfall in China is at least 15 inch, which is suitable for developing agriculture. American scholar Rhodes Murphy's History of Asia has the concept of monsoon Asia, China and other parts of Asia.

There are many mountains between them. In summer, the central area of Eurasia far away from the ocean will heat up rapidly, forming a hot air mass, hot air will rise, and cold air filled with water vapor in the surrounding ocean will flood in and reach the land, especially when it meets hills.

When it is in a mountainous area or mountainous area, the water vapor mass forced to rise rapidly cools and condenses to form rainfall.

2. 1.3 illumination and temperature illumination not only represent sunlight, but also temperature. China is basically located in the northern temperate zone, mostly in the temperate zone, with a small part in the tropics and no frigid zone. Adequate sunshine and moderate temperature are very suitable for the growth of crops.

2. 1.4 Factors that are not conducive to other economic models China has formed a natural and closed geographical environment, and there are geographical obstacles that the ancients can't overcome in all directions.

The northeast is Daxing 'anling and Xiaoxing 'anling, Waixing 'anling and cold Siberia. Due north is the Mongolian plateau and cold Siberia; Northwest, through the Hexi Corridor, you can enter Xinjiang, but you will face the barrier of deserts and mountains; To the southwest is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world, which is difficult for us to climb even today. The east and south are the sea, and with the technical conditions of the ancients, they still don't have the ability to sail on the stormy sea.

So, we can draw a conclusion. China is in a closed environment on all sides. The ancient people's scientific and technological level was limited, so they could not cross the sea in the east, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and desert in the west, and there were few people in the north. Therefore, the natural barriers around them are insurmountable natural barriers, and they cannot develop an economic model based on trade and commerce.

It can be seen that the geographical environment has a great influence on the development of China's ancient economy.

2.2 Ancient Greek Economy The ancient Greek economy is characterized by navigation, trade and immigration.

Man and slavery are determined by its special geographical environment. Why there was no oriental agricultural civilization in ancient Greece can also be explained by geographical environment. Attica is the area where Athens is located and is called "Greece"

Greece ",this place can best reflect the spiritual temperament of ancient Greece. But the natural conditions here are harsh, because the soil layer is shallow and stony, which is not suitable for developing agriculture.

According to Plato:

All the fertile and soft soil has been lost, and a country is only skin and bones. The Athenians planted olive trees, put olive oil into clay pots and shipped it to skeat as grain. The demand of navigation and trade promoted the development of Attica ceramics industry and shipbuilding industry. The demand for trade prompted the Athenians to start mining the silver mine in Attica, and slaves imported from overseas engaged in mining. All these prompted Athens to gradually gain the maritime hegemony of the whole Aegean Sea and beyond.

As a whole, Greece is a mountainous, hilly, narrow terrain, complex coastline, numerous bays, straits and islands. With diverse geographical conditions and narrow land, even if some areas are suitable for agriculture, they cannot develop on a large scale. This is almost a natural choice for people to emigrate overseas and do business by sea.

The geographical environment completely different from that of China created a completely different economic model between ancient Greece and China.

3. The influence of geographical environment on politics

There is a truth that the economic base determines the superstructure. China and ancient Greece had completely different economic bases, so the superstructure would be different.

3. 1 China Politics China's farming economy needs an Antai environment. Therefore, we need the strength of the whole nation, so that we can resist foreign aggression.

It can also concentrate manpower and material resources to transform the breeding environment. Then the state form that can produce this effect can only be the overall unity of the nation and the central concentration of governance power. Whether it is a legalist or a master who advocates "ruling the country according to law"

The theoretical basis of Zhang Confucian's "ruling the country by courtesy" is "the unity of monarch and power"

For the theme. Its core is to exchange less people's freedom for a more stable social form and give the monarch more power. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the vassal States generally attached importance to farming, which was finally solved through farming in the northwest.

The best state of Qin is unity. Since then, China has basically been in a unified situation. Even after several wars, the whole trend is still to form a unified autocratic empire. Since then, with the agricultural economy as

Foundation, advocating centralized feudal system has existed in China for more than two thousand years. Monarchy hereditary system is its main external manifestation.

3.2 Ancient Greek Politics If navigation, immigration and trade became the most important things in the city-state, it would be difficult to maintain the hereditary monarchy. As early as ancient Greece

At that time, there were still so-called hereditary kings, but later, with the development of time, they gradually transitioned to tyrant politics and democratic politics. The development of shipbuilding and maritime trade has greatly promoted the development of handicraft industry. more and more

Many people, including some civilians who used to farm land and nobles who occupied land, also began to engage in industry and commerce. Gradually, a huge and powerful industrial and commercial class appeared here. , but no political rights, often dominated by the land aristocracy.

Invasion and exploitation. Therefore, in order to protect their own interests, they will join the peasants in opposing the autocratic regime of the land aristocracy and demanding political rights. After seizing power from the land aristocracy, the new regime must be maintained.

For the benefit of industrial and commercial practitioners. The first requirement of industrial and commercial development is freedom and equality. Without freedom and equality, business practitioners cannot carry out normal business activities. So the new regime must protect every legitimate citizen.

Freedom, equality and private interests. Thus, a democratic country was born.

4. Technology

China and ancient Greece are both ancient civilizations, and both have created splendid civilizations! Among these civilizations, the most symbolic is their science and technology. Science and technology, I understand as science and technology. In my opinion, China has more culture.

Technology is more than science, and real system science originated in ancient Greece. There were many inventions in ancient China, only four of which were world-famous, and even played an important role in the development of science and technology in the West. Affected by agricultural economy

And the influence of the government's "agriculture-oriented" policy, a large part of scientific and technological achievements are related to agriculture. For example, China has twenty-four solar terms suitable for agricultural production, various waterwheels, sowing tools and even many calendars.

It was founded on the principle of being suitable for agricultural production, and a large part of other technological creations were directly or indirectly created to serve agricultural production and life. These inventions are exquisite and are the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients for thousands of years, but

The ancient science and technology in China could not form a systematic knowledge system, so it should be technology rather than science. Even if a certain knowledge system has been formed in some aspects, it is only in China's culture and science.

A small part, not representative.

Science is a knowledge system that uses categories, theorems, laws and other forms of thinking to reflect the essence and laws of various phenomena in the real world, and it is one of social ideologies.

One. This is impossible under the conditions of a bound, very closed agricultural economy and a centralized monarchy. But in a democratic society, individuals can live freely and equally, and there are always some talents that can be brought into play.

People naturally like to study knowledge, are keen to think about various problems handed down by the ancients, and can debate freely. The development of industrial and commercial economy also promotes the exchange of different theories, so as to obtain philosophical knowledge in pursuit of true knowledge.

Development. The study of the origin of all things will inevitably promote the improvement of cognitive methods until the correct cognitive method-science is produced.

The development of philosophy and even the emergence of science must have a free social environment. The emergence of a free and democratic society must have a strong industrial and commercial class.

A strong industrial and commercial class can only appear in areas suitable for industrial and commercial development, and areas suitable for industrial and commercial development must have such a geographical environment: convenient external contact and proximity.

Ancient civilized areas, their own environment is not suitable for agriculture, but there are natural mineral deposits, suitable for navigation, and excellent harbors.

There is actually only one such region on our planet. This is the Aegean region, the Athens region on the Greek peninsula. Thanks to Athens, in the 3rd century BC, mankind finally had science.

5. Religious Beliefs Comparing the religious beliefs of China and the West, we will find a meaningful one.

Difference: Europe respects God, while China respects people.

Since ancient times, the social psychology of China people is a kind of saint complex. Our nation is a nation with weak religious consciousness. In fact, there is no religion in the social life of traditional society. We don't have a local religion, religion is foreign,

Taoism came into being after religion came from the outside rather than itself, and even Taoism, the leader he followed was a real person-Laozi. We don't worship God, we worship people, and we worship real people. Chinese mythology

It is said that all human wisdom is concentrated on heroes, and the basic survival skills of human beings come from the wisdom of "three emperors and five emperors". For example, Suiren, Fu and Shennong invented flint and drilling wood respectively.

Fire, netting, bows and arrows, livestock raising, grain planting and Chinese medicine. The Yellow Emperor, the leader of the Five Emperors, made clothes, boats, cars, melodies, figures and so on. These were all caused by the living environment and economic activities of human beings at that time.

It's decided. China is full of disasters and frequent wars, which makes China's agriculture basically a remnant after natural and man-made disasters. Overcoming natural disasters and avoiding man-made disasters have become the general expectation of farming people. The Yellow Emperor chased Chiyou and Dayu for water control.

Successful practice made Chinese ancestors truly feel that hero salvation is more practical than fairy salvation. Therefore, the gods in China are all personality gods and incarnations of human beings. Take the simplest and most common example, the god of wealth enshrined in the shop.

Isn't it Guan Gong?

Unlike China, westerners believe that the gods endow themselves with rationality, such as Epimetheus, the younger brother of Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology, which is widely circulated in Europe.

Although he ignored it for a period of time, it seems that the talent left to mankind is also less, but Athena, the goddess of wisdom, gave people the most important wisdom, and Prometheus simply stole the fire compensation from the sun god.

Give it to mankind and make it the master of the world's creatures. Westerners worship God, and the Christian God is invisible. In Christian doctrine, God has no shape and is not a personality god. He is an invisible and intangible being. therefore

Beyond all people, it is possible for everyone to be equal before God. Such a concept of equality can only be realized in a democratic country and can only be produced in a democratic system.

6. Mental outlook and moral standards

I believe that people living in different places have different ways of life. People who are attached to different life styles show different mental outlook and moral standards.

6. 1 Modest and tolerant Chinese beauties in ancient times, mostly

China people are actually farmers in China. Farmers in China have cultivated their own land and harvested not only rice, but also spirit. When they educate their children, they all say that "you should learn from the ears of rice, and you will suck enough water and put enough water."

Keep your head down modestly! Therefore, China people admire the tolerance and contribution of the earth and learn the meaning and modesty of rice. This virtue is highly respected in China's idioms, such as "All rivers run into the sea" and "Open-minded".

Jewish culture is aggressive, and wherever he goes, it will change the original spiritual culture of this place more or less. However, it was only in China that his aggressiveness was completely ineffective and even absorbed by China culture. This is the inclusive expression and function of China culture itself.

Whenever people in China are praised, they will say "I don't deserve it" modestly, and westerners will accept it very calmly.

6.2 The Adventure and Realistic Beauty of Ancient Greece The life of the ancient Greeks was navigation, trade and immigration, which made them often face the sea. If the teacher of China culture is the earth, then ancient Greece is the ocean. People can walk freely on land without any scruples, and there is no danger to their lives. But the ocean is different. It is strange, unpredictable, dangerous and abnormal. If you are not careful, you will face a disaster.

Therefore, people who deal with the ocean must have or be tempered with a certain spiritual character, that is, an open spirit of adventure, optimism and pursuit.

The true spirit. Only brave people can face the sea directly, and brave people will be very willing to take risks. When a person is not afraid of danger, he will face everything optimistically. To fight the sea, you need sophisticated instruments.

Equipment, rich and detailed marine knowledge and advanced shipbuilding technology all require people to seek truth from facts.

These are the characters and spirits cultivated by the ancient Greeks in their own living environment, which also influenced later generations.

7. Art is not only painting, sculpture, calligraphy, articles, etc. Their performance is also the sublimation and embodiment of the national spirit.

7. 1 China Art China's implicit spirit is vividly displayed in art, and gradually evolves into a hazy beauty.

7. 1. 1 Painting The representative of China's painting is Chinese painting, that is, ink painting. Focus on freehand brushwork, that is, artistic conception, not realism. No painter will run to the front of the mountain to draw mountains, but emphasize that there are mountains and valleys in his heart and write a Qingfeng.

7. 1.2 Description is the most obvious place to express this hazy beauty in China's ancient poems. It's just a few simple descriptions that don't explain his specific appearance, but his figure is vivid in our minds and makes people think. Moreover, people need to think not only about the description of appearances such as appearance, but also about what is implied between the lines of some articles that readers need to understand.

It can be said that China's articles are very reserved, because of the oppression of ancient politics in China and the influence of China's subtle spirit.

7.2 the west

Different from China's implicit freehand brushwork, Western art pays more attention to realism, which should be said to be the embodiment of their realistic spirit.

7.2. 1 Painting When it comes to western painting, people will think of sketches and oil paintings. These are very realistic painting arts. Almost every sketch and oil painting has its reference, which emphasizes truth. In order to draw a more realistic and scientific picture of the human body, the famous painter Da Vinci even stole the body and dissected it, so as to better understand the skeleton structure of the human body.

7.2.2 Articles I have read many articles written by westerners, and my first impression is that they are really detailed. Characters will be described from feathers on his hat to shoes inlaid with pearls, even men's socks and women's petticoats. You don't have to guess the real thoughts of the characters in the book, because the author will use a lot of space to describe their psychological activities in detail.

8. Summary

To sum up, we can draw a conclusion that different geographical environments formed different economic bases in ancient China and the West, and their influences.

In this case, different political systems, scientific and technological art forms, religious beliefs ... all these have formed different cultures. Although it can't be absolutely said that geographical differences have caused cultural differences between China and the West, geographical factors must be.

One of the important reasons for the formation of cultural differences between China and the West. As I said before, culture is a kind of historical precipitation, and generations have left their own created culture, and culture has also influenced every generation behind. at present

Society is in an era of great integration. With the frequent trade and cultural exchanges between China and the West, there will inevitably be collisions and differences. However, whatever the differences are, they are determined by the social and cultural background in which they live.

This social and cultural environment is the survival experience and law accumulated by dozens of generations living in their own country for thousands of years. Therefore, when we face those differences, we should be more understanding and tolerant to understand each other's ideas.

Tolerance of each other's behavior, so I believe that the world will be more beautiful and harmonious.