Advantages and disadvantages of practical rationality

(History of Ancient China Thought: China's Theory of Wisdom, 1985)

? Generally speaking, China's practical reason has some basic tendencies of materialism, among which I think the most important one is particularly persistent in history.

? The development of historical consciousness is an important content and feature of China's practical rationality. Therefore, it attaches importance to objectively examining, thinking and evaluating things from a long-term and systematic perspective, rather than focusing on immediate short-term gains and losses, which makes it different from other pragmatism.

? ..... Because of this, China's philosophical culture generally lacks strict reasoning forms and abstract theoretical exploration, but appreciates and is satisfied with vague and general overall thinking and intuitive grasp, and pursues and obtains some truths and understandings that can be obtained by non-logical and non-purely speculative informal analysis.

? The debate between famous Mohists with abstract speculative interests failed to develop, and after determining the ideology of unified Han Dynasty, the practical and rational way of thinking was unshakable.

? In the Tang Dynasty, the highly speculative Buddhist philosophy of only knowing Sect advocated by the royal family was introduced from India, but it did not last long.

? China's tradition of practical rationality not only prevented the development of speculative rationality, but also ruled out the overflow of anti-rationalism.

? Based on Confucianism, it formed a personality thinking mode, which enabled China people to acquire and inherit a sober, calm and affectionate golden mean psychology: non-violence, non-mystery, emphasizing understanding, neglecting logic, emphasizing experience and making good use of history, thus serving real life.

? To maintain the harmony and stability of the existing organic system as the goal, cherish interpersonal relationships, stress relationships, oppose risks and despise innovation.

? All these have brought many advantages and disadvantages to this nation's science, culture, ideology and behavior pattern.

? Adapting to the ever-changing modern life and scientific progress is stumbling and full of difficulties.

? Today, while retaining its own cultural advantages, it is a huge and arduous task to seriously study and pay attention to absorbing the amazing and profound power of German abstract speculation, the intellectual clarity and unfocused spirit in the Anglo-American empiricism tradition, and the melancholy and profound transcendence requirements of the Russian nation ... so that China's practical (practical) rationality can make a great leap forward and be rebuilt at a higher level. This will also be a long historical process.