'The diversity of civilizations determines the diversity of development. It is in the process of inheriting and interpreting ancient civilizations, and in the dialogue of equal exchanges, that different countries find paths rooted in their own civilization," Liu Li, President of Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), said in his opening remarks at the World Sinology Lecture co-hosted by the Chinese Association for International Understanding and BLCU on March 17.

As one of the most prestigious universities for international students in China—for example, Golden Globe-winning actress Awkwafina, an American of Chinese descent, studied at the institution for two years—BLCU also dedicates itself to research into traditional Chinese language, literature, history, intellectual thought and the arts, and has, in that context, established the World Sinology Center. The World Sinology Lecture, then, is the center's regular, high-level dialogue platform.

Just two days before the event, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilizations Initiative (GCI) at the opening ceremony of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue With World Political Parties High-level Meeting in Beijing. "As the futures of all countries are closely connected, tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernization process," Xi said via video link.

Consensus, a core principle

"What we really have in common is not our culture, but our challenges. It is the challenges that make us begin to communicate," Benoît Vermander, French Sinologist and professor of religious sciences at Fudan University in Shanghai, said during the BLCU lecture.

In his presentation, Vermander compared Western and Chinese philosophical ideas that have greatly influenced later generations. From his perspective, unlike many Western philosophies that emphasize a "win-lose" debate, Confucianism, which developed in the sixth century B.C. based on the teachings of the great philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.), is very dialogue-oriented. And the goal of dialogue or communication is to reach a consensus.

"We are changed when in dialogue with each other; by considering the other's position, we reach a consensus," Vermander explained.

On the importance of communication, Vermander echoed Dennis Schilling, a professor of Chinese philosophy at the School of Philosophy under Renmin University of China in Beijing who was also in attendance. For the latter, one culture evolves together with another and they adopt ideas and norms from one another through communication, which in turn energizes both.

The development of Buddhism in China is one good example of such cultural integration. After being introduced to China via the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), Buddhism brought new ideas to Chinese philosophy, ethics, language, literature, arts, popular beliefs and related customs. Because Buddhism is not a religion restricted by cultural boundaries, it uses and adapts to local culture and thought.

The best preserved ancient buildings in China are mostly Buddhist temples and pagodas. They are studied and revered not only because of the beliefs they represent but because they are considered classic structures of ancient Chinese architecture.

Ragnar Baldursson, a veteran diplomat who studied at BLCU in the 1970s and served as the deputy chief of the Embassy of Iceland in China, explained how he believes reaching a consensus is not only about the exchanges of cultural and other concepts but also happens through diplomacy. He added that ancient Chinese wisdom, and many lengthy conversations with his Chinese counterparts, had taught him a thing or two about this over the years.

"Gentlemen seek harmony but not uniformity." Baldursson used this quote from the Analects of Confucius, a collection of the teachings and reflections of the philosopher thought to have been compiled by his followers, to illustrate how the Chinese people cherish harmony and believe that "although we are different and you do not necessarily agree with what I'm saying, we can still cooperate."

"I have this one lasting impression of a particular slogan I heard when I first came to BLCU, which calls for learning from each other and helping each other. I noticed President Xi also mentioned 'mutual learning' in his speech on the GCI. Let's just do it," Baldursson added.

"Different countries have different ways of solving problems, but we can communicate with each other to see matters through the other's eyes. If we embrace cross-cultural dialogue, we will get new inspirations that we did not expect; dialogue is the only source that keeps cultural traditions alive," Vermander said.

Lessons from history

"We advocate the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations. Countries need to fully harness the relevance of their histories and cultures to the present times, and push for the creative transformation and innovative development of their fine traditional cultures," President Xi said in his speech proposing the GCI on March 15.

In that light, Canadian-born Sinologist, humanities chair professor at Peking University and translator of Chinese philosophical texts Roger Thomas Ames shared his thoughts on the significance of Confucian culture and civilization in today's world during the BLCU lecture via video link.

According to Ames, Confucian civilization is based on a pragmatic realism that focuses on the possibilities for improving one's personal work. This type of civilization "offers a conception of the family and community based on the pursuit of a sustained propriety within the roles and relations that bind them together," he said.

"Perhaps the most important contribution Confucian philosophy has to offer our times is precisely its elaborate, sophisticated and ethically compelling conception of relationally-constituted persons as 'human becomings' that can be drawn upon to critique and challenge the entrenched ideology of individualism at its personal, corporate and nation-state levels," the comparative philosopher said. His study is a subfield of philosophy in which thinkers work on problems by intentionally putting into dialogue various sources from across cultural, linguistic and philosophical streams.

"At a critical time, when we can anticipate a quantum transformation of the world's cultural order, it is this alternative conception that convinces me we would do well to give Confucian civilization its place at the table," he concluded.

Learning from history is part of the research undertaken by Gafar Karar Ahmed K., a Sudanese scholar and Sinologist specializing in China's relations with the Middle East and North Africa. "I've been studying Chinese policy for the last 30 years and one of the areas that I'm very interested in is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) put forward by President Xi in 2013. I believe it to be one of the most important initiatives—from a historical point of view," he said at the lecture.

When talking about the BRI, which aims to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, most people focus on the economic connectivity of participating countries, but for this former Sudanese ambassador to China, its international significance deserves more in-depth study.

"The cultural and economic belts go hand in hand. We need to pay more attention to the history of all countries involved in the initiative because without the cultural belt, the economic belt would not exist," he stressed.

While the great thinkers of the past may have had no way of communicating with each other, people today can engage in cultural exchanges through a wide range of channels and platforms. It is exactly this mutual understanding, respect and learning among different civilizations that Confucius conveyed to us as "harmony in diversity."

(Print Edition Title: Harmony in Diversity) 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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