后现代主义：人类一无所有 Postmodernism: Nothing Remains in One's Hands

后现代主义照字义是指现代主义之后的运动。现代主义一般被是对确实、原理、系统化思考、理性、个人思维的理论能力的信任的一种哲学门径。

后现代主义，一般而言，对现代主义对理性、原理、系统化思考的信心提出质疑。很多后现代主义者认为没有普世知识与道德这回事。他们也深深地怀疑能够推理与以思考来代表现实的‘自我’。

一般认为德国哲学家尼采是后现代主义之父，随之还有海德格尔、利奥陀、德里达、福柯，等等。

‘上帝已经死亡’是被广为引用的尼采之言。或者尼采这句话应该更适当的解释为‘上帝’这类的潮流（宗教的或精神的）已不足以当作道德的准则或精神了。

上帝之死可能是人类不再相信宇宙秩序的其中的一种述说，因为人类不再承认这种秩序了。尼采说，上帝之死不但会导致对宇宙或物质秩序的信仰的舍弃，也会导致对绝对价值本身的舍弃 – 那些把所有人类个体相连起来的客观的、普世的道德法则的舍弃。就这样，失去了道德的绝对依据，导致虚无主义。这虚无主义正是尼采重新评估人类价值的根基所要寻找的解决方案。对尼采而言，那是寻找比基督价值还要深刻的根基。

在西方历史里，这是思想家首次对理性与宗教严重的质问。当这些问题开始被广泛注意，人们开始绝望，虚无主义跟着蔓延。

看来，那些习惯于哲学始于惊异的人，现在应该认真地关注忧患的智慧了。

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Postmodernism literally means 'after the modernist movement'. Modernism is usually portrayed as a philosophical approach that has a faith in certainty, principles, systematic thinking, rationality, and the theoretical powers of the thinking individual.

Post-modernism, generally speaking, puts into question modernism's confidence in rationality, principles, and systematic thinking. Many post-modernists think that there cannot be universal knowledge or ethics. There is also a deep suspicion of the ‘self’ who is able to reason and represent reality through thought.

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is often called the father of post-modernism, and is followed by other thinkers such as Heidegger, Lyotard, Derrida, Foucault, etc.

‘God is dead’ is a widely-quoted statement by Nietzsche. It may be more appropriate to consider the statement as Nietzsche's way of saying that the ‘God’ of the times (religion and other such spirituality) is no longer a viable source of any moral code or spirit.

The death of God is a way of saying that humans are no longer able to believe in any such cosmic order since they themselves no longer recognize it. The death of God will lead, Nietzsche says, not only to the rejection of a belief of cosmic or physical order but also to a rejection of absolute values themselves — to the rejection of belief in an objective and universal moral law, binding upon all individuals. In this manner, the loss of an absolute basis for morality leads to nihilism. This nihilism is what Nietzsche worked to find a solution for by re-evaluating the foundations of human values. This meant, to Nietzsche, looking for foundations that went deeper than Christian values.

For the first time in the western history, the rationality and religion are being questioned seriously by the thinkers and when these questions do begin to become widely acknowledged, people would despair and nihilism would become rampant.

It looks like the people who are used to the philosophy that began in wonder will now need to have a serious look at the wisdom of concern.

农夫与商人 Farmer and Merchant

从历史上看，中国人是农夫，而西方人是商人。就是说自古以来，中国人与西方人不但生活在不同的地理环境，而且经济环境也不同。现在的情况可能有所改变，可是不同的历史背景很大的影响了他们的文化与哲学思想，直到今日。

中国是个大陆国家，很自然的中国人主要以农为生。在中国的哲学思想里，有所谓的‘本末’之分。本就是指农业，末为商业。这是因为农业有关生产，而商业却只管交易。必须有了生产才能有交易。

所以在中国历史中，社会与经济的学说及政策倾向‘重农轻商’，那就不足为奇了。

另一方面，希腊人居住于海洋国家，主要通过商业来维持国家的繁荣。就是说，他们基本上是商人。商人应用数字，也居住在城镇。所以他们的社会组织并不是基于家庭的共同利益，而主要是基于城镇利益。他们也有很好的机会会见具有不同风俗的人与不同的语言。所以，他们习惯变动，不畏惧新奇的东西。

所以海洋经济有助于防止狭隘的地方主义。相反地，中国的农业社区给予人们的世界观是较偏狭的。此外，贸易产生了一群有能力提供他们孩子教育的商人，因而为专业教育制造了需求。

据说农夫倾向于单纯与率直，所以他们的思考依赖他们目光所见，因此中国哲学是‘提示性的而不是明述性’，缺少指出我们所见到的桌子是否真实或只是我们脑里的理念这类的抽象思维。另一方面，商人在商业账目依赖抽象数字，所以他们具有很好的抽象推理与演绎逻辑的应用。

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Historically speaking, Chinese are farmers and Westerners are merchants. This is to say that since ancient time, the Chinese and Westerners not only live under different geographic conditions, but economic as well. Things might have changed nowadays, but the different historical backgrounds have greatly influenced their culture philosophical thinking till today.

As China is a continental country, it is natural that the Chinese people make their living mainly by agriculture. The Chinese philosophical thinking has made a distinction between what the philosophers called ‘The Root’ and ‘The Branch’. The Root refers to the agriculture and the Branch to commerce. This is because agriculture is concerned with production, while commerce is mainly concerned with exchange. One must have production before one can exchange.

It is not surprising that throughout Chinese history, social and economic theories and policies have attempted to ‘emphasise the root and slight the branch’.

On their hand, the Greeks lived in a maritime country and maintained their prosperity mainly through commerce. In other words, they were primarily merchants. While merchants deal with numbers, they also live together in towns. Hence they have a form of social organisation not based on the common interest of the family but so much on that of a town. They also have great opportunity to see different people with different customs and different languages. Therefore, they are accustomed to change and are not afraid of novelty.

A maritime economy therefore helps to prevent parochialism. In contrast, the farming community in China gave the people a more insular view of the world. In addition the trade produced a merchant class that could afford to educate their children, creating the need for a teaching profession.

It is said that farmers tend to be simple and straightforward, hence their thinking often relies on what they could see, and Chinese philosophy is therefore ‘suggestive but not articulate’ with no room for such abstract reasoning such as whether a table one sees is real or just an idea in one's mind. On the contrary, merchants rely on abstract numbers in their commercial accounts, hence their abstract reasoning and extensive use of deduction.

中国不高兴 China Is Unhappy

这些天，如果你认为中国人很快乐，没有人会怪你。毕竟，他们已经超越德国成为美国与日本后的世界第三大经济体；2008年，他们成功的主办了奥运会，同时即将举办上海世博2010；2008年他们也第一次完成太空漫步。就算是2008年五月发生的巨大破坏性的四川地震也具有正面的一面 – 中国人一致全面自愿援助他们的同胞。

但是，你可能没想到，根据一本新的畅销书，中国不高兴。其理由包括：

1。拉萨“3•14”事件背后鬼影憧憧，西方世界对中国的战略围堵越来越具体化和明目张胆。

2。三鹿奶粉事件对中国国民心理的‘精神撕裂’，使一个大国理应秉持的多项核心价值受到威胁甚至动摇。

3。萨科齐（法国总统）之类对中国的屡屡侵犯，是卑鄙下流的机会主义作祟。

4。一些‘知识精英’或所谓‘优秀的中国人’正在戕害中国国家的精神品质。

中国需要厘清的若干个“为什么”,包括：

1。为什么中国人‘现在挺爽’是巨大假象，西方阵营的‘拖垮’战略乃中华弥久大患？

2。为什么同西方‘有条件决裂’是必须筹划的未来选项之一？

3。为什么新儒家的‘感化论’，‘拯救世界说’是白日梦呓？

4。为什么行‘失败主义’之实的‘王小波神话’是当代最丑陋的文化蛊惑？（王小波，1952-1997，作家）

中国应持何种新主张？

1。中国应该成为抱负远大的英雄国家。

2。持剑经商，崛起大国的制胜之道。

3。解放军要跟着中国核心利益走。

4。不能听‘金融战士’忽悠，产业升级才是国之根本。

5。认清西方‘轮盘赌’式的外交玄机，把中法关系实质性降低。

6。应勇于在国际社会上除暴安良，在强国道路上扫清颓风。

7。在当代社会的各个层面，都需要‘去文艺腔’。不惟此，我们就无法准确指称政治及经济现实，无法实现大目标。　

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These days, no one will blame you if you think that the Chinese are happy. After all, they have surpassed Germany to become the world's third-largest economy behind the U.S. and Japan, they have hosted a successful Olympic Games in 2008 and are going to host another major event, World Expo Shanghai 2010, they have conducted their first space walk in 2008. And even the devastating Sichuan earthquake in May 2008 had positive aspects—Chinese volunteered en masse to help their stricken countrymen.

Yet, for all you know, according to a new bestseller, China is unhappy. And here are some of the reasons:

1. There are ghosts behind the Lhasa 3.14 incident; the strategic encirclement of Western World towards China has become more concrete and obvious.

2. Sanlu milk power incident has result in a ‘psychological tear’ among Chinese people. It threatens a strong nation's core values.

3. People like Nicolas Sarkozy (the French President) have been offensive to China out of nasty opportunism.

4. The so-called ‘knowledge elites’ or ‘excellent Chinese people’ are harmful to China’s national spirit.

The book further clarifies a number of issues, including the followings:

1. Why the ‘feeling great’ among Chinese people are just fake phenomena. And Western strategy in dragging China down has been a hidden illness to China.

2. Why China should consider it an option to break up with the West under a certain conditions.

3. Why the ‘reform theory’ and ‘world salvation theory’ of neo-Confucianism has become day dream talk.

4. Why ‘Wang Xiao Bo's myth’, which embraces ‘defeatism’, is the most ugly culture lie. (Wang Xiao Bo, 1952-1997, writer.)

Finally, what should China advocate?

1. China should become a country with heroic mission.

2. China should hold sword to protect its business, this is a way to build a strong nation.

3. The National Liberation Army should protect China's core value.

4. China should not listen to the sweet talk of ‘finance warriors’ and industrial upgrade is the fundamentals.

5. Get to know the ‘Russian Roulette’ nature of western diplomatic strategy, lower the concrete diplomatic relation with France.

6. China should be brave in protecting international security and clear its path towards a strong country.

7. Avoid high-art's culture for affecting Chinese social life or else China’s political and economic goals cannot be realised.

百分之一主义 The One Percent Doctrine

据说，美国前副总统切尼的的国安政策很简单：‘宁可杀错，不可放过；宁可信其有，不可信其无’。其背后的思维是： ‘不怕一万，只怕万一。’
对其采取强硬手段对付恐怖分子，切尼的解释是，只要恐怖事件有百分之一的机会发生，‘我们的反应就应该是坚定无疑的。’
这就提醒我们‘百分之一主义’，一本由记者萨斯金德所写并获得普利策奖的有关美国在911事件后追捕恐怖分子的非小说类的书。在2006年7月24日，这本书在纽约时报最畅销排名榜上排名第三。
‘百分之一主义’ （又称切尼主义）其实是源于2001年11月（日期不详）的一个会议中。当时中央情报局长向切尼及当时的国家安全顾问赖斯汇报时，对担心巴基斯坦科学家在911后为奥萨马的基地组织提供发展核武器援助的反应。
根据哪本书的说法，切尼这样形容布什政府对付恐怖主义的策略：
‘巴基斯坦科学家援助基地组织发展核武器之事，即使只有1％的可能性，我们也应把它当作确有其事来给予反击。这与我们的分析无关……这是我们的反击。’
这就令我们想到曹操在190误杀人后的名言：‘宁我负人，毋人负我！’
注：曹操 (155-220)为东汉末年掌握实权的丞相。死后追缢为魏武帝。
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It is said that the former Vice President Dick Cheney’s national security strategy is simple: ‘Better to be sure than sorry. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.’ And the thinking behind it is that ‘we don’t fear hard work, we just fear failure.’
The justification for taking a hawkish approach to terrorism was explained by Cheney that if a terrorist event had even a one percent chance of happening, ‘we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response.’
That brings us to the One Percent Doctrine, which is a nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Suskind about America's hunt for terrorists since September 11th. On July 24th, 2006, it reached number 3 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
The One Percent Doctrine (also called the Cheney doctrine) was actually created in November 2001 (no exact date is given) during a briefing given by then-CIA Director George Tenet to then-U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice in response to worries that a Pakistani scientist was offering nuclear weapons expertise to Al Qaeda after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack.
Accordingly to the book, this was how Vice President Dick Cheney described the Bush administration's doctrine on dealing with terrorism:
‘If there's a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It's not about our analysis ... It's about our response.’
This reminds us of the famous or infamous statement made by Cao Cao in 190, after he wrongly killed someone, ‘I'd rather betray others, than have others betray me.’
Note: Cao Cao (155-220) was a Prime Minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China. He was posthumously titled Emperor Wu of Wei.

音乐：古代中国美学之灵魂 Music: The Soul of Ancient Chinese Aesthetics

如果说数学是古代希腊美学的灵魂，那么音乐就是古代中国美学之灵魂。这可能是居于孔子本身就狂爱音乐的这个事实吧。比如，当他与人相遇，如果对那人的歌唱很喜欢，他会要求他重唱，然后他自己加入同唱。他也精通乐器，在卫国玩罄（古代乐器），边唱边玩古筝，跟襄子学鼓。据《论语》所载，孔子在齐国听到了韶乐，他陶醉到三个月之内吃肉不觉得有肉的味道。还说：‘不图为乐之至于斯也。’想不到这乐曲竟达到了如此的境地。
《乐记》详细说明了孔子的音乐学说。《乐记》可说是最有系统的陈述儒家美学。它一开始就讲解了音乐的起源与功能。
‘凡音之起，由人心生也。人心之动物使之然也。
感于物而动，故形于声，声相应，故生变，变成方谓之音。比音而乐之，及干戚羽旄，谓之乐。乐者，音之所由生也；其本在人心之感于物也。
是故其哀心感者，其声焦以杀；其乐心感者，其声啴以缓；其喜心感者．其声发以散；其怒心感者，其声粗以厉；其敬心感者，其声直以廉；其爱心感者，其声和以柔。六者非性也，感于物而后动。是故先王慎所以感之者。
故礼以道其志，乐以和其声，政以一其行，刑以防其奸。礼乐刑政，其极一也。所以同民心而出治道也。’
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If mathematics is the soul of ancient Greek aesthetics, then music is the soul of ancient Chinese aesthetics. This could due to the fact that Confucius himself was almost crazy about music. When he was pleased with the singing of someone he was with, for instance, he would always ask to have the song repeated and would join in himself. He was also good at playing musical instruments: playing qing at Wei, singing while playing zither, learning drumming from Xiangzi. And as is recorded in the Analects, when Confucius was in the State of Qi, he heard the music of Shao; he was so intoxicated with the sweetness of its tone that he for three months did not know the taste of flesh. ‘I did not think that music could have been made as excellent as this.’ he said. (7:13)
This Confucian doctrine of aesthetics is elaborated in Yue ji or Record of Music which is perhaps the most systematic literature on aesthetics in the tradition of Confucianism.
From the very beginning, Yue ji gives an explanation to the origination and function of music:
‘All the modulations of the voice arise from the mind, and the various affections of the mind are produced by things (external to it).
The affections thus produced are manifested in the sounds that are uttered. Changes are produced by the way in which those sounds respond to one another; and those changes constitute what we call the modulations of the voice. The combination of those modulated sounds, so as to give pleasure, and the (direction in harmony with them of the) shields and axes, and of the plumes and ox-tails, constitutes what we call music. Music is (thus) the production of the modulations of the voice, and its source is in the affections of the mind as it is influenced by (external) things.
When the mind is moved to sorrow, the sound is sharp and fading away; when it is moved to pleasure, the sound is slow and gentle; when it is moved to joy, the sound is exclamatory and soon disappears; when it is moved to reverence, the sound is straightforward, with an indication of humility; when it is moved to love, the sound is harmonious and soft. These six peculiarities of sound are not natural; they indicate the impressions produced by (external) things. On this account the ancient kings were watchful in regard to the things by which the mind was affected.
And so (they instituted) ceremonies to direct men’s aims aright; music to give harmony to their voices; laws to unify their conduct; and punishments to guard against their tendencies to evil. The end to which ceremonies, music, punishments, and laws conduct is one; they are the instruments by which the minds of the people are assimilated, and good order in government is made to appear.’

中国书法重笔法 Chinese Calligraphy: The Brushwork

我们注意到中国书法其实是漂亮地写美丽的中文。所以自汉代以来，构成中国书法的两个主要元素从未改变，那是完全不令人惊奇的。这两个主要元素就是：中文的结字与笔法。
我们也注意到，中国文字是书法的第一形式。所以，书法家对中文结字所能做的改变是有限的。
然而，用笔是中国艺术的特点。所以对笔法的重视就不足为奇了。
笔画给了中国书法节奏感与美感，它们表达书家的内外品质。同时，它们显现了书法家本身的个性与风格。
只有那些掌握了毛笔的运作与原则的秘密的人才可以被当作出色的书法家。
元代赵孟頫曾说：‘学书在玩味古人法帖，悉之用笔之意，乃为有益。’他还说：‘书法以用笔为上，而结字亦需用工，盖结字因时相传，用笔千古不易。’
自钟繇与王羲之以来，不管中文的结字如何改变与新书体如何创新，钟王所设下的规范并大多没有被违背。要创造一种新的书体并不容易。它需要艺术的洞察力与灵感。书体的创造和毛笔、空间及节奏的运用与情感是有密切关系的。
所以，书法家穷其一生来研究笔法，那时完全可以理解的。
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We have noted that the essence of Chinese calligraphy is actually to write the beautiful Chinese character beautifully. It is therefore not surprised that two key elements of Chinese calligraphy have not changed much since Han dynasty. The two keys are: the structure of the Chinese character and the techniques of using the brush.
We have also noted that the Chinese character is the first form of Chinese calligraphy. Therefore, there is a limit that calligraphers can do to change the structure of Chinese characters.
However, the use of brush is unique in the Chinese art. It is not surprising that the brush techniques are so much emphasized.
The brush strokes give Chinese calligraphy rhythm and beauty and they depict the subject's outward and inner qualities. At the same time, they reveal the individuality and style of the calligrapher himself.
Only those who master the secrets of operating a brush and principles of structuring a character can be considered to be outstanding calligraphers.
Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty once said, ‘In learning Chinese calligraphy, one must chew on and study the ancient masterpieces and comprehend the operating principles of brushes of ancient calligraphers so as to benefit from them.’ He also said, ‘Chinese calligraphy should focus on operating brushwork as well as character structures. The character structures may change over time but the principles of operating brushes never change.’
Since Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi, no matter how the structure of Chinese characters changed and new styles of writing were invented, the norms set by Zhong and Wang were not violated in most cases. To create a new style of writing is not an easy task. It requires artistic insights and inspirations. The style of writing is also closely related to operation and disposition of strokes, spacing, rhythm, and etc.
It is no wonder that calligraphers would spend their life time to master the techniques of operating the brush.

前不见古人 Ahead, I see no ancestors

陈子昂(661–702) 是唐朝诗人。他的老家射洪也就是今日四川的遂宁市。二十四岁就考中进士。
陈子昂提倡汉魏诗歌形式。他的38首感遇诗就清楚地反映了他的复兴精神。
他认为诗歌应该反映现实，并为唐朝诗歌发展奠下基础。基于他对政治的热诚，他的不少诗歌含有批评社会的意味。
然而，他最为人所知的一首诗却是《登幽州台歌》，强健而直接。
华人有明显的历史意识，他们的社会可说是活在历史的指引下。在华人的心目中，历史描述了我们对时间流动的存在的意识。这种流动就在我们从事世间各种活动中。由于‘流动’包含了方向，知晓时间的存在就表示有了方向的意识。
这种确定方向给了我们希望与生命的目标。孔子（公元前551-479）曾站在川上，感慨时间的长河，‘逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜’。
相同的，陈子昂也登上幽州台而长叹：
前不见古人，

后不见来者。
念天地之悠悠，

独怆然而涕下。
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Chen Zi'ang (661–702) was a Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. A native of Shehong County in what is today Suining, Sichuan, he completed the national Jinshi level of the Imperial Examination at age twenty-four.
Chen Zi'ang advocated the poetry styles of the Han and Wei dynasties. His representative works of 38 poems known as Ganyu (stirred by my experiences) explicitly manifest his spirit of renewal.
He felt that poems should reflect reality and he helped lay the groundwork for the development of Tang Poems. With his active interest in politics, much of his work has undertones of social commentary.
However, he is chiefly remembered for his poem ‘Climbing the You Zhou Building’ which is vigorous and straightforward.
Chinese have been noted for their historical-mindedness, and their society is said to have lived under the tutelage of history. In the Chinese mind, history describes how aware we are of being in time that flows as we engage in various activities in the world. Since the ‘flow’ includes its direction, to be aware of being in time means to have a sense of direction.
Such a definite direction gives us the prospect and purpose of living. Confucius (551–479 bc) stood at the river bank and sighed about the ‘river of time’, ‘Oh, how it flows day and night, without ceasing!’ In contrast, to lose this sense of time-direction is to be exiled out of living itself, to feel ‘out of place,’ unspeakably lost and lonesome in the world.
Similarly, Chen Zi’ang also went up the Youzhou tower and gave a long sigh,
Ahead, I see no ancestors;

Behind, I find no followers.

Contemplating the limitless of the universe;

I can't help but weep, feeling sad and lonely.

不与圣人同忧 Dao Does Not Get into the Same Worries that the Sages Have

我们说，忧患意识在华人的心中是挥之不去的现象。正是这种忧患意识产生了华人的道德意识。忧患并非杞人忧天。所忧的是德之未修与学之未讲。
天地人是华人的宇宙观。天生之，地养之，人成之。
天地道是无是无非的。有阴必有阳，世上有好人，但也有坏人。天地对万物是平等的，下雨的时候好草与毒草同样得到滋润。万物一律平等，没有分别。
人，尤其是圣人，则不同。圣人忧国忧民。正如范仲淹所说：‘先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐。’
天地是无心地成就万物，它当然就没有圣人的忧患。
所以《易经》说：显诸仁，藏诸用，鼓万物而不与圣人同忧，盛德大业至矣哉。
这就说明了为什么华人的忧虑是关于人，人类，他们的生命与生活。
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We said that the worrying mentality is an on-going thing in the hearts of the Chinese. It is this worrying mentality that results in the Chinese moral value system. Worrying mentality is not about groundless fear or merely imagining things. It is concerned about one’s moral values not cultivated and knowledge not thoroughly discussed.
Heaven, Earth and Humanity form the Chinese view of a three-tier universe. Heaven gives birth to things; Earth nourishes things and provides for their material needs; and Humanity completes or perfects all things by maintaining proper patterning (i.e., through rites and music).
However, Heaven and Earth are neutral and they do not take sides. When there is Yin, there must be Yang. There are good people and bad people. Heaven and Earth treat everything equally. The rain waters both non-poisonous and poisonous grass. All myriad things are equal, and there is no differentiation made between them.
But human being, especially the sages are different. The sages always concern for their country and people. As pointed out by Fan Zhongyan of Song dynasty, the government officials ‘worry before all others have worries, rejoice after all others have rejoiced.’
Since the Heaven and Earth produce the myriad things naturally as they are, they of course do not have the sages’ worrying mentality.
That is why the Yijing says, Dao (ie Heaven and Earth) ‘manifests various benevolent expressions, and hides the various practical applications. It encourages all creations, but does not get into the same worries that the Sages have. Its manifold power and great work are indeed perfections!’
This explains the concern of the Chinese. It is about people, human beings and their life and living.

忧虑的哲学与务实主义 The Philosophy of Concern and Pragmatism

我们注意到中国哲学始于一种忧虑态度的结果，这种忧虑最终导致以务实智慧来引导人类命运。所以，华人在获取、组织与转递知识中，他们的动机无疑是以人类为中心的。
自古到今，中国哲学的焦点是务实关注人与社会，关注如何生活于理想生命中与关注如何最好地组织社会。孔子（公元前551-479）与他的教导被认为是古代中国哲学思想的起源与基础。
儒学在不同环境中的适应性及其魅力表现卓越，只要是好的与实用的，它都吸收。这样，与时并进的儒学就成为华人古老经验的宝屋。因此，儒学主要的力量在于它的灵活性，这种不寻常的素质令它能够抗拒压力与面对逆境。因此，虽然时不时会黯然失色，它都能从中显现出更新的光辉。
一般而言，实用主义者趋向具体、适当、事实、行动与权力。孔子的很多言说来皆自经验的观察，就是说，这些言语来自具体与适当、事实与行动。
道家亦倾向于强调生活的实用主义。道家教导是，由于所有的物体都像流水一般，他们的性质不停地由反向转向反向，以致我们不知如何把哪一种信念区分优先次序 。所以，在没有什么是好或坏的一致信念的情况下，我们应该追求自然，就是说自然的行动。道家相信，这种追求自然的务实目标，会导致最有效益的一种生活方式。
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We noted that the Chinese philosophy began as a result of an attitude of concern, which led finally to practical wisdom for guiding human destiny. Therefore, the Chinese are decidedly anthropocentric in their motivations for the acquisition, organization and transmission of knowledge.
The central focus of Chinese philosophy throughout the ages has been a practical concern with man and society, how to live an ideal life, and how best to organize society. Confucius (551-479 BC) and his teachings are generally recognised as the genesis and bedrock of much of ancient Chinese philosophical thought.
Confucianism excels in its adaptability to varying circumstances and in its magnetism, which attracts whatever is good and useful. In this way, Confucianism, ever growing with time, has become a treasure house of the age-old experiences of the Chinese people. Hence the chief strength of Confucianism is its flexibility, a remarkable quality that enables it to resist all pressures and to face all adversities. For this reason, though suffering eclipse from time to time, it has always emerged with renewed brilliance.
It is said that a pragmatist always turns towards concreteness and adequacy, towards facts, towards action and towards power. Numerous Confucian sayings are summed up from plenty of observations on experience, that is, they turn towards the concrete and the adequacy, towards facts and actions.
The Daoists also tend to emphasize a pragmatic view of life. Daoism teaches that because all things are, like running water, constantly shifting in value from opposite to opposite we cannot prioritise one belief over another. Therefore, without any consistent idea of what good or bad might really be, we must act to emulate ‘Ziran’ (acting spontaneously). The pragmatic goal of emulating Ziran, Daoists believe, leads to a way of living that gets things achieved in the most effective and efficient way possible.

在中国，《以为真实，而非事实》压倒真理？ In China, 'truthiness' trumps truth?

安娜·多诺休是个工作了几乎30年的得奖的新闻工作者。2008年的春季学期，她在北京人民大学担任富布莱特学者，鼓吹新闻自由的价值。
5月12日，《基督教科学箴言报》发表了她的一篇文章，题为“在中国，《以为真实，而非事实》压倒真理”。以下引用她的一些言论，看看一些西方学者是如何地无知、傲慢与好为人师。她应该知道，中国学生完全有权利不赞同她的看法。真希望她能洗耳恭听，接受别人的意见。
‘我承认，我是天真。在中国政府残忍地镇压了天安门广场的学生民主运动的二十年后，我以为这个运动的一些痕迹还可以在中国找到。1989年学生的亲民主运动中很多是北京学生。可是，在北京的人民大学教了六个月的新闻学后，我发现很少年轻人有兴趣继续高举自由女神的火炬。
那些二十年前举世瞩目的学生大多已被遗忘。他们的民主、投票权与新闻自由的信息已经为现代中国的经济动力所埋没……
与其像大多数西方人一样对镇压感到惊恐，他们反而对1989年那些学生如果成功而造成混乱与社会剧变感到烦恼。安定与保证经济至上，其他公民自由权力之类能在遥远的未来一天达成就不错了。
更令人困扰的是缺乏批判性思维，有时还盲目认为中国正在正轨上，最好不要动摇它。中国人的自豪与自信，正危险地步向民族主义。健康的批判被认为是不爱国。
在怪异的角色交换下，这些年轻的学生反而提醒我这个年长的教师应该要有耐心。他们重复地告诉我，中国是一个发展中的国家，经济的发展总有一天会导致我所鼓励的改革。可是当我提醒他们，很多发展中的国家，如印度，民主与经济同时发展，他们并不为所动。
我在失望中离开中国。我要我的中国学生拥有的是美国学生认为理所当然的一个畅所欲言的机会，投票的机会，在不受政府管制的新闻界工作的机会。可是当我问我的学生，如果在一个理想的世界里，他们想不想政府不干涉他们的生活。他们一致的反应是‘不’。他们喜欢政府告诉他们的东西…….
正如一个美国外交官一再提醒我的那番话，他们不知道他们所不知道的事……’
注：Truthiness是美国电视讽刺明星史蒂芬·科尔伯特于2005首次应用的含有讽刺意味的新词，形容一个人自认凭自觉就了解事物，而不需有证据、逻辑、验明与事实。含有‘以为真实，而非事实’的意味。
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Anne Donohue has been an award winning journalist for almost thirty years. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Renmin University in Beijing during the spring semester 2008 where she preached the virtues of a free press.
On 12 May 2009, The Christian Science Monitor published her article “In China, 'truthiness' trumps truth”, and I quote some of her views to show how some Westerners can be ignorant，arrogant and, as the Chinese saying goes, like to lecture people. She should know that the Chinese students have every right to disagree with her views and if only she is willing to listen and accept their views.
‘I'll admit it, I was naive. Twenty years after the Chinese government brutally put down a student democracy movement in Tiananmen Square, I thought some vestige of that movement might still be found in China. But after spending six months in Beijing teaching journalism students at Renmin University, where several of the 1989 pro-democracy activists were once students, I found very few young people interested in carrying the torch of Lady Liberty.
The students who transfixed the world 20 years ago are largely forgotten. Their message of democracy, the right to vote, and freedom of the press has been buried by the economic juggernaut of modern China……
Rather than feeling horror about the crackdown, as most Westerners do, they were more troubled by the chaos and social upheaval those 1989 students might have unleashed had they been successful. Stability and economic security reign supreme; other civil liberties might be nice someday far into the future…….
More disconcerting is the lack of critical thinking, and at times, blind faith that China is on a roll, so don't rock the boat. Chinese pride and boosterism veer dangerously close to nationalism. Healthy criticism is seen as unpatriotic.
In a weird role reversal, the young students were the ones reminding me, the older teacher, to be patient. Repeatedly, they told me that China is a developing country, and that economic development might one day lead to some of the reforms I was encouraging. But when I reminded them that many developing countries – India, for example – have democracy and economic development, they were unconvinced.
I left China discouraged. I wanted for my Chinese students what my American students take for granted: a chance to speak freely, to vote, to work in the field of journalism unfettered by the government. But when I asked my students, if in an ideal world, would they want the government to get out of their lives, the unanimous response was no. They liked what the government was telling them…….
As one American diplomat repeatedly reminded me, they don't know what they don't know….’
Note: Truthiness is a term first used in its recent satirical sense by an American television comedian Stephen Colbertin 2005, to describe things that a person claims to know intuitively or ‘from the gut’ without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.