中国哲学：和而不同 The Goal of Harmony

北京奥运开幕式所要表达的其中的一个概念是‘和谐’。而‘和谐’正是中国文化精神之精髓，珍贵的中国文化遗产之一。‘和谐’在儒家眼中，就是一个‘和’字，而奥运开幕式所突出表现的正是这个‘和’字。儒家经书‘中庸’就谈到了中和：

喜怒哀乐之未发，谓之中。发而皆中节，谓之和。

中也者，天下之大本也。和也者，天下之达道也。

致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉。

所以‘和’便是协调分歧，达成和睦一致，意味着和谐，但它承认不同。把不同联合起来成为和谐一致。

一个有组织的社会里，有各种不同才能，不同行业的人，各有自己的地位，完成不同的作用，各得其所，彼此没有冲突，这就是和谐社会。

.

It is abvious that one of the aims of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony was to convey the concept of "Harmony", which is an important characteristic of traditional Chinese culture, as well as a precious cultural heritage of China.

However, the concept of harmony was called by many names in the Chinese philosophy and literature.

The Confucian term for harmony is he, which was featured prominently in the opening ceremony. The word he was established in a famous passage from the Zhong Yong (Doctrine of the Mean):

"Before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are established, there is equilibrium (zhong: the mean, the centre). The establishment of these feelings in proper measure of each and proper rhythm for all is called harmony (he). This equilibrium is the greatest source of the world; this harmony is the world's universal Way (Dao). With the full attainment of equilibrium and harmony comes the proper ordering of heaven and earth and the nourishment of all things."

Harmony is the reconciling the differences into a harmonious unit. He means harmony, which is not incompatible with difference; on the contrary, it results when differences are brought together to form a unity.

A well-organised society is a harmonious unity in which people of differing talents and professions occupy their proper places, perform their proper functions, and are all equally satisfied and not in conflict with one another. This is the ideal harmonious society.