Socio-Religious determinants of early Chinese culture Cover Image

Społeczno-religijne uwarunkowania wczesnej kultury chińskiej
Socio-Religious determinants of early Chinese culture

Author(s): Karol Kierzkowski
Subject(s): Philosophy, Ethics / Practical Philosophy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie
Keywords: Chinese philosophy; sky; nature; mythology

Summary/Abstract: The claim that all living creatures constitute a wholeness in the world of nature is a primary thought of the Chinese philosophy. It links both cosmological and anthropological motifs. Living creatures are interconnected and interdependent. The world of nature is tao. Tao is wholeness. The world of nature is in constant flux set by progressive cycles in which individual changes take place. When the world of nature remains stable, it reaches equilibrium. Life can develop in a harmonious way. Chinese anthropology treats the human as a microcosm of the world of nature. Man is an intermediary between Heaven and Earth and a descendant of the interpolating cosmic and earthly powers. An ideogram, found in China, presents the human figure as a tree rooted in the Earth with hands outstretched like branches towards Heaven, deriving power from both above and below.

  • Issue Year: 12/2014
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 117-132
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish