The Ethic-society In State Of Clash Of Civilizations

There were great changes in China since 1840, attributed to the powerful invasion from the West. Meeting with the huge pressure of life and death, the most important question to wise people of China is "What is the trait of old China and where the outlet of it is". The answer of Liang Shuming is very different to Chen Xujing, their debate is significant to our theories and realities nowadays.Liang Shuming said, traditional China is a ethic-society, that absolutely different to the West. There are three special properties on it. First, the core of ethic-society is families, people's social connections based on the ethics, isolated individual didn't exist. Second, intellectual, peasant, craftsman and trader are the four main parts of the society, there isn't the fixed class boundary between them, their status all can be changed by themselves; Third, there is no fearful religion and cruel law, the social order is maintained by moralities. Liang Shuming firmly believed, the reconstruction of the traditional Chinese ethic-society by the countryside construction is the best choice for China and the West in modern times, because the clash of civilizations between China and the West is serious, they are all in distress. China will extricate himself from a difficult position by countryside construction, the pitiful western people have to absorb the quintessence of ethic-society, and they would be saved from the two dangerous extremes of individualism and collectivism.Chen Xujing didn't agree the Liang Shuming's thoughts at all, he pointed out directly, the history of the clash of civilizations between China and the West from 1840 have told us obviously that old China is a absolutely backward area and a purely simple society, on the contrary, the modern West is advanced and developed, so Liang Shuming's theory about ethic-society is only a fantasy, it's a wrong dream, didn't exist in Chinese real history. Modern Chinese people must learn all from the West if they want to survive continually, the "total-westernization" is the only right way. In order to total-westernize, we have to advocate hardly the individualism—the essence of the modern West culture. The Liang Shming's theories and practice has a only result: failure, because they go backwards and against the trend of history.Evidently, the views of Liang Shming is more insightful and profound than Chen Xujing's, is sensible of the universality of the good qualities of ethic-society without the limit of time and nation, and they are very valuable to solve the some serious questions of modern mankind. There is a conclusion draw from the past, which the modernization of China must base on China's traditions and realities. Chen Xujing's "total-westernization" and advocacy of individualism is for good intentions, nevertheless, it is impossible. Nowadays, the globalization is a double-edged sword as inexorable trends, the spirit of ethic-society would be revived in the course of the resolving of the difficulties of the earth-village.