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The Chinese View of the Cosmos

Explore the holistic approach of the Chinese view of Heaven, Earth, and Man, encompassing religion, cosmology, and ethics. Delve into cosmology, folk mythology, the Yin-Yang theory, and the five dynamic forces. Gain new perspectives on the universe's harmony and order. 8 Relevant

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The Chinese View of the Cosmos

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  1. The Chinese View of the Cosmos San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach California, U.S.A. February 12, 2004

  2. Preface • A macrohistorical and holistic approach • New inspirations from an age-old theorum

  3. The Anthropocosmic Unity:Heaven, Earth, and Man • Heaven-----Religion • Earth -------Cosmology • Man---------Ethics

  4. The Anthropocosmic Unity:Heaven, Earth, and Man Heaven (Religion) Earth (Cosmology) Man (Ethics)

  5. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  6. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  7. Cosmology • The branch of learning that treats the universe as an ordered system. • Kosmos (order/harmony) • + logos (word/discouse) • =cosmology

  8. Cosmology • Cosmos • The universe is considered as a harmonious and orderly system.

  9. Cosmology • Values(what the world ought to be) • Value system/pattern(a set of values organized into a distinctive pattern) • World view/Weltanschauung(people’s conception of what the world is)

  10. Cosmology • The value structure of a people which provides the basis for their existence.

  11. Cosmology • The resulting cosmology will accordingly reflect the sociological, philosophical or scientific predilections of the individual and his group.

  12. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  13. Folk Mythology • Pan Gu (see picture) • The Story of the Stone • 36,501 - 36,500 = 1

  14. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  15. The Book of Changes • Things are constantly in flux or in the process of change. • There is no isolated occurrence in this cosmos but only concurrence.

  16. The Book of Changes • A repository of abstract concepts • A spiritual medium, a moral manual, and a handbook of the religious Daoist • A cosmological treatise of awesome obscurity • A Confucian classic • Yijing -- the book of CHANGES • Yin-Yang • The Eight Diagrams

  17. The Book of Changes • Things are groups of relations • The multifarious phenomena are reduced to unity and harmony • Translation of all natural phenomena into a mathematical language

  18. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  19. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces

  20. Yin (-) and Yang (+) • Eternally interacting with each other • Form the very basis of Chinese cosmology • YIN = all the negative qualities • YANG = all the positive qualities

  21. Yin (-) and Yang (+) • In this “cosmic duet” neither the one nor the other ever permanently triumphs. • They are mutually dependant and supplementary.

  22. The Eight Diagrams • See graphic • coincidentia opppositorum (reconciliation of the opposites)

  23. An Outline • Cosmos/Cosmology • Folk mythology • The Book of Changes • The yin-yang theory • The five dynamic forces

  24. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces • Harmonized opposites--Book of Changes • Mutually creative yet destructive • wood, fire, earth, metal, water • wood, earth, water, fire, metal • The Yin and the Yang • Confirmation by modern physics

  25. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces Water Wood Metal Earth Fire

  26. Earth---Cosmology • Cosmology---Weltanschauung • Pan Gu--the only cosmogonic myth • Yin-Yang and the Five Cosmic Forces • Things of the same genus activate each other • microcosm-macrocosm

  27. The Anthropocosmic Unity:Heaven, Earth, and Man Heaven (Religion) Earth (Cosmology) Man (Ethics)

  28. Earth---Cosmology • Existential continuum (ontology) • Organismic whole (microcosm-macrocosm) • Dialectical pattern of cosmic forces (epistemology)

  29. Existential Continuum • Harmony of the opposites • The absence of cosmogonical myths • Absence of interest in the “First Cause” • Unity of the spiritual and the material, the subjective and the objective, the secular and the sacred • An existential continuum

  30. Organismic Whole • Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China • “Heaven and I are one” • The law of conservation • The fear of Nature

  31. Dialectical Pattern of the Cosmic Forces • Harmonized opposites--Book of Changes • Mutually creative yet destructive • wood, fire, earth, metal, water • wood, earth, water, fire, metal • The Yin and the Yang • Confirmation by modern physics

  32. Earth---Cosmology • There are always three dimensions involved in any given pattern of matter -- the cosmic triangle • There is no isolated occurrence, only concurrence. • Everything is a matter of coincidence.

  33. Thank you! • Your comments and questions • are welcome!

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