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S. Zhao
beasts, trees and grass.” (“Yanghuo” in the Analects of Confucius) The Confucian
ecological awareness is based on understanding nature. The Book of Changes states
“there is first heaven and earth, then the various species, then males and females,” and
Xu Shen’s Origin of Chinese Characters holds that “the Way gives birth to heaven
and earth and all living things.” It is the Confucian belief that the Yin and the Yang
are symbiotic while the five elements subdue each other, and man derives from nature
and constitutes a part of it. Such a perception could hardly arouse the ambition to
conquer nature, but would generate awe for nature. “Yanghuo” in The Analects of
Confucius also says “Does heaven speak? Yet the seasons pass and the creatures of
the world are born,” which reveals Confucius’ awe for the laws of nature, which is
the prerequisite and basic rule for human activities. Mencius proposed that the Way
of Heaven is the ultimate origin and basis of the Way of Man. “Liqi” in The Book of
Rites states “Rite shall comply with the course of time, the properties on land, the
wishes of spirits and the thoughts of man in order to governance the universe.” Li Bai,
a renowned poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote “heaven and earth don’t speak, but the
four seasons pass and the living things grow without fail,” which also expressed his
awe for the irresistible laws of nature. The industrial revolution and sci-tech progress
both rely on our knowledge of nature, so does ecological civilization. The Confucian
perception of nature has scientific elements in it that make man stand in awe of nature
rather than attempt to conquer it. Engels wrote in his Dialectics of Nature, “Let us
not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of human conquest over nature.
For each such conquest takes its revenge on us. Each of them, it is true, has in the
first place the consequences on which we counted, but in the second and third places
it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel out the first.”
This is a manifestation of his awe of nature.
2 Protecting and Making Moderate Use of Nature
Ecological civilization, at the bottom, is a system of man’s understanding of the
relation between their own behaviors and the natural environment. It is recorded in
The Analects of Confucius that Confucius only fishes but never nets; only shoots
flying birds in the day but never resting ones at night as they may be breeding babies.
Mencius records more explicit remarks that “growing forests should not be logged
so that grass and trees can grow; fishing should be banned when fishes and turtles
are growing; fawns and bird eggs should not be hunted or broken so that young
birds and beasts can grow.” (“Lianghuiwang I” in Mencius). Xunzi also states that
“A wise lord would implement such a system that axes are banned in the forest
when grass and trees are blooming or bearing fruits, and nets and poison are banned
in rivers and lakes when fishes, crocodiles, loaches and eels are spawning, so they
can live and grow. Plow in spring and summer, harvest in autumn and store up in
winter, strictly ban fishing in ponds and rivers, and log and plant trees all at the right
time, so grain and fish will abound, mountains will not go bare, and people have
more than enough to eat and use.” (“Wangzhi” in Xunzi) Even when our ancestors
S. Zhao
beasts, trees and grass.” (“Yanghuo” in the Analects of Confucius) The Confucian
ecological awareness is based on understanding nature. The Book of Changes states
“there is first heaven and earth, then the various species, then males and females,” and
Xu Shen’s Origin of Chinese Characters holds that “the Way gives birth to heaven
and earth and all living things.” It is the Confucian belief that the Yin and the Yang
are symbiotic while the five elements subdue each other, and man derives from nature
and constitutes a part of it. Such a perception could hardly arouse the ambition to
conquer nature, but would generate awe for nature. “Yanghuo” in The Analects of
Confucius also says “Does heaven speak? Yet the seasons pass and the creatures of
the world are born,” which reveals Confucius’ awe for the laws of nature, which is
the prerequisite and basic rule for human activities. Mencius proposed that the Way
of Heaven is the ultimate origin and basis of the Way of Man. “Liqi” in The Book of
Rites states “Rite shall comply with the course of time, the properties on land, the
wishes of spirits and the thoughts of man in order to governance the universe.” Li Bai,
a renowned poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote “heaven and earth don’t speak, but the
four seasons pass and the living things grow without fail,” which also expressed his
awe for the irresistible laws of nature. The industrial revolution and sci-tech progress
both rely on our knowledge of nature, so does ecological civilization. The Confucian
perception of nature has scientific elements in it that make man stand in awe of nature
rather than attempt to conquer it. Engels wrote in his Dialectics of Nature, “Let us
not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of human conquest over nature.
For each such conquest takes its revenge on us. Each of them, it is true, has in the
first place the consequences on which we counted, but in the second and third places
it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel out the first.”
This is a manifestation of his awe of nature.
2 Protecting and Making Moderate Use of Nature
Ecological civilization, at the bottom, is a system of man’s understanding of the
relation between their own behaviors and the natural environment. It is recorded in
The Analects of Confucius that Confucius only fishes but never nets; only shoots
flying birds in the day but never resting ones at night as they may be breeding babies.
Mencius records more explicit remarks that “growing forests should not be logged
so that grass and trees can grow; fishing should be banned when fishes and turtles
are growing; fawns and bird eggs should not be hunted or broken so that young
birds and beasts can grow.” (“Lianghuiwang I” in Mencius). Xunzi also states that
“A wise lord would implement such a system that axes are banned in the forest
when grass and trees are blooming or bearing fruits, and nets and poison are banned
in rivers and lakes when fishes, crocodiles, loaches and eels are spawning, so they
can live and grow. Plow in spring and summer, harvest in autumn and store up in
winter, strictly ban fishing in ponds and rivers, and log and plant trees all at the right
time, so grain and fish will abound, mountains will not go bare, and people have
more than enough to eat and use.” (“Wangzhi” in Xunzi) Even when our ancestors