Ecological Civilization Is a New Path of Civilization Imbued …
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of diversified ecology of ethnic cultures, like sacrificing the ecological environment for economic growth, is also a kind of ecological damage that is worth close
attention. We have realized how important biodiversity is for the self-balance and
self-protection of ecology and nature, and then we should also realize how important
ethnic cultures are for the balance of human civilization ecology. It would be unimaginable if there were only one culture and one identical lifestyle in modern industrial
civilization—what a disaster it would be for human civilization! The existence of
only one culture in human civilization means the end of its evolution because evolution, either of natural ecology or material world, is only possible in the interactions
of diversity. Singularity means stagnation.
2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC Proposes
Ecological Civilization as a New Path Imbued
with Eastern Wisdom
1. The shift toward ecological civilization should start with a reform of
philosophy and thinking
If we interpret the ecological civilization strategy proposed at the 18th National
Congress of the CPC in the context of the time, we would easily understand why
China hasn’t repeated the western path of environmental governance, but instead
blazed its own path with Chinese characteristics by creating a new civilization mode.
The underlying reason is that the crisis we are facing today is not simply an environmental crisis, but a civilization crisis. The flaws of western industrial civilization are
not simply the flaws of industrialization itself, but expose the flaws of the entire civilization system. When we reflect on the western industrialization mode, we should
stand at the height of civilization as we not only need to seek a way out of the environmental crisis, but also reflect on and innovate our values, way of thinking, culture
and way of life.
Theories of ecological civilization were put forth in the 1980s, but China is the
only country that has elevated the concept to be a state strategy and has held up high
this banner. This is full evidence that China is standing on a high ground as we march
toward the future. Standing at such a height, what we bring to the modern world is,
first and foremost, not technology, not GDP, or a sectoral system. What we present
is the possibility of a new civilization based on eastern wisdom, the new natural
outlook of “man and nature in one,” the new values of mutualism, the new thinking
of systematic integration reflecting the generation-inhibition of five elements, and
the new philosophy of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Perhaps right now with the aggressive impacts of western technologies resulting
from the China-US trade friction, we are not taking seriously these intangible factors
that are already influencing the world. But we must not forget that the West, as it
gradually walked to the world center since the fifteenth century, didn’t begin with
technology and economy when changing the world, but with culture and philosophy.
579
of diversified ecology of ethnic cultures, like sacrificing the ecological environment for economic growth, is also a kind of ecological damage that is worth close
attention. We have realized how important biodiversity is for the self-balance and
self-protection of ecology and nature, and then we should also realize how important
ethnic cultures are for the balance of human civilization ecology. It would be unimaginable if there were only one culture and one identical lifestyle in modern industrial
civilization—what a disaster it would be for human civilization! The existence of
only one culture in human civilization means the end of its evolution because evolution, either of natural ecology or material world, is only possible in the interactions
of diversity. Singularity means stagnation.
2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC Proposes
Ecological Civilization as a New Path Imbued
with Eastern Wisdom
1. The shift toward ecological civilization should start with a reform of
philosophy and thinking
If we interpret the ecological civilization strategy proposed at the 18th National
Congress of the CPC in the context of the time, we would easily understand why
China hasn’t repeated the western path of environmental governance, but instead
blazed its own path with Chinese characteristics by creating a new civilization mode.
The underlying reason is that the crisis we are facing today is not simply an environmental crisis, but a civilization crisis. The flaws of western industrial civilization are
not simply the flaws of industrialization itself, but expose the flaws of the entire civilization system. When we reflect on the western industrialization mode, we should
stand at the height of civilization as we not only need to seek a way out of the environmental crisis, but also reflect on and innovate our values, way of thinking, culture
and way of life.
Theories of ecological civilization were put forth in the 1980s, but China is the
only country that has elevated the concept to be a state strategy and has held up high
this banner. This is full evidence that China is standing on a high ground as we march
toward the future. Standing at such a height, what we bring to the modern world is,
first and foremost, not technology, not GDP, or a sectoral system. What we present
is the possibility of a new civilization based on eastern wisdom, the new natural
outlook of “man and nature in one,” the new values of mutualism, the new thinking
of systematic integration reflecting the generation-inhibition of five elements, and
the new philosophy of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Perhaps right now with the aggressive impacts of western technologies resulting
from the China-US trade friction, we are not taking seriously these intangible factors
that are already influencing the world. But we must not forget that the West, as it
gradually walked to the world center since the fifteenth century, didn’t begin with
technology and economy when changing the world, but with culture and philosophy.