What is the essential difference between Western civilization and Chinese civilization?西方文明与中华文明本质区别是什么？

 What is the essential difference between Western civilization and Chinese civilization?

Western civilization puts more emphasis on the idea of "humanism", that is, human beings must fight and defeat nature. Chinese civilization puts more emphasis on the idea of "nature-oriented", that is, man is a part of nature, and man and nature have the same origin and laws, and man must conform to nature (heaven and man are one); after all, man is not the whole of nature, and other parts of nature are also It will affect and threaten the survival of human beings. In order to dominate human beings, we must fight and transform the natural world (man will conquer nature, and heaven and man are opposed); nature is the basis and environment for human existence, and human beings must live in harmony with it (the fusion of nature and man). Superficial views do not know right?

The West is a beastly jungle built on the basis of robbery, killing, fraud, and concealment. Find out how Americans got their hands on America? Go ask which of the ancestors of Western monopoly capital was not a robber or a criminal? Go and see where there are no Europeans and Americans behind the scenes in the war-torn areas of the world? In fact, the West also had a long dark period, but after the industrial revolution, it made great progress, like today. The development of my country's farming civilization is too mature, and it can't turn around at once, and it seems to be lagging behind. Now learn from Western civilization humbly and use it for me, why not? What's wrong with the two civilizations learning from each other's strengths to create a new Chinese civilization?

People are not ruthless because they are familiar with plants and trees? Humans are advanced animals with thoughts. Not mindless plants. Now that there are thoughts, there will be seven emotions and six desires. If you have the emotions and desires, you will pursue self-development. It can only be constrained by the framework of the law and cannot be suppressed by force. Respect for humanity. Respect the natural laws of human nature. It is a harmonious and developing society. The so-called civilization of the West is a barbaric and naked plunder, plunder, massacre and destruction. It is only in the cultural class and cannot rise to the height of civilization! The laws and laws of the animal world are always at the low level of culture! What represents civilization is order. What is the difference between a society without order and rules and the animal world!

For the Chinese civilization, we belong to the descendants of the Chinese civilization, the Eastern civilization, and her genetic roots are mostly linked by clans and nationalities, forming a Chinese civilization community, including the Chinese ethnic groups at home and abroad, so Chinese civilization is born The link of continuous inheritance. (The speaker is only the inheritor of family culture) Chinese culture. It is inclusive, and the foreign things are finally contained and prosperous, and then become their own things. And Western culture. The difference from Chinese culture is that it does not include foreign cultures, but excludes them. Use its strengths and rebuke its weaknesses. This has nothing to do with inclusion. For example, Wuhuluanhua. Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jiehu, Di, Qiang, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty reformed, asked his subjects to wear Han costumes, and learned Han culture. Change your name to a Chinese name. If there were no Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the integration of Xianbei and Han people, then Chinese civilization might have a different pattern.

Stop talking about Western civilization, Eastern civilization, and Indian civilization. There is only one civilization on our planet, and that is human civilization (earth civilization). The Western civilization and Eastern civilization you mentioned are nothing more than cultural differences. Eastern culture, Western culture, Indian culture, etc.

Mencius Xunzi of China has long put forward that nature is good and nature is evil. Why is Mencius higher than Xunzi in China? Confucianism advocates that education can correctly guide human nature to the good side, which is also in line with the Chinese theory of yin and yang, punishing evil To promote kindness, our society promotes the kind side more, hoping to guide people's hearts to the kind side, not that we deny the ugly side of our own hearts. Both Western civilization and Chinese civilization belong to human civilization. No system is perfect, and human beings have not yet reached this level of civilization. However, freedom, equality, human rights and a happy life are the common pursuit of mankind. On this road, the degree, stage and method of each civilization's development are different. They are constantly groping forward. Scholars don't have to be so narrow-minded. There is no need to use the ugly phenomenon of a certain person, a certain era, or a certain region in the human process to belittle or elevate a certain party.

Is self-hacking popular now? When it comes to the endless self-deprecation of Chinese civilization, and the lack of development of Western civilization, is it because of self-deprecation that everyone is drunk and I am alone? ! Which civilization is more suitable for the long-term stability of the world, Datong or the jungle? Which culture is more inclusive? Is the original English version Caixiang right? If you really look deeply at the history of the East and the West, don't be fooled by an accidental fluctuation of two or three hundred years in the long river of history!

To figure out the difference between Taoism and art, the whole civilization is actually going in the wrong direction. The West studies people and things, China studies people and people, India and Egypt study people and gods. Facts have proved that people and things are the easiest to break through, but it is a dead end. Even if the technology is 10,000 times more advanced, it can't solve these problems? Our ancestors, especially those before the Han and Tang Dynasties, observed the world from a higher dimension. Look at the double-slit interference experiment of quantum mechanics, the most macroscopic and the most microscopic, the concept of our ancestors heaven, earth and man is right.

The essence of Western civilization and Chinese civilization are both earth civilizations. In the long river of history, their respective pursuits of spiritual civilization and material civilization have different priorities in terms of time, and there have been similarities and minor differences. Man and nature is an eternal topic, the Milky Way has not been explored clearly, everyone work hard.

It is suggested that Chinese people who deny Chinese civilization should read a little bit of Western history first, and learn a little bit about the history of the founding and development of Western countries. For example, why are the millions of Indians in the United States gone? How come there are so many colonies in the world, for example? For example, how did the Opium War break out in China? What happened to the Eight-Power Allied Forces? Then you come to praise the so-called civilization of the West, and then discredit the Chinese civilization that has nurtured the Chinese nation (including your ancestors) for thousands of years, okay?

China is the basic culture of ethics, while the West is the basic culture of contract. Feudal cultural tyranny has hindered the progress of science and technology, but our national degeneration is not easy to accept new things. The success of the Meiji Restoration and the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898 proved this point. Total Westernization of Russia proved unfeasible as well. It is impossible for a nation's quality to change suddenly without being divorced from reality. If you study hard, if everyone makes a small step forward, the country and the nation will make a big step forward.

Science is not unique to, or equivalent to, Western civilization. There was science in ancient China, but it was not developed well. It is just that the modern West has developed science the best. Now China is catching up in science, and it will definitely surpass it in the future. Does it mean that modern civilization will become Chinese civilization after surpassing it? What would happen without Western civilization?

Western civilization is based on capital, and everything revolves around capital. The civilization of China is built on the basis of people, and the people are the king and the country is the second (the government must serve the officials well, and the officials must serve the common people well. The common people are the most important wealth.), this time The current epidemic situation best embodies the people-oriented and respect for life.

Chinese civilization, good knowledge. Research directly on the human body, life, and the universe. Western civilization redeveloped after the Great Flood, and it was transmitted by evil alien creatures, which have great plans for human beings. The situation in today's world is clear to anyone who cares about the fact that people do not believe in gods and worship materials to the point of destruction. The West is all about smashing, smashing, looting, and burning. From the Roman Empire to the Empire on which the sun never sets to the United States, it’s all a routine. Invasion everywhere, if force is not enough, use economic and cultural aggression. To sum it up in China is bullying. Such civilizations are short-lived. It's just the jungle of the jungle. Eastern civilization is self-reliance, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and pursuing the kingly way.

Western culture is fundamentally beyond the so-called civilization. Western cultural thought is based on religion. Religious beliefs and thoughts always exclude any other nation. Even the most powerful internal nation in the United States is opposed to each other. and discriminatory.

In March of this year, Oriental Publishing House released Bian Qin's new work "The Change of Civilization: Paris 1896·Looking for Li Hongzhang". In 1896, Li Hongzhang visited on behalf of the Qing government, and Paris was an important stop. More than a hundred years later, according to the newspaper records and declassified official files at that time, Bian Qin visited Li Hongzhang one by one. The changes of civilization are in the footprints of two Chinese people separated by a hundred years. Bian Qin said: "The focus of this book is not to interpret China, but to allow readers to experience the collision of nineteenth-century industrial civilization and ancient agricultural civilization in a metropolis that has completed the first industrial revolution through Li Hongzhang's Journey to the West. "

The narrative of history implies the passion of reality. Bian Qin opened a window for a new understanding of the West. The landscape she presents is quite different from what we are used to.

The rediscovery of the nineteenth century has had an earth-shaking impact

Qing Reading: First of all, I would like to ask you about the origin of writing your new book "Changes of Civilization: Paris 1896·Looking for Li Hongzhang". How did you notice Li Hongzhang's trip to France?

Bian Qin: As early as when I was writing the book "A Mirror Walking Along the Road", due to a lot of reading, I came into contact with the 19th century in the West. This contact is more in-depth and detailed than the previous general understanding of world history in China. From this we can see that that century was unusual, and that the chariot of capital and its goal of "globalization" that have held back the destiny of mankind has been fully launched since then, and its large-scale industrialization and social transformation have many similar trajectories to today's China. The great changes in the world today can all find their fuse in that century, including the antithesis "East" (agricultural society) that was found to set off the industrialized "West", which predetermined our thinking concepts. The re-understanding of the nineteenth century had a somewhat earth-shaking influence on me.

Why do you say that? Because the nineteenth century is a fatal century for us, it is this century that opened the unprecedented internal collapse of Chinese civilization. No matter how many powerful alien races invaded the Central Plains for thousands of years, Chinese civilization has never lost its cultural confidence. However, the 19th century was also conquered by force, and it was not fully occupied by the military. However, it shook the unshakable foundation and made us Live on that fault to this day. Until the 1980s and 1990s and even today, we are still using the diverted path of civilization comparison to conclude that China is "backward" and the West is "advanced", and then draw "obvious" conclusions. This led off road locked my thinking track for a long time and on a large scale, until I took advantage of the convenience of traveling and came into contact with first-hand information, and I was able to bypass the leaders of public opinion and their interpretations specially for us. , go deep into the details that have been filtered out long ago, and enter the scene lost after conversion, and then suddenly realize the "point" that Western theorists have always avoided reminding backward countries, that is, the relationship between the "advanced" West and the "backward" China. The real determinant of the world is not the difference between civilizations, but big capital and industrialization. As long as you go deep into France in the great industrial boom of the nineteenth century, the truth hits your face that industrialization has changed everything and created everything from nothing. Industrial civilization is different from any kind of classical civilization of human beings. Comparing industrialized society with agricultural society, summing up the differences between civilizations, and then introducing the opposition between democracy and autocracy is a deliberate misleading. False prescriptions issued.

This discovery was accompanied by another discovery, that is, since the nineteenth century, a "Chinese discourse" that has not changed fundamentally has been formed in the West since the nineteenth century—a discourse directed at China. This discourse started from that century, changed the discourse before the eighteenth century, and produced its fixed mode, which I call the "conquest mode". background. This discourse constitutes the "international public opinion" that dominates from the spiritual level and induces a large number of Chinese cultural elites, opening up another battlefield of conquest besides the military battlefield.

If these two discoveries are taken together, they are actually two sides of the same big process. This "big process" is the "globalization" that the term itself has not yet been designed at that time. corner of the figure. From this perspective, the nineteenth century and today are connected by a line. Li Hongzhang’s Westward Journey at the end of the nineteenth century also went beyond the two narrow points of the relationship between China and the West, revealing the chessboard, chess pieces and chess games hidden under it. This is the background for my attention to Li Hongzhang's Journey to the West. Of course, there are also some accidental factors, such as accidentally catching a glimpse of a front page of "Little Daily" on Sunday, July 26, 1896 at a second-hand newsstand in Paris. The vassal king Li Hongzhang".

These inevitable and accidental factors make me think that if China’s first official visit to the West in the 19th century can be interpreted through the “Chinese discourse” of the West (the Qing court sent a delegation to Europe in 1866, although it was also an official faction, but in name it was an unofficial non-governmental interview), especially when the participant was Li Hongzhang. It is of extraordinary significance for Chinese people to think about the two discoveries I mentioned. If you read this book carefully, you will realize that when I traced the footprints of Special Envoy Li's travels in France, I tried to restore the atmosphere of the 19th century in my descriptions of some key events and places, so that readers who are interested in modern history can appreciate the absence of historical records in history books. The details, and then think about why China in the nineteenth century fell to that point.

Of course, my purpose is not to do history, although every detail about Li’s travels in the book has its source, and I dare not add imagination. I prefer that readers regard it as a literary essay on tracing and tracing, so that they can follow my tracing more relaxedly to appreciate the earth-shattering nineteenth century.

Qing Reading: Your book not only traces the footsteps of Li Hongzhang, but also presents the century-old changes in Paris. Comparing the present and the past, what is your deepest feeling during the search?

Bian Qin: My deepest feeling is the speed at which the colonial empires retreated to their original boundaries, and the revenge of the weak. Most of the beautiful France that Chinese tourists see today is the legacy left by colonial plunder and rapid industrialization. Century has been difficult to do. Just look at how many treasures in the great museums in Paris were dug out from the ground, and you will know it well.

But if you look at the two hundred years of history, the turbulent conquest also brought back the water. Almost every continent that was conquered returned more or less a little bit of poverty and humbleness. Government tenements on the fringes of every major city are filled with immigrants from distant conquests, doing jobs the French won't do, living in ugly neighborhoods between elegant city centers and idyllic countryside, and proliferating in order to receive government benefits. Childbirth benefits for postponing an aging society. Although industrialization and consumer society have provided ample material life, they are also destroying the inner mechanism that guarantees the continuity of a civilization at a rapid speed. This is very scary. The self-dissolution of the social organism in the dance and peace is happening right under your nose. .

Europe is indeed aging rapidly in terms of civilization

Qing Reading: In your new book, you talk about "Europe aging rapidly in luxury". Over the years, France is still admirable, but there are also voices in China that speak badly of France, Europe, and even the entire Western world (such as distrust of Western democracy, ridicule of "white leftists", etc.) , what is your opinion on this?

Bian Qin: I personally think that using the word "bad-mouthing" has a slightly derogatory connotation. It is better to say that things have returned to their original positions, the truth has surfaced, and the fictional value bubble is being squeezed out little by little. The distrust of Western democracy is because people who have seen it on the ground find that it is far from the democracy we thought, and should be called an illusion of democracy. Of course, being able to make the illusion that the common people take it seriously and that the world admires it is also a remarkable generosity. In this regard, I sincerely admire the upper elites in the West.

Europe is indeed aging rapidly, from a civilizational point of view. About ten years ago, Time magazine in the United States published an article to the effect that "French culture is dead", which aroused hysterical reactions in the French intellectual circles. As an outsider, objectively speaking, I feel the same way. In fact, not only France, but Western culture as a whole is degenerating. There are many reasons, among which capital monopoly leads to "vulgarization" and "childishness" of culture, "political correctness" dominates the world, and insufficient births lead to rapid growth of low-quality population, which are the main sticking points. In the final analysis, capital rules by making the people more stupid. China has only been engaged in a market economy for 30 years. You can see how flattering and vulgar the culture has become today. People have been doing it for two hundred years, so it's not bad if they can keep up with this. I said in the book that "civilization is becoming more and more splendid as it goes forward, it is a fool's dream", which is the reason. The culture as a whole has fallen, and the hotbed for producing heroes no longer exists, and there is no soil for absorption.

The West we admired in the 20th century was the historical peak born of the glory of industrialization in the 19th century and the short-term escape from the spiritual shackles of monotheism. One rises and the other falls, shattering the relatively balanced world before the nineteenth century, resulting in necessary admiration and unrealistic worship. This state cannot be maintained permanently, not to mention that people on the "peak" are self-confident. Praising "primitive culture" and "protecting minority groups", how primitive is music and dance? How does "contemporary art" degenerate art? All the dark hands aimed at destroying the country did not improve the culture. How many phantoms of "independence and freedom" in the spiritual field of France are left? The shadow of "political correctness" hangs over almost every field of culture. Just take the movies I am most familiar with as an example. Apart from the visible freedom of undressing, the control of the system is pervasive. For those who can see, all politics is in command. This kind of "politics in command" is very different from the direct shouting of slogans that we Chinese understand. The "system" here is not the government, and the control is not explicit, but covert, with deep skills. The "Palme d'Or" at the Cannes Film Festival has almost become a tool of political struggle and a weapon of global conquest. We Chinese will wonder if we think about it, why does a cultural organization that is "non-governmental, private, and independent of the political power" have such a mission? Millions of French people took to the streets to strongly oppose the legalization of gay marriage, and the film festival immediately presented a gay film and gave it the highest honor; Iran was sanctioned, and the film festival became the base camp of its anti-government "artists"; in order to overthrow the Syrian regime, No level of film can be shortlisted "exceptionally"... No matter in France or abroad, the highest art selection standard is the dark line of politics, so many real talents are buried, and so many false names are given! What kind of culture can withstand such a long-term toss by dark hands?

Qing Reading: Europe is indeed full of problems at present. European civilization itself seems to have reached an anxious juncture. Do you think European civilization has the ability to weather the storm and repair itself?

Bian Qin: First, let’s define a concept. I personally think that the scope of the “European civilization” you mentioned is not easy to define. I understand that you refer to Western Europe, which is the country that first experienced the industrial revolution and colonial expansion in modern times. In order to avoid conceptual entanglement, it is better to use "Western civilization" to define a clearer boundary, which is their own concept.

The rise of "Western civilization" has an essential factor, which is that it is closely accompanied by the strength of the military, that is to say, it is not developed, but fought. This is very different from ours. In the long history of Chinese civilization, the disdain of the East was not based on military destruction of opponents, but on developed farming and handicraft industries. Industrialization has completely put an end to the balance of power in the age of cold weapons, making Western Europe, these small belligerent countries in history, invincible all over the world, rapidly occupying and controlling global resources and markets through colonialism at an unimaginable speed in the classical era, and establishing a historically unprecedented A huge empire that has never been seen. You must know that the borders of the British and French empires once bordered China. Therefore, "Western civilization" stands out from the crowd in modern times, and there are two unavoidable factors: one is colonialism, and the other is the industrial revolution. The prerequisite for these two factors is that the opponent can be destroyed in advance in the military, so as to benefit oneself from stealing.

Even if the history is not expressed, it is already there. It is through colonial plunder and industrialization that Europe quickly accumulated huge wealth. Later, the "Western civilization" that made other civilizations in the world feel inferior was built on the accumulation of wealth of. However, history has not proven how "Western civilization" will behave when it goes against the trend if it is no longer possible to point out where to fight and where to weaken or destroy the opponent in advance. It is difficult to compare this with the history of Chinese civilization's nirvana amidst adverse trends. There have been similar crises in the West in the past, and their solution is war. Foreign wars are a shortcut for the West to solve internal problems. The crisis facing the West today is not only caused by itself, but also by external challenges. They are losing their absolute leading position in the industrial revolution. China, a miserable country that was defeated by them in the 19th century, overtakes the car with great difficulty, making all the conveniences of the unfair world they have single-handedly managed no longer so natural. This is what they did not expect And. I really doubt whether the West will have the ability to repair itself and maintain cultural hegemony for a long time once it loses its dominant position.

The right to speak in the West consists of a perfect technique

Qing Reading: Several of your books are dedicated to revealing the hidden discourse mechanism of Western civilization, and you feel that Chinese people have generally lost "aesthetic rights, moral rights, and historical interpretation rights" without knowing it. How did you pay attention to this issue? Is it related to your living experience in France? For example, several major events in 2008 awakened the national consciousness of many Chinese people. What about you?

Bian Qin: 2008 was just a year when there was a strong inflection point, but the mental preparation was much earlier than this year. The essence of Western society is a bit like the essence of Westerners. The collection is extremely deep, and then it is wrapped up layer by layer to present the side that you want to see, such as being stronger than you. He first said it was because Christ was on their side, and then he said yes Derived from the democratic freedoms that existed in ancient Greece. If you read the books and newspapers of the 19th century, you will find that the word "democracy" was not so frequently talked about as it is now. At that time, the main emphasis was on the invincibility of Christianity and racial superiority, which was more straightforward than it is now.

Chinese who have lived or settled in the West for a long time will face a choice sooner or later, which side you are on. No one is openly forcing you, but the deep-rooted anti-China and anti-Chinese will send Chinese people into three camps. The most extensive group I call "self-interested faction". All their energy is devoted to fighting for themselves, regardless of how Westerners treat their home country, they only strive to survive in a narrow place; the second group of people I call "integration faction", the characteristic of this group of people is "Don't you hate China? Then I hate China more than you", "If you slap China once, I will slap three". Only in this way can we live in peace. This is not an exaggeration at all, either numb or "better than you". If you don’t do this, you have to fall into the third group of people——the "repressive group". The characteristic of this group of people is that they are burdened by their conscience and have been in mental depression for a long time. Sensitive people may even feel the pain of being ironed from time to time. This was the reality before 2010, and the situation has improved since then, but the basic reality is difficult to fundamentally reverse. In such a situation, you can only choose one of these three camps, and you can’t even talk about choosing, but follow your own nature. If you can be numb, you will live a little more peacefully; you can be "more than you" If you can't change your mind, you can only learn from it. It was through painful lessons that I was able to bypass the presupposed words of the West, read, observe, think, and then discover something.

Qing Reading: After World War II, a trend of "anti-Westernism" gradually appeared in the Western cultural and academic circles. What do you think of the "anti-Westernism" rising in the West?

Bian Qin: This is part of the public opinion preparation for the big goal of "globalization". As early as the end of World War II, the "world ruling group" had planned to deconstruct the physical colonial empire because it was unsustainable and the cost was too high, especially the moral cost. The new forms of "economic colonization" and "spiritual colonization" have large benefits and low costs, and there is no need for military invasion and occupation in the nineteenth century. If you look at China today, you can see it at a glance. In the 1930s, even in Shanghai, where there were many concessions, could you find a person who dyed blond hair and got a foreign name? The current "Western-centric theory" doesn't need that end to be publicly listed at all, and this end can already be produced and sold on its own.

Qing Reading: China needs to establish its own voice in the world. So, if we need to compete with the West for "aesthetic rights, moral rights, and historical interpretation rights", what method do you think should be adopted?

Bian Qin: To be honest, this question is hard to answer. On the one hand, the discourse power of the West is in a sense constituted by a perfect technique. If we want to build our own discourse power, we must first understand the Western discourse skills, because this is a battlefield without gunpowder. For example, the "detail relay" of the movie I discovered is one of the combat skills. The so-called detail relay of the movie is to use the influence of the picture on the subconscious mind of people, and repeatedly use the same kind of details to carry out mental transformation. Since the details are not the theme of a movie, they are even outside the plot. It can be a seemingly inadvertent word, or a noun mentioned by chance, or a prop, or the image of a certain type of person, or the atmosphere of a certain scene. , but if these details are consciously implanted in the images of various movies for a long time, the secretly formed "relay" can control the audience's subconscious unconsciously. It should be admitted that Western research on human psychology is ahead of ours. We have not made this a strategic goal and invested a lot of manpower and material resources like missiles and satellites. The real rulers of the West (not the government cabinet) hide behind the scenes, knowing that "gentle dictatorship" and "discourse rule" are the ruling weapons of the present and future world, and they have devoted themselves to research as early as the first half of the last century. Over the past 30 years, some Western scholars who have traveled to China's cities, towns, and villages in the name of anthropology, psychology, and even remote areas are mostly engaged in intelligence collection in this area. In terms of soft power, our comparison with the West is still in the unequal state of spears and swords versus artillery warships in the 19th century. If we do not catch up, it is only wishful thinking to build our own right to speak.

On the other hand, if our elites cannot realize how "aesthetic rights, moral rights, and historical interpretation rights" have been changed hands unknowingly, how can they "recapture" them? We voluntarily hand over these three powers to Oscar, Palme d'Or, Golden Bear, Nobel, Grammy, and sinologists...Humbleness does not mean losing confidence. I recently came across the documentary "Southern Song Dynasty" filmed by a TV station in Zhejiang. When analyzing the history of the Southern Song Dynasty, this film divided the right of historical interpretation to four groups of experts with a rare "fairness" in the world: Germany, Japan, the United States, and China. . Chinese historians have not received the slightest "partiality", not for the "lord", but for no more or less of them. Although the documentary does not contradict the views of Chinese and Western experts, it is clearly telling viewers that the views of Chinese Song Dynasty history scholars are not credible, and foreign (Western) experts must testify. Just imagine if the French made a documentary explaining the Napoleonic Wars, would they ask Chinese historians to intervene? So first of all, we must wake up and realize ourselves.

Eastern and Western civilizations have evolved two different civilizations according to different trajectories in a relatively isolated situation, both of which have made contributions to world civilization, and both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Generally speaking, Western civilization has made greater contributions to modern times, especially in the advancement of science and technology and commerce; Eastern civilization has made greater contributions to ancient times, and its contributions to humanities and social systems are more prominent. Analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of a civilization mainly depends on its contribution to social progress and its outstanding achievements in economy, technology, and cultural systems.

1. Western Civilization

(1) Economy

The West controlled a large number of colonies through great voyages, and completed capital accumulation through bloody plunder of the colonies. After the completion of primitive accumulation, capitalist countries started the process of commercialization. They invented a whole set of commercial systems and endorsed these commercial systems with the power of the state, which greatly promoted the development of the commodity economy and produced a huge amount of social product. However, with the development and growth of capital, we have also entered the commercial era, and the status of businessmen is at the highest level in history. The capitalists began to control the state power and constantly influenced state policies to suit their own interests. After the businessmen took control of the state power, they only focused on their own interests. The current capitalist state power is basically oligarchy. Monopoly oligopoly does not care about the life and death of other people in the society, which leads to unfair distribution of social wealth and serious polarization between rich and poor, which can easily lead to social turmoil. This is a common problem in capitalist countries. It depends on whether the government is strong and has the ability to cut these monopoly capitals.

(2) Culture

Now the main control of public opinion in the world is still in the hands of Western countries, and the media industry is also divided into levels. The most upstream media, such as the BBC, CNN and the six major Hollywood film companies are all controlled by the Jews. To export culture and invade other countries, they invented a set of "universal values" to brainwash other countries. Emphasizing that their system, culture, and way of life are the most advanced, and allowing other countries to develop according to their path, they have successfully cultivated batch after batch of "public intellectuals" in other countries, using these "public intellectuals" The "public knowledge" easily controls a country, locks other countries at the bottom of the industrial chain, and completely reduces them to their slaves. This kind of "cultural colonization" and "economic colonization" is much more hidden than the early colonial occupation of other countries. The territory is much more advanced. For example: Nelson Mandela in South Africa is a typical example of public knowledge disrupting a country. Nelson Mandela, who had been in prison for 20 years, became the president of South Africa as soon as he was released. In fact, he had no experience in governing the country. South Africa has turned South Africa into an "economic colony" of the West. South Africa opened up its finances, and a large number of high-quality assets were successfully bought by Western countries. He became a revolutionary fighter and won the Nobel Peace Prize. It seems that Western countries also have a strong political bias in awarding the Nobel Prize, which is not as fair as they say.

(3) Technology

A group of philosophers in ancient Greece gave birth to philosophy in constant debate. Rome conquered Greece, but Greek culture conquered Rome. But after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, there was also a cultural hiatus. It is hard to believe that the West accidentally invented modern science in the process of revival of ancient Greek culture. The birth of science is very accidental. The main tools are philosophical speculation and the development of theology. To glorify God, to argue against the Creator, and to accidentally invent a scientific theory system. The development of science has enabled the West to point out the technology tree, leading the three industrial revolutions, and the development of science and technology has greatly magnified the advantages of Western countries. Part of the reason for the development and growth of western countries in the field of science and technology is that they respect individual rights and personal freedom. Only the liberation of people can give full play to their creativity. Patent rights protect individual inventions, which greatly encourages the enthusiasm of individuals to create and invent . Western countries do have an adventurous spirit and are good at breakthroughs in the field of science and technology. They have led the direction of technological development time and time again.

2. Eastern Civilization

(1) Economy

The East has been beaten by Western countries for hundreds of years, and most countries have become colonies of Western countries. Even after World War II, it is difficult to get rid of the "economic colonization" of Western countries. ", has been at the bottom of the industrial chain, and has been reduced to a foundry in Western countries. Among the Asian countries, only Japan and China had the earliest nation-state awakening and rose up to resist the rule of Western countries. Japan was the first country to rise up to resist. It was once successful, but after World War II it was completely controlled by the United States, and it is not now. Turn over.

The past 40 years have been the history of China's rapid development. We have obtained capital and technology through integration into the economic system dominated by Western countries, and achieved rapid development. We have chosen a correct path, and we are also beneficiaries of globalization. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union began to decline. Not only did the Soviet Union have problems with its system, but it even had the wrong technology tree in terms of technology. Fortunately, China decisively abandoned the Soviet Union's path and chose to get closer to the United States.

(2) Culture

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the academic contention of various schools of thought gave birth to theories of various schools, and the Chinese ideological and cultural system basically determined its form during the "Qin-Han Empire" period. Chinese intellectuals have always had a strong sense of family and country, and took reforming society as their own responsibility. The early sages could sit down with the king and publicize their own ideas of governing the country, hoping that the king would adopt it. After the Qin Dynasty unified the world, the situation changed. The rulers began to gradually abolish some useless miscellaneous studies. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "abolished theories of a hundred schools of thought and only respected Confucianism" was actually the first time to unify thinking. Academics must serve politics, and intellectuals must be used by the country, and cannot be dissociated from the system, otherwise their development will be restricted.

Mohism's "non-aggression and universal love" is an idealism, similar to the idea of utopia. This kind of "world harmony" idea does not meet the needs of rulers at all, and Mohism takes a high-end route and absorbs social elites into its system. This practice was feared by the rulers. Mohism has neither a superstructure nor a bottom-level mass base, so the Mohist theory gradually disappeared.

Confucianism divides the people at the bottom into invisible ranks and requires the people to abide by order, which meets the needs of governance, so Confucianism is adopted by the rulers. In the whole set of order constructed by Confucianism, no matter what level you are in, you can feel the pressure from above. The thought of "hardship is the only way to succeed" has become a belief that runs through our lives. People in the "Confucian civilization circle" in East Asia are very depressed, and they are desperately trying to climb up all their lives.

China completed the earliest centralization of power in the Qin Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, and its ability to centralize power surpassed that of any other country, and it was able to realize the earliest general mobilization of the country. The essence of Eastern civilization is centralization. The purpose of all systems is to complete centralization. The will of the monarch is the will of the country. Individuals need to transfer most of their rights to the country, and the outstanding elites are concentrated in the center. This kind of system has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it can concentrate the power of the state to do big things, so East Asia has always been a monster house, and it is easy to "explode the army" and "explode the economy". The disadvantage is that every time we complete the great unification, we will become very closed and fall into stock competition internally. Once there is a problem with the center of power, the country will fall into turmoil and go through another cycle, similar to restarting after a crash, everything I have to do it all over again.

In fact, the most dangerous moment for Chinese civilization should have been during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, when it was almost destroyed. Buddhism was introduced to China in the Eastern Han Dynasty and flourished in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This foreign cultural invasion posed a huge challenge to China's native culture and almost caused a fault in Chinese civilization.

"Four Wonders of Hengqu"

Establish a heart for the world, and a life for the people,

In order to inherit the unique knowledge of the past saints, and to bring peace to all generations.

The spirit of virtue and self-improvement has made Chinese civilization have a long history, and China has become the only remaining four ancient civilizations.

(3) Technology

Although there are four major inventions in China, they are all practical technologies and have not formed a complete theoretical system. Modern science is a kind of refined analysis and formulaic theoretical summary. The advantage of this theory is that it is very intuitive and convenient for subsequent inheritance and learning. Therefore, it took only a few hundred years for the West to realize the technological explosion.

We regard ourselves as the center of the world, and this mentality not only enhances our national self-confidence, but also produces arrogance and prejudice. A big reason for our backwardness in modern times is the backwardness of science and technology. We did not actively learn from Western technology, which led to the generational difference in weapons, which made us very disadvantaged in the face of Western armed invasion. However, the centralized system of Eastern civilization allows us to catch up very quickly, but it is hard to say whether we can surpass after catching up, or is it involving in another larger circle?

3. Conclusion

The Western-style democratic system has certain advantages in distribution, but if a late-developing country adopts this system, it is very easy to fall into internal friction, unable to concentrate on industrialization, and the country will always fall at the bottom of the industrial chain. Moreover, political gatherings on the streets have become a malignant tumor, which can easily become a tool for color revolutions and be used for peaceful evolution. The West is exporting their values as a way to subvert other countries.

The rapid rise of China is a major threat to the Anza people. The Chinese nation is extremely tenacious and intelligent, stronger than any nation they have encountered before. The Germanic nation and the Yamato nation have challenged the Anza people, but they all failed. But this time the Anza people are likely to lose the war. What he has to face is the strongest nation in the world. Grow into a giant. The Chinese nation is the most outstanding nation in the world. We are different from the cunning of the Jews, and we are not as cruel as the Angsa people. The advantage of China is that it has a long and good political and historical tradition. As long as we do not have internal problems, we will definitely die U.S.

西方文明与中华文明本质区别是什么？

西方文明更强调“人本主义”思想，即人类要抗争，要战胜自然。中华文明更强调“自然为本”思想，即人是自然界的一部分，人与自然界有着共同本源和规律，人类必须要顺应自然界（天人合一）；人类毕竟不是整个自然界，自然界的其它部分也会影响和威胁人类的生存，为了主存人类必须要抗争和改造自然界（人定胜天，天人对立）；自然界是人类存在的基础和环境，人类从必须要和它和谐相处（天人融合）。肤浅之见不知对否？

西方是靠抢劫、杀戮、欺诈、瞒哄为根基建立起来的兽性丛林，去查查美国人的美洲是怎么到手的？去问问西方垄断资本的祖上有哪一个不是强盗和罪犯？去看看全世界战火纷飞的地区有哪儿没有欧美人的幕后黑手？其实，西方也有一段漫长的黑暗时期，只是工业革命后，有了长足进步，像今天的样子。我國农耕文明发展过于成熟，弯子一下转不过来，显得落后了。现在向西方文明虚心学习，为我所用，有何不可？两种文明，取长补短，融合创造中华新文明，有何不好？

人非草木熟能无情？人是有思想的高级动物。不是无思想的植物。即然有思想就会有七情六欲。有七情六欲就会追求自我发展。只有用法律的框框来约束而不能用强权来压制。尊重人性。尊重人性的自然规律。才是和谐的，发展的社会。西方的所谓文明是野蛮赤裸的巧取豪夺屠戮毁灭，只是处在文化阶层，上升不到文明的高度！动物畜生界的法则定律，永远只是处在低级的文化层面！代表文明的是秩序，没有秩序和规矩的社会和畜生动物界有何区别！

对于中华文明，我们同属华夏子孙，东方文明，她的传承根脉基因，大都是於氏族家族、民族相连系为纽带，组成的中华民族文明共同体，包括海内外华夏族裔，所以中华文明是生生不息传承纽带。（言者只是家族文化传承人）中华文化。是包容的，把外来的东西最终包容荣华，然后成为自己的东西。而西方文化。和中华文化不同的区别在于，他没有把外来的文化包容进去，它是排斥在外。用其长，斥其短。这就和包容无关。例如五胡乱华。匈奴、鲜卑、羯胡、氐、羌，北魏孝文帝改革，叫自己的臣下穿汉人服装，学习汉人文化。把自己的名字改成汉人名。如果没有北魏孝文帝的，鲜卑和汉人的融合那么中华文明可能是另外一番格局。

再不要口口声声说什么西方文明、东方文明、印度文明之类的话了，我们这个地球只有一个文明，那就是人类文明（地球文明），你所说的西方文明、东方文明不过是文化差异而已，即东方文化、西方文化、印度文化等。

中国的孟子荀子早就提出了性本善和性本恶，为什么孟子的地位在中国比荀子高，儒家学说给主张通过教育是能够正确引导人性走向善良的一面，也符合中国的阴阳论，惩恶扬善，我们的社会更多的宣传善良的一面，是希望把人心往善良的一面去引导，并不是我们否定我们自己内心的丑陋一面。西方文明和中华文明同属人类文明。没有哪一种制度是完美的，人类还没到这个文明程度。但是，自由平等人权和幸福生活是人类的共同追求。这条路上，每种文明发展的程度，阶段以及方法都有不同。都在不断的摸索前进。读书人不必这么狭隘。更没必要拿人类进程中的某人，某个时代，某个地区的丑恶现象来贬低或是拔高某一方。

现在是不是流行自黑了？说到中华文明滔滔不绝地自黑，说到西方文明没有展开下文了，是不是自黑才显得世人皆醉我独醒？！是哪种文明更适合世界的长治久安，是大同还是丛林？哪种文化更加包容？英文原版的才香对吗？如果真的深入看东西方历史，就不要被历史长河中两三百年的一个偶然波动所蒙蔽！

搞清楚道和术的区别，整个文明其实是走错了方向，西方研究人与物，中国研究人与人，印度埃及研究人与神，事实证明人与物最容易突破，但是是一条死路，科技再发达一万倍也解决不了这些问题？我们祖先特别是汉唐以前的是属于高一个维度来观察世界的。看看量子力学的双缝干涉实验，最宏观和最微观的，我们的祖先天地人的概念是对的。

西方文明与中华文明的本质都是地球文明，在历史的长河中，各自对精神文明和物质文明的追求在时间上側重點不同，出现了大同小异之别。人与自然是个永恒的话题，银河系还没探索清楚呢，大家努力啊。

建议否定中华文明的中国人，先去好好读一点西方历史，稍微也了解一点西方的立国发家史，比如美国本土的百万印第安人怎么没了？比如世界上怎么会有如此之多的被殖民地？比如中国怎么会爆发鸦片战争？八国联军又是怎么回事？然后你们再来赞美西方的所谓文明，再来抹黑养育了中华民族几千年（包括你们的祖先）的中华文明，好吗？

中国是伦理基础文化，西方是契约基础文化。封建文化专制阻碍了科技进步，但是我们的民族堕性又不易接受新事物。明治维新的成功和戊戌变法的失败就证明了这一点。俄罗斯的全盘西化证明也是不可行的。一个民族素质不可能脱离现实而突变，刻苦学习，每个人前进一小步，国家和民族就前进了一大步。

科学并不是西方文明所独有，或等同于西方文明。中国古代也是有科学的，只不过是没发展好，只是西方近代把科学发展得最好而已。现在中国在科学这方面在追赶，未来肯定会超越，是不是超越以后现代文明就变成中华文明了？没有西方文明什么事了？

西方的文明呢，是建立在资本的基础上的，一切都是围绕着资本运作。华夏的文明建立在人的基础上，民为重君为轻社稷次之（政府要为官员们做好服务，官员们要为百姓们做好服务，百姓是最重要的财富。），这一次的疫情最能体现了以人为本尊重生命。

中华文明，善知识。直接针对人体、生命、宇宙而研究。西方文明大洪水之后重新发展，由邪恶外星生物传的，对人类图谋甚大。使人不信神而崇拜物质以至毁灭，当今世界上的情况有心人一目了然。西方就是打砸抢烧，从罗马帝国到日不落帝国到美国，都是一个套路。到处侵略，武力不行，就用经济文化侵略。用中国的总结就是霸道。这样的文明都是昙花一现。弱肉强食而已。东方文明是自力更生，求同存异，求的是王道。

西方从文化根本上是谈不上所谓文明的，西方的文化思想是以宗教为基础延伸出来的，宗教信仰和思想始终是排斥其他任何民族的，就算当今最强大的美国内部民族也是相互对立和歧视的。

今年3月，东方出版社推出了边芹的新作《文明的变迁：巴黎1896·寻找李鸿章》。1896年，李鸿章代表清政府出访，巴黎是重要的一站。一百多年后，边芹根据当时报刊记载和已解密的官方档案，一一细访李鸿章所到之处，文明的变迁，就在两个中国人相隔百年的足迹之中。边芹说：“这本书的重点不是解读中国，而是想透过李鸿章的西游，让读者感受十九世纪工业文明与古老农业文明在一个已经完成第一次工业革命的大都市的碰撞。”

历史的叙述意味着现实的激情。边芹为重新认识西方打开了一扇窗，她呈现的风景，与我们习见的迥异。

对十九世纪的再认识带来翻天覆地的影响

青阅读：首先请教您的新书《文明的变迁：巴黎1896·寻找李鸿章》的写作缘起。您是怎样注意到了李鸿章的法国之行？

边芹：早在写作《一面沿途漫步的镜子》一书时，由于大量阅读，触碰到西方的十九世纪，这种触碰要比从前在国内泛泛了解世界史深入而细致。由此发觉那个世纪不同一般，至今牵制人类命运的资本战车及其目标“全球化”就是从那时全面起动的，其大规模的工业化和社会变革与今天的中国有着很多相似的轨迹。今天世界的大变革都能到那个世纪找到导火索，包括为衬托工业化的“西方”而找到的对立面“东方”（农业社会）这些前定了我们思维的概念。对十九世纪的再认识，对我有点翻天覆地的影响。

为什么这么说呢？因为十九世纪于我们是一个致命的世纪，是这个世纪开启了中华文明前所未有的内在崩溃。千百年来不管多少武力强悍的异族入主中原，中华文明从未失去其文化自信，然而十九世纪同样是武力征服，且并没有被全面军事占领，却动摇了不可动摇的根基，令我们至今生活在那个断层上。直到上世纪八、九十年代甚至直至今天，我们依然在用文明的对比这一被引入的歧路归结中国的“落后”和西方的“先进”，然后得出“显而易见”的结论。这一被引入的歧路在长时间里和大范围内锁定了我的思维轨道，直到我利用旅居之便，接触到第一手资料，得以绕开舆论先导，绕开他们专门为我们进行的解释，深入早已被过滤掉的细节，进入转换后丢失的场景，才茅塞顿开，发现了西方的理论家们一直避免向后进国家提示的“要点”，即“先进”的西方与“落后”的中国之间真正的决定因素，不是文明的差异，而是大资本与工业化。你只要深入十九世纪大工业热潮中的法国，这一真相扑面而来，是工业化改变了一切，从无到有创造了一切。工业文明有别于人类任何一种古典文明，将工业化社会与农业社会对比，并由此总结文明的差异，进而引入民主与专制的对立，是一种蓄意误导，差不多就是让人沉疴不起而出具的假药方。

此一发现还伴随着另一发现，即从十九世纪开始在西方形成了至今并未有根本改变的“中国话语”——针对中国的话语。此一话语正是从那个世纪起始，一改十八世纪之前的话语，产生了它的固定模式，我称之为“征服模式”，从此怀疑、否定、蔑视、敌对甚至暗中构陷成为难变的底蕴。此一话语构成了从精神层面主导、诱导中国大量文化精英的“国际舆论”，在军事战场之外开辟了另一征服战场。

这两大发现如果合在一起看，实际上是同一个大进程呈现出的两面，这个“大进程”就是当时名词本身尚未被设计出来的“全球化”，资本要闯入全球每一个有利可图的角落。从这个视角出发，十九世纪与今天便连成了一条线。李鸿章在十九世纪末的那次西游，也就超出了中西关系狭窄的两点，而露出了掩藏其下的棋盘、棋子和棋局。这是我关注李鸿章西游的大背景。当然还有一些偶然因素，比如在巴黎旧书报摊意外瞥见一张1896年7月26日星期天的《小日报》头版，上面是一幅李鸿章的肖像画，下书“法国的客人——中国特使藩王李鸿章”。

这些必然和偶然因素，让我觉得如果能透过西方的“中国话语”解读十九世纪中国对西方的第一次正式官式访问（1866年清廷派出过一个考察团赴欧，虽然也是官派，但名义上是民间非正式访问），尤其参与者还是李鸿章，对国人思考我说的那两大发现，意义自不同寻常。细读这本书就会体察我在追溯李特使旅法足迹时，对一些重点事件和地点的记述，都尽可能还原十九世纪的氛围，让对近代史感兴趣的读者去体味史书上没有的细节，进而思考十九世纪的中国为什么会落到那一步。

当然我的目的并不是做史，尽管书中有关李的行旅每一个细节都有出处，并不敢添加想象。我更愿意读者把它当作一本追踪寻迹的文学随笔，那样可以更放松地跟着我的追索去体味翻天搅地的十九世纪。

青阅读：您的书不仅追溯了李鸿章的足迹，也呈现出巴黎的百年变迁。今昔对照，在寻访的过程中，您最深切的感受是什么？

边芹：我最深切的感受就是殖民大帝国收回到原有疆界的速度，以及弱者的报复。今天中国旅游者看到的漂亮法国，大半是通过殖民掠夺和工业化迅速暴富而留下的遗产，全世界搜刮来的金银财宝加上那时尚存的手工留下了细节的奢靡，后来的世纪已经很难做到。单看看巴黎的大博物馆里有几件宝物是自家地下挖出来的，就心中有数了。

但如果你把两百年的历史铺展开来看，那惊涛扑岸的征服也带来了回水倒流，几乎每块被征服的大陆或多或少都抛回了一点贫困和卑贱，几乎每个大城市边缘的政府廉租房都挤满了遥远征服地的移民，他们做着法国人不愿做的活，住在优雅市中心和田园乡村之间的丑陋地段，大量地生育以领取政府为推迟老年化社会而发放的生育补助金。工业化和消费社会虽然提供了充裕的物质生活，但也以飞快的速度拆毁着保证一个文明绵延的内在机制，这非常可怕，那种社会机体在歌舞升平中的自解，就在你眼皮底下发生。

欧洲从文明的角度而言,确实在急剧地衰老

青阅读：在新书中，您谈到了“在奢华中迅速衰老的欧洲”。这些年来，法国固然仍令人追慕，但是国内也出现了一些唱衰法国、唱衰欧洲乃至唱衰整个西方世界的声音（比如对西方民主的不信任，对“白左”的嘲讽等等），对此您有何评价？

边芹：我个人认为，用“唱衰”这个词带了些许贬义，不如说是事物复归原位，真相浮出水面，虚构的价值泡沫正在一点点被挤掉。对西方民主不信任，是因为实地去看的人发现那远远不是我们以为的民主，而应称之为民主的幻觉。当然能把幻觉做得百姓当真、世人皆慕，也是了不起的大手笔，在这点上我由衷佩服西方的上层精英。

欧洲从文明的角度而言，确实在急剧地衰老。美国《时代周刊》大约十年前曾发过一篇文章，大意是“法国文化已死”，当时在法国知识界引起了歇斯底里式的反应。我作为局外人，客观来讲有同感。其实不光法国，西方文化整体都在堕落。原因诸多，其中资本垄断致使文化“低俗化”、“幼童化”，“政治正确”一统天下，生育不足致低素质人口增长快，是主要症结。资本说到底就是靠让百姓变得更蠢来统治的。中国才搞了三十年市场经济，你看如今文化变得多媚多俗，就知道了。人家已搞了两百年，能保持到这份上，就不错了。我在书中说“文明越走越灿烂是痴人说梦”，就是这个道理。文化整体陷落，产生英杰的温床便不复存在，也没有吸收的土壤了。

我们在二十世纪仰慕的西方，正是十九世纪工业化的辉煌和短暂摆脱一神教的精神桎梏催生的历史巅峰，这个巅峰还有一个烘托的基础，就是剩下的世界之文明文化被打翻在地，一个上升一个下坠，将十九世纪以前相对均衡的世界打碎了，由此产生了必要的敬慕和不切实际的崇拜。这种状态不可能永久维持，何况“巅峰”上的人自己作茧自缚。讴歌“原始文化”、“保护少数族群”，让音乐、舞蹈落到何等原始地步？“当代艺术”又让美术堕落几何？所有旨在摧毁国家的暗手并没有提升文化。法国精神领域的“独立和自由”还剩多少幻影？“政治正确”的阴影笼罩着几乎每一个文化领域。仅以我最熟悉的电影为例，除了脱衣尺度这一看得见的自由，体制的控制无孔不入，对会看的眼睛，就是一切政治挂帅。这种“政治挂帅”与我们中国人理解的直接喊口号很不一样，这里的“体制”也不是政府，控制更不是明的，而是暗的，深含技巧。戛纳电影节的“金棕榈”几乎成了政治斗争的工具、全球征服的武器。我们中国人想想都会奇怪，一个“民间、私营、独立于政权”的文化组织为什么带有如此使命？百万法国民众上街强烈反对同性恋婚姻合法，电影节就马上捧出一部同性恋电影给予其最高荣誉；伊朗被制裁，电影节就成了其反政府“艺术家”的大本营；为了推翻叙利亚政权，再没有水平的电影都可以“破格”入围……无论在法国国内还是国外，最高艺术甄选标准是政治这条暗线，这就埋没了多少真才，又捧出了多少虚名！什么样的文化经得起这样的暗手长久折腾？

青阅读：欧洲目前确实问题重重。欧洲文明自身似乎也走到了一个焦灼的关口。您认为欧洲文明有渡过难关、自我修复的能力吗？

边芹：先来确定一个概念，我个人以为您所提的“欧洲文明”范围不好界定，我理解您指的是西欧这一片，也就是近代最早经历工业革命、殖民扩张的国家。为避免概念纠缠，还是用“西方文明” 界限较明晰，这是他们自圈的概念。

“西方文明”的崛起，有一个本质的因素，就是紧紧伴随着军事的强大，也就是说不是发展出来的，而是打出来的。这与我们有很大不同，中华文明在漫长历史上傲视东方并非靠军事摧毁对手，而是靠发达的农耕和手工业。工业化彻底结束了冷兵器时代的力量对比，使得西欧这几个历史上好战的小国打遍天下无敌手，以古典时代不可思议的速度通过殖民主义迅速占领和控制全球资源和市场，建立起史所未见的庞大帝国，要知道英、法帝国的边界一度都与中国接壤。所以“西方文明”在近现代傲视群雄，有两大因素是不可回避的：一是殖民主义，二是工业革命。这两大因素的前提条件，就是军事上可以事先摧毁对手，以利自己巧取豪夺。

历史即便不被表述，也已经摆在那里，正是通过殖民掠夺和工业化，欧洲快速积累起巨额财富，后来让全世界其他文明都产生自卑感的“西方文明”就是在财富的堆积上建立起来的。但如果军事上不再能指哪打哪事先削弱或摧毁对手，“西方文明”在逆势的时候会如何表现，历史还没有证明过。这与中华文明能在逆势中涅槃的历史很难比较。过去西方也出现过类似危机，他们的解决方式就是战争，对外战争是西方解决内部问题的一个捷径。今天西方面临的危机还不仅仅产生于自身，也有来自外部的挑战。他们正在失去工业革命的绝对引领地位，中国这个在十九世纪被他们打垮的苦难国家艰苦卓绝地弯道超车，令他们一手经营的不公平世界之种种便利不再那么理所当然，这是他们始料未及的。我还真有点怀疑，西方一旦失去其压人一头的强势地位，是否有自我修复的能力以及长久维持文化霸权的可能。

西方的话语权由一种完美的技巧构成

青阅读：您的几本著作致力于揭示西方文明隐藏的话语运作机制，痛感中国人普遍丧失了“审美权、道义权、历史解释权”而不自知。您是怎样关注到这一问题的？和您在法国的生活经验有关吗？比如说，2008年的几件大事唤醒了很多中国人的民族意识，对您而言呢？

边芹：2008年只是出现强烈拐点的一年，但精神准备要远远早于这一年。西方社会的实质有点像西方人的本质，收藏极深，然后通过层层包裹呈现出想让你看的那一面，比如比你强盛，他先说是因为基督站在他们一边，后来又说是得自古希腊便有的民主自由。你读十九世纪的书报便会发现，当时“民主”这个词并不像如今这般时时挂在嘴上，那时主要强调基督教战无不胜和种族优越，比现在直白。

在西方长期旅居或定居的中国人，或早或晚会面临一个选择，即你在哪一边。并没有人公开来逼你，但整个社会根深蒂固的反华、排华会将中国人送到三个阵营里，最广大的一群我称之为“利己派”，他们不去听、拒绝看，全部的精力都用于为自己奋斗，无所谓西方人怎么对其母国，只为狭处求生存；第二群人我称之“融入派”，这群人的行事特点就是“你们不是讨厌中国吗？那我比你们更讨厌中国”、“你们打中国一个嘴巴，我就打三个嘴巴”。唯有这样，方可安生。这话一点都不夸张，要么麻木，要么“比你还”。不这么做就得落入第三群人——“压抑派”，这群人的特点就是为其良心所累而长期处于精神抑郁中，敏感的人甚至会有时时被铁烙的痛楚。这就是2010年前的现实，后来情况有所好转，但基本现实很难根本扭转。在这样的处境里，你只能在这三个阵营里选择一个，甚至都谈不上选择，而是随着自己的本性走，能麻木的，会过得心安一点；能“比你还”的，就融入了；心思转不过来的，就只能痛定思痛了。我就是在痛定思痛中，得以绕开西方预设的话语，去阅读、观察、思考，进而有所发现的。

青阅读：“二战”以后，西方文化界、学术界逐渐出现一种“反西方中心”的倾向，您怎样看待在西方内部兴起的“反西方中心论”？

边芹：这是为大目标“全球化”做的舆论准备的一部分。早在“二战”刚打完，“世界统治集团”就已经策划解构实体的殖民帝国，因为难以为继、成本太高，尤其是道义成本。新形式的“经济殖民”、“精神殖民” 收益大而成本小，已经无须十九世纪的军事入侵和占领。看看现今的中国就一目了然了，三十年代哪怕租界遍地的上海，你能找到一个染金发取洋名的人吗？现在的“西方中心论”根本无须那头公开挂牌，这头已能自产自销了。

青阅读：中国需要在世界上建立自己的话语权。那么，如果我们需要和西方争夺“审美权、道义权、历史解释权”，您认为应该采用什么样的方式方法呢？

边芹：说实话，这问题不好答。一方面，西方的话语权从某种意义上说是由一种完美的技巧构成的。我们要构建自己的话语权，首先得参透西方的话语技巧，因为这是一个没有硝烟的战场。比如我发现的电影的“细节接力”，就是战技之一。所谓电影的细节接力就是利用画面对人潜意识的影响，反反复复地用同类细节进行精神移变。由于细节并非一部电影的主题，甚至也游离于情节之外，可以是一句看似不经意的话，或偶然提及的名词，也可以是一个道具，或某类人的形象、某种场景的氛围，但如果这些细节被有意识地长期植入各种电影的画面中，所暗中形成的“接力”便能在受众不知不觉中对其潜意识实施控制。应该承认，西方对人的心理研究超前于我们，我们没有将此作为战略目标，像对导弹、卫星那样投入大量人力物力。而西方的真正统治者（并非政府内阁）深藏幕后，知道“温柔的独裁”和“话语统治”才是现今和未来世界的统治利器，早在上世纪上半叶就已全力投入研究。这三十多年，以人类学、心理学等学科名义走遍中国城镇乡村甚至穷乡僻壤的西方某类学者，多半是在从事这方面的情报收集工作。在软实力方面，我们与西方的力量对比，还处于十九世纪长矛大刀对火炮军舰的不对等状态。如果不迎头赶上，要构建我们自己的话语权，也只能是一厢情愿。

另一方面，我们的精英层如果不能自悟“审美权、道义权和历史解释权”是如何在无知无觉中被易手的，又怎么来“重新夺回”？我们是自愿把这三大权力拱手送给奥斯卡、金棕榈、金熊，送给诺贝尔、格莱美，送给汉学家……谦虚不等于丢掉自信。我最近偶然看到浙江某电视台拍摄的纪录片《南宋》，在分析南宋历史时，此片以世所罕见的“公允”将历史解释权分到四拨专家手里：德、日、美、中。中国史学家未受到一丝一毫的“偏袒”，不是为“主”，而是其中不多不少的一分子。尽管纪录片并未对立中西专家的观点，但这么做明显是在告诉观者，中国宋朝历史自家学者的观点也不足为信，必须有外国（西方）专家来证言。试想法国人拍一部解释拿破仑战争的纪录片会请中国史学家插嘴吗？所以首先必须自醒、自悟。

东西方文明在几乎相对隔绝的情况下，按照不同的轨迹进化出两种不同的文明，都对世界文明做出了贡献，两者各有优缺点。总体来说，西方文明对近现代的贡献较大，特别是在科技、商业的进步巨大；东方文明对古代的贡献要大一点，在人文、社会制度的贡献要突出些。分析一个文明的优缺点主要看它对社会进步的贡献，在经济、科技、文化制度方面的突出成就。

一、西方文明

（一）经济

西方通过大航海控制了数量庞大的殖民地，通过对殖民地的血腥掠夺完成了资本积累。资本主义国家在完成了原始积累后就开始了商业化进程，他们发明了一整套商业制度，以国家的力量为这些商业制度背书，极大地促进了商品经济的发展，生产出了巨量的社会产品。但是，随着资本的发展壮大后我们也进入了商业时代，商人的地位处于历史的最高位。资本家开始控制国家政权，不断影响国家政策以符合他们自己的利益，商人控制政权后只关注他们自己的利益，现在的资本主义国家政权基本都是寡头政治。垄断寡头对社会其他人的死活不关心，导致社会财富的分配不公，贫富分化严重，极容易导致社会出现动荡。这是资本主义国家的通病，就看政府的力量是否强大，是否有能力对这些垄断资本进行切割。

（二）文化

现在世界的主要控制舆论依然控制在西方国家的手上，媒体行业也是分成等级的，最上游的媒体，例如：BBC、CNN和好莱坞的六大电影公司都控制在犹太人的手上，他们不断地进行文化输出，对别的国家进行文化入侵，他们发明了一套“普世价值”对别的国家进行洗脑。强调他们的那一套制度、文化、生活方式才是最高级的，让别的国家按照他们的路径进行发展，他们成功地在别的国家培养了一批又一批“公知”，利用这些“公知”轻易地控制一个国家，把别的国家锁死在产业链地底端，彻底沦为他们的奴隶，这种“文化殖民”、“经济殖民”要隐蔽的很多，比早期的殖民占领别国的领土要高级的很多。例如：南非的曼德拉就是典型的公知搞乱一个国家的例子，曼德拉一个做了二十年牢的人，一放出来就做了南非总统，其实他毫无治理国家的经验，成功地把南非折腾成了西方的“经济殖民地”，南非开放金融，大量的优质资产都被西方国家成功抄底，整个国家就此沉沦下去，实际上曼德拉就是南非的民族罪人，结果被西方捧成了革命斗士，还获得了诺贝尔和平奖。看来西方国家对诺贝尔奖的颁发上也是带有很强的政治倾向，没有他们说的那么公平。

（三）科技

古希腊的一群哲学家在不断地辩论中诞生了哲学，罗马征服了希腊，但是希腊文化却征服了罗马。但是在公元476年西罗马帝国灭亡后，文化也发生了中断。很难相信，西方在对古希腊文化进行复兴的过程中居然无意中发明了近代科学，科学的诞生带有很强的偶然性，主要的工具是哲学的思辨和神学的发展，一群聪明的大脑为了荣耀上帝，对造物主论证，偶然发明了一套科学理论体系。科学的发展使得西方点出了科技树，引领了三次工业革命，科技的发展极大地放大了西方国家的优势。西方国家在科技领域的发展壮大也有一部分的原因是他们尊重个人权利、个人自由，只有对人的解放才能充分的发挥创造力，专利权对个人发明进行保护，极大地鼓励了个人创造发明的积极性。西方国家确实有冒险精神，擅长在科技领域的突破，他们引领了一次又一次的科技发展方向。

二、东方文明

（一）经济

东方在全面落后的几百年时间里一直被西方国家吊打，绝大部分国家都沦为了西方国家的殖民地，即使在二战后摆脱了西方的殖民控制，现在也难以摆脱西方国家的“经济殖民”，在产业链上一直处于最底端，沦为西方国家的代工厂。在亚洲的国家中，只有日本、中国有了最早的民族国家觉醒，奋起反抗西方国家的统治，日本是最早起来反抗的国家，曾经一度成功了，但是二战后它被美国彻底掌控，现在也没有翻身。

最近四十年是中国快速发展的历史，我们通过融入西方国家主导的经济体系获得了资金和技术，获得了飞速的发展。我们选择了一条正确的道路，也是全球化的受益者。八十年代苏联开始不走下坡路，苏联不仅仅在制度上出了问题，连科技上都点错了科技树，幸亏中国果断地抛弃了苏联的路子，选择与美国靠近。

（二）文化

春秋战国时期诸子百家的学术争鸣，诞生了各个门派的学说，中国的思想文化体系在“秦汉帝国”时期基本确定了形态。中国的知识分子一直以来都有一种强烈的家国情怀，以改造社会为己任，早期的先贤可以与君王坐而论道，宣传自己的治国理念，希望君王能够采纳，秦朝统一天下后情况发生了改变，统治者开始逐步废除一些无用杂学，汉武帝“罢黜百家学说，独尊儒术”其实就是第一次统一思想。学术必须为政治服务，知识分子要为国家所用，不能游离于体系之外，否则就会被限制发展。

墨家的“非攻、兼爱”是一种理想主义，类似于乌托邦的想法，这种“天下大同”思想根本不符合统治者需要，而且墨家走高端路线，吸纳社会精英进入它的体系中，这种做法被统治者所忌惮。墨家既没有上层建筑，也没有底层群众基础，所以墨家的学说渐渐地消失了。

儒家对底层民众进行无形的等级划分并且要求民众遵守秩序，符合统治需要，所以儒家学说才被统治者采纳。在儒家构建的一整套秩序中，无论身处哪一等级，都能感觉到上面的压力，“吃的苦中苦，方得人上人”的思想成了贯穿我们一生的信念。在东亚的“儒家文明圈”中人的都非常的抑郁，一生都在拼命往上爬。

中国在二千多年前的秦朝就完成了最早的中央集权，集权能力超过了任何一个国家，能实现最早的国家总动员。东方文明的精髓就是集权，一切制度的目的都是为了完成中央集权，君主的意志就是国家的意志，个人需要让渡大部分的权益给国家，优秀的精英都集中在中央。这种制度既有好处也有坏处，好处就是可以集中国家力量办大事，所以东亚一直以来就是怪物房，很容易“爆兵”、“暴经济”。坏处就是每次我们完成了大一统后，就会变得非常封闭，内部陷入存量竞争，一旦权力的中心出了问题，国家就会陷入动乱，又要经历一次循环，类似于死机后重启，一切又要重新再来。

其实，中华文明最危险的时刻应该在南北朝时期，差一点就被毁灭。佛教在东汉传入中国，兴盛于南北朝，这种外来文化入侵对中国的本土文化形成了巨大挑战，差一点导致中华文明出现断层。

《横渠四绝》

为天地立心，为生民立命，

为往圣继绝学，为万世开太平。

厚德载物、自强不息的精神使得中国文明源远流长，中国也成了仅剩下的四大文明古国。

（三）科技

中国虽然有四大发明，但是都是一些实用技术，没有形成完整的理论体系，近代科学是一种精细化的分析和公式化理论总结，这种理论的好处是非常直观并且便于后续的传承学习，所以西方只用了几百年就实现了科技爆发。

我们以自己是世界的中心自居，这种心态在提升我们民族自信心的同时也产生了傲慢与偏见。我们在近现代的落伍很大的原因是科技的落后，没有积极学习西方的科技导致了武器的代差，使得我们在面对西方的武力入侵时非常吃亏。但是东方文明的集权体制使得我们在追赶上很快速，但是当追赶上后是否能形成超越就难说了，是否又是在另一个更大的圈子里内卷？

三、结论

西式民主制度在分配上有一定的优势，但是后发国家如果采用这种制度极容易陷入内耗，无法集中力量进行工业化，国家将永远落入产业链的底端。而且街头政治集会已经成了毒瘤，容易成为颜色革命的工具，被利用来进行和平演变。西方在输出他们的价值观，以此颠覆他国的手段。

中国的迅速崛起对盎撒人是一个重大威胁，中华民族极其坚韧、聪明，比他们以前遇到的任何一个民族都厉害，日耳曼民族、大和民族都曾经挑战过盎撒人，结果都失败了，但是这一次盎撒人很可能会输掉这场战争，他要面对的是世界最强民族，这个民族一直在跟他打太极，始终让他抓不住着力点，通过低调猥琐发育，已经成长为一个巨无霸了。中华民族是世界上最优秀的民族，我们不同于犹太人的狡诈，也没有昂撒人的凶残，中国的优势是拥有悠久良好的政治历史传统，只要我们自己内部不出问题，就一定能耗死美国。