Chapter 33 3. Cultural Core

The reason lies in the "cultural core". What is "culture"?Culture is "the way of human existence and development".Any nation in any age must survive and develop, this is the same.But how to survive and how to develop are different from each other.What's the difference?in the way.For example, some rely on nomadism, some rely on farming, some rely on commerce, and some rely on plunder.Pirates and bandits also have "culture". Culture is the way. However, any nation with a mature culture will have a "general way".It is this "general way" that determines the specific ways of national culture, including why Westerners eat with knives and forks, while Chinese use chopsticks; it also includes why Westerners like crosses, and Chinese like Tai Chi diagrams.

This general approach is called the “cultural core”. So what is it? The West is individual consciousness, while the Chinese is group consciousness. We know that human beings are both "individual beings" and "social beings".Without individuals, society cannot be formed; without society, individuals cannot survive.Therefore, any nation, any era, and any society, there is a problem of the relationship between groups and individuals, without exception. The only difference lies in who is the "standard". The so-called "individual consciousness" means "person-oriented", called "individualism", or "individualism" for short.Individualism is not selfishness, let alone benefiting oneself at the expense of others.On the contrary, a thorough individualist may be "altruistic".Those with a higher level believe that altruism can bring happiness to themselves, which is called "helping others for pleasure".Those who are at a lower level believe that self-interest through altruism is less risky and more beneficial than self-interest through detriment to others, which is called "both people and themselves".At least, true individualists do not harm others.Because he knows very well that I am a human being and so are others.I have personal interests and so do others.I don't want my personal interests to be harmed, and so will others.That being the case, then "don't do to others what you don't want yourself to do to yourself".

But no matter what kind, one thing is the same - individual standard, personal priority.It's not that "big rivers are not full of small rivers", but that there are no big rivers and seas without trickles. Group consciousness is the opposite. The so-called "group consciousness" means "taking the group as the standard", including in terms of ideology, it is believed that there are groups first, and then there are individuals; there is society first, and then there are individuals.Ethnic groups, societies and countries are above individuals, and individuals are a part of them, all of which are damaged and all of which are prosperous.Therefore, the value of an individual is first reflected in the group he belongs to, such as the family and the unit; the merits and demerits of the individual also affect or even determine the honor or disgrace of the group.If one person attains the Tao, chickens and dogs will ascend to heaven; if one person is convicted, the whole family will be executed.

The question is, what if the cultural core is different? Wings are different. Since the Greeks (or Westerners) are "individual-oriented", the formation of society can only rely on "non-human third parties", such as "contracts".This must be rational, and it must be "scientific rationality."He must look at social problems like math problems, and obey social norms like algorithms.But at the same time, there must be an outlet, so that while being regulated and suppressed, emotional impulses can also be vented and released. That's where art comes in.Art is the world of Dionysus.There, they might as well get drunk, have a blast, and do whatever they want.After such indulgence, you can return to Apollo with a calm mind, and continue to observe rationally and abide by the law.The meaning of carnival lies in this.

So, the Greeks had two wings: science and art; the Romans also had two wings: law and religion.They are all "complementary structures" and both embody "individual consciousness".Because these two wings are like a cross, stretching out from the center of the self, and returning to itself.In fact, when the Greeks embodied the scientific spirit, they faced the natural world; when they embodied the artistic temperament, they faced man himself.This is just like what the Romans saw when facing the law was "things"; when facing God, what they saw was "heart".

In this way, the contradiction between the group and the individual has been resolved and a balance has been achieved. So what about our nation?