心学与东方资本主义精神

中国晚明的商业繁荣,孕育出了扎根于儒家传统的东方资本主义精神。这种精神在满清入关后遭到摧残,在清朝后期再度兴起。它构成了中国近代以来社会变迁的文化支撑。对于中国历史文化的分析可以看出,在世界历史上,不存在起决定作用的保守的文化,只存在起决定作用的保守的生产关系。在不同的文化圈,文化会以自己的方式完成与生产关系相适应的嬗变。心学是东方的资本主义精神,直到改革开放的今天,它仍然提供着源源不断的精神动力。对于心学以及更广意义的中国传统文化,必须重新理解。

Philosophy of the Mind and Eastern Capitalist Spirit

The commercial prosperity in late Ming Dynasty in China bred an eastern capitalist spirit which was rooted in traditional Confucianism.But the spirit was trampled when Manchurians conquered the areas south of Shanhai Pass.However,in the late period of Qing Dynasty,this very spirit was revived.And gradually it became the cultural pillar of social changes in modern Chinese history.Through an analysis of Chinese history and culture in this thesis,we can see that there is not something like decisive conservative culture, but the fact of determining conservative relations of production.In different cultural regions,culture always,in its own way,adapts itself to the transformation of relations of production.As to the philosophy of the mind and the related Chinese culture in a broad sense,we need to reconsider it.No doubt,it once became the eastern capitalist spirit,and it is still the unfailing supply of the spiritual driving force,even for the present situation of reform and opening to the outside world.