The Civilization of China and the Civilizations of the World

This book talks about “Human Spirit and its Manifestations: A ‘Civilizational’ Perspective”, “Image and Expectations: China from the Perspective of the ‘Other’ Lecture Series”, “Civilization Communication and Mutual Enrichment”, and “Civilizational Problems: A Cavalier Perspective”. Civilization is a kind of spiritual achievements with a holistic feature that is structural but not easy to see thoroughly in culture. This determines that “dialogue among civilizations” is not only a continuous and holistic cultural exchange activity, but also a material and spiritual exchange activity in different fields. With the growth of international peace power represented by China, the cultural exchanges and mutual learning activities among all ethnic groups in the world will be further promoted at a new height and breadth. The academic research on “dialogue among civilizations” followed in this book will also contribute to the arrival of this era. This book is suitable for general readers and scholars who are interested in Chinese culture, Chinese civilization, cultural exchanges, and mutual enrichment.

Part I. Human Spirit and its Manifestations: A ‘Civilizational’ Perspective.- 1. “Heaven’s Heart-Mind”  as the Spirit of World History.- 2. Weaving Developmental and Family Difference into the Civilizational Landscape:A Method for Civilizational Communication and Mutual Enrichment.- 3. The Problem of “Quality” for Civilizations: In Conversation with Cheng Hong.- 4. A Brief Analysis of Changes to African Civilizations.- Part II. Image and Expectations: China from the Perspective of the ‘Other’ Lecture Series.- 5. Lecture 1:The Anglophone World’s Expectations for China.- 6. Lecture 2:The Image of Chinese Philosophy in the Anglophone World.- 7. Lecture 3:The Significance of Buddhism for World Peace.- Part III. Civilization Communication and Mutual Enrichment.- 8. The Analects as A Philosophical Work.- 9. Interpreting Islam through Confucianism: A Discussion on Historical Context and the Production of Meaning.- 10. Principles and Praxis of Dialogue in the Qur’an.-11. Modern China and South Asian Buddhism: Developing Communication Networks and the Introduction of the Concept of“ Original Buddhism".- Part IV. Civilizational Problems: A Cavalier Perspective.- 12. Sanxingdui and Ancient Chinese Civilization: InC onversation with Zhang Changping.- 13. A Contemporary Civilizational Perspective on the Problems and Solutions for Afghanistan:In Conversation with Ruan Jianping.- 14. The Significance of Synthesizing Ecology and Civilization: An Environmental History Perspective on the Development of Ecological Civilization.- 15. Rivers, Mountains and Civilization: Reading He Tang’s Gujin youmingshanji .- 16. Profound Change Unseen in a Century: The Transformation and Development of Traditional Chinese Civilization.- 17. The Philosophical Culture of the Ming-Qing Period and the Scholarship of Modernity.- 18. Civilizational Dialogue from a Belt and Road Perspective.

Genyou Wu, male, was born in Zongyang County, Anhui Province in February 1963. Now he is the professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Philosophy of Wuhan University, Director of Institute for Advanced Study in Dialogue of Civilizations , Wuhan University, Academic Committee member of Wuhan University, Director of Academic Committee of Faculty of Humanities, one of the dual conveners of Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Faculty of Humanities, Vice President of China Philosophy History Association(since 2018), and member of Teaching Guidance Committee of the Ministry of Education (Philosophy, 2018-2022).