Why Didn’t We Return Together When We Came Together? — The Confucian Tradition of “the Self” and the Civilizational Perspective of “the Other”

Abstract

Understanding China, especially China in the context of its early civilization, requires considerations in terms of both time and space, as well as an echo between reality and value. The former implies that the history of Chinese culture and civilization needs to clarify an appropriate juncture; the latter means the inherent form of Chinese civilization and its own logical pattern. Determining a historical juncture requires the selection of a reference frame and a consistent register, while logic and form represent the possibilities of self‑unfolding. “All thoughts under heaven converge despite diverse origins” serves as the foundation for the concurrent development of human civilizations with different approaches, and “sharing the same path of shamanism and historiography yet reaching different destinations” is the essence for the establishment of the core of Chinese civilization and the enduring value of its self‑identity.