Similarities and Philosophical Underpinning of Traditional Family Culture in China and Africa
As cradles of ancient human civilization,both China and Africa possess extensive histories and splendid and rich civilizations.On the cultural level,there are numerous similarities between China and Africa,particularly reflected in their shared traditional family culture,that is to say,both cultures reconcile the differences between the individual and the community through the concept of"the family as one",employing an awareness of intergenerational continuity in order to construct a community of life.They both adhere to the concept of a community with a shared future that extends from"the family as one"to"the world as one".The traditional family cultures of China and Africa are rooted in life experiences and founded upon a natural cosmology that prioritizes relationships.They follow ethical principles that are oriented toward others,establishing a kinship-based intersubjectivity.Compared with traditional Western family culture,although both Chinese and African traditional family cultures emphasize the importance of harmony,kindness and gratitude within family and society,the differences are more pronounced.Western culture,constructed on the basis of rationalism and individualism,adheres to the rational cosmology of"one controlling many",an intellectual ethics that prioritizes reason over emotion,and an ideology of individualism.This contrasts sharply with the"relationship-oriented cosmology"inherent in Chinese and African traditional family cultures,which embraces the philosophy of"the inseparability of one and many",an ethic that engages emotion in reasoning,and a consciousness of a community of life between the self and the community.In the future,as China and Africa continue to deepen their cultural exchanges,mutual learning,and co-existence,this will help both sides understand each other's developmental paths and enrich the ideological wealth of human society.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culturefamily cultureChinese philosophyAfrican philosophyindividual subjectivitycommunity of life
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