朋友与敌人：两种不同的宽恕传统

中国与西方哲学文化传统的差异决定了两种不同的宽恕传统。从根本上说,这种差异来自对宗教不同的态度。宗教观的不同决定了宽恕态度是否存在形而上学意义上的超越性,或者是对超越的精神承担道德责任。儒家和道家都不是西方意义上的宗教,其宽恕观念局限于“人事”,从而是非超越的;现当代欧洲哲学延续了超越的宽恕观念,即谅解不可谅解之事。宽恕观念上的差异是阻碍中西两种文明相互理解和沟通的主要障碍之一。

Friends and Enemies:Two Different Forgiving Traditions

Difference between the traditions of Chinese and Western philosophical cultures determines two different forgiving traditions. Fundamentally, the difference comes from different attitudes to religions. Different religious beliefs determine whether forgiving attitudes have metaphysical transcendence or claim responsibility for the spirit of transcendence. Neither Confucianism nor Taoism is a religion to Westerners. Since their forgiving concepts are limited to "personnel" , it is not transcendental; modern and present -day European philosophy extends the transcendental forgiving concepts, i. e. , to forgive the unforgivable. Difference in the forgiving concepts is a main obstacle to hinder mutual understandings and communications between Chinese and Western cultures.