We often say that China is a vertical society, while the West is a flat society. But why say so, how did such a situation come into being?
In fact, history is a mirror, but also a social ideology, the law, the foundation of humanistic formation.
1. The "ceremony" of China
In China, there is a kind of thing called "ceremony". What is "ceremony"? I'm afraid there's a lot of space to say.
In brief, the "ceremony" was originally originated from the clan era and the ritual customs, many records show that "ceremony" and ancient Chinese sacrificial activities have a close relationship, at that time the "ceremony" was covered with religious mysticism.
Later, with the collapse of clan society and the rise of feudal state, after the obvious class differentiation, in the early Zhou Dynasty, the process of "the history of witchcraft" appeared a qualitative turning point in this ancient Chinese society, which was also the turning point of "from God to Man".
In this process, the famous event is Zhou Gongdan's "making ceremony and making music", and "ceremony" also set foot on the process of secularization and rationalization.
Confucius's non-propriety does not listen to, does not speak, does not move also in "ceremony" the religious meaning is weakened, is replaced by the secularization, the rational social hierarchy order.
It can be seen that the "ceremony" in Chinese civilization covers an extremely wide range and has rich implications. It is not only a ritual system for the transportation of ghosts and gods, but also an external manifestation of the order of the universe.
At the same time, it is also a family, social, military, political behavior norms and order expression; in addition, it also involves moral benevolence and spiritual order.
It can be said that the etiquette is an all-encompassing norm of order, covering the two levels of form and form. In this regard, this kind of "ceremony", not specifically refers to the Zhou Li advocated by Confucius, but also a set of "ethics Noumenon" standard system and ethics system developed by Confucianism for more than two thousand years.
And such "ceremony" also follows today's Chinese society, all people have invisible social hierarchy, there are human feelings, there is a convention, there is tacit knowledge, exposure, can not be avoided.
2. Western "plane"
Besides, Western society disagrees with such a Christian-centered western culture.
In Rousseau's view: "Human beings are originally equal, just like other kinds of animals, and the same kind of animals have always been equal until the natural factors have caused them to mutate as we can now observe."
Matteo Ricci, the first Italian missionary to come to China in the Ming Dynasty, pointed out: if the lord of the kingdom is the king and the king of the family is the father and son of me, if we compare the father-in-law of God to the father-in-law of God, though the world is in charge of the father-son of God, the man and son of the world are equal to brothers.
This means that since God is the father and son of all men, there is no meaning; all men are equal before God.
But it cannot be denied that there is no absolute equality for all in the western society, and it is far from being realized.
I would like to say that the doctrine of Christianity recognizes and affirms the supreme principle of equality for all.
This kind of thinking also affects the western society today.
3. Vertical peace fac
In Australia, for example, the primary factor between friends is the same hobby. Many people would chat with homeless people on the street and sit on the street at will.
Outside of work, people will abandon their so-called "social status," more realistic display of their interests, hobbies, this is their own side.
However, Confucianism, which regards ceremony as its core, never regards "equality" as its core value, but "propriety" and "equality" as its core value. This is probably the fundamental difference between Confucianism and Christianity, but also the essential difference between Chinese society and the West.
As a result of the long-standing influence of the traditional ideology of Confucianism and Confucianism in China, the "chronic illness" of the Chinese people's "hierarchy" consciousness of "everlasting inequality for all" is very profound, it is immortalized and immutable for life.
Many Chinese people like "face", and will not too much contact with their own identity does not match the people, invisible one door, separate themselves from others far away. This is not a person's problem, the root of it is the formation of the country for thousands of years the "ritual system".
There is no difference between collectivism and individualism which depend on family life. They are spread under the influence of politics and religion for a long time and are deeply rooted in people's thinking today.
That's why the Chinese are classified as, Europe and America people.