Digital Issue of the College of Transcultural Studies

The Initial Issue:NO.3

Issued:Nov.1,2017

Program:Key project of “ Research for Language,Character of Chinese and Folk Culture from the Perspective of Transcultural Studies”, hosted by the Center of Folklore, Ancient Writing and Chinese Characters, Key Social Science Research Base under the Ministry of Education of P.R.China
On Concept of "metaphysic"and the Different Understanding of it between the Chinese and Western Cultures
Léon Vandermeersch

The concept of "metaphysic" by Aristotle in western ancient philosophy has been widely used in the western world, whereas China with own "metaphysical" concept which embraces different meaning has been historically used in Chinese ancient philosophy. The concept of Chinese "metaphysical" originally comes from the reasoning of divination intention refers to beyond the "shape", it means, the significance of it is not only based on the physical body but also beyond the perception of our perceptual "real body". The development based on it in the Chinese history is the related thinking way like a network. The concept of Aristotle’s "metaphysical (metaphysique)" researches as a physical basis, developed in the direction of a causal thinking way rather than the reasoning of divination. The importance of Chinese thought about this is tantamount to the "metaphysical" for the importance of Western thought. ( Source: Research for Folklore,Ancient Writing and Chinese Characters,Vol.19,2017)