Table of contents hide 1 Beginnings of the Chinese Civilization 2 The Chinese Civilization and its Imperial system 3 What differentiated the Chinese emperor from a western emperor? 4 Religion of the Chinese civilization.

On a cultural level, the Chinese civilization constitutes one of the millenary episteme that feed the human spirit in diverse senses, from: architecture, history, philosophy, esotericism, astrology and religion, permeated by its complex language. Being one of the oldest and most important cultures, even today.

Beginnings of Chinese Civilization

It is dated that one of the first hominids lived in China more than 300, 000 years ago and its discovery has been enlightening for the history of the appearance of homo sapiens. Such a hominid was the S inanthropus pekinensis, found its fossils in Beijing in 1927.

Without a doubt, language is the vehicle of thought, and therefore of culture. In this sense, a society is marked by its grammar and semantics, since they determine the way of perceiving and understanding the world. Thus, the Chinese civilization with its language, forms a construction of pictographs and archetypes dating from the eighteenth century BC, through which wizards, and ancient Chinese metaphysicians; they predicted the future in the so-called "oracle bones".

However, modern and contemporary times have challenged their language and with it, to Chinese civilization. Because, with their characters it is not possible to represent chemical or physical formulas, so they have integrated Western characters.

However, since its inception, its literature has been invested by the wisdom of Confucius . Since this thinker; He used the oldest literature in ancient Chinese civilization. Among her, the Chau- Ching stands out, which involves a wisdom based on the respect and order of love of family systems, especially of children towards parents and on the importance of honoring them.

The Chinese Civilization and its Imperial system

Systemically, as observed in his deepest literature; Just as children were to honor their parents, the adult should honor a superior being, who dictated the laws that governed Chinese civilization through the highest hierarchy: The son of heaven (or the famous emperor) . He was a " minister of heaven " and obtained almost unlimited power over his peers, and only his good behavior guaranteed his position.

From here, the Chinese dynasties that were the symbol of the representation of divinity on earth are founded; similar to the western pope, but with the difference that such a supreme Being; having such a superior connotation; He could not deal directly with the human, so he put the imperial house, as a reflection of himself, embodied in the desire of the people manifested by the proverb: " Heaven sees with the eyes of the people and listens with the ears of the people" .

What differentiated the Chinese emperor from a western emperor?

One of the main differences is, in the fact that the emperor of Chinese civilization, did not rule under bureaucratic laws; but in the tradition of millenary moral norms, so it had to be an example of vicarious learning for his people. If not, a revolution was established and revoked of power by divine demand expressed by the will of the people. However, this was permeated by corruption during the Han dynasty (140-86 BC)

Religion of the Chinese civilization.

The Chinese religion, unlike the Western one, is usually more practical and is conceived more as a philosophy than as a dogma. These metaphysical practices are influenced by a polytheistic character, and syncretism, where elements of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucius thought are integrated . In them, a set of gods are venerated, as well as the planetary system through shamanistic rituals . On the other hand, within the Chinese civilization, the I ching is of great importance, that more than an ancient divination system, it is a way to access the present of consciousness and observe what are the modes or elements of the psyche that are broken down, in order to take responsibility for the present continuous.

It also takes into consideration the zodiac system, where 5 elements (wood, metal, water, fire and air) that refer to the 5 senses of the human being are involved. And the 4 cardinal points that preside over the qualities of animals or zodiac signs.

• The north: The rat, buffalo and pig),
• South: Horse and goat.
• East: Tiger, rabbit and dragon
• West: Snake, monkey, rooster and dog.

Author: Kevin Samir Parra Rueda, editor in the big family of hermandadblanca.org

More information in:

• Pijoan, J. (1982). World history. I take VI. Barcelona, ​​Spain: Salvat Editores. SA