On June 17th, the 20th Master Lecture at the Shanghai International School of Chief Technology Officer of East China Normal University（CTO School）and the second lecture of the 2022 MEM compulsory course Science and Technology Humanities Special Lecture were successfully held. In today's world of great changes, the entanglement between technology and humanity in modern society is manifested as technology reshaping humanity and humanity guiding technology. Modern technology can provide new theoretical tools, research materials, and technological means for the study of human literature; At the same time, the theory of humanities and social sciences should also play a leading role in technological innovation and human life, and construct the Chinese people's own knowledge system. In June 2023, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the opening of the Master Lecture, we specially invited four top experts and scholars in the field of humanities and social sciences to open the Science and Technology Humanities Lecture, a compulsory course for MEM in 2022. We hope that students can learn about innovative prophets in the field of humanities and academia, change their thinking and cognition, and become outstanding chief technical officer talents with both humanistic spirit and mission beliefs in the future through this series of lectures. Yu Zhenhua, a distinguished professor of the Yangtze River Scholar from the Ministry of Education and the former president of the Simian Institute of Higher Humanities of East China Normal University, was invited to give a lecture on Philosophy Cultivation and Academic Tradition.
On the issue of philosophical cultivation, Yu Zhenhua first introduced the debate between rationalism and anti-rationalism in contemporary Western philosophy, and opened the discussion on philosophical cultivation. He believes that when it comes to philosophical cultivation, the first thing to face is geography, classic geographical theories such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Plato, and Aristotle, both ancient and modern. The philosophical system is a set of propositional knowledge in philosophy. In the era of globalization, it is necessary to advocate an open and inclusive philosophy, while striving to overcome the concept of closed exclusivity. A cultural mindset that is studious, open, and inclusive helps to actively approach foreign cultures, thus producing fruitful ideological achievements.
To promote the concept of world philosophy, a higher level of openness is needed, and global governance is necessary to achieve healthy development. Yu Zhenhua discussed his own views on the construction of world philosophy from three aspects. Firstly, from the perspective of ideological resources, the construction of world philosophy requires philosophers to have a broader education, and it will not be limited to their own spiritual traditions. The richness of ideological resources is an important feature of world philosophy, and its premise is that philosophers should be sufficiently open, able to broaden their horizons, and treat the spiritual traditions of various ethnic groups equally. Second, from the perspective of working methods, the construction of world philosophy requires philosophers to actively participate in the world's hundred schools of thought while engaging in personalized philosophical creation. Chinese philosophers should have such an ambition to actively participate in the world's hundred schools of thought, learn from international peers, and generally communicate with philosophers of different spiritual traditions. Third, from the point of view of the problem, the construction of world philosophy should be aimed at coping with the difficult problems of the times, such as sustainable development. As a chief technology officer, technical risks may be faced. This kind of problem cannot be solved by a single nation state. It depends on the joint efforts of all mankind. Philosophy is the essence of the Zeitgeist, and philosophy should contribute wisdom to break through the difficulties of the times.
He also introduced three characteristics of philosophical spirit. Firstly, the first criterion for a good philosophy should be clear and rigorous selection. The second criterion should be profound, as philosophy's pursuit of book knowledge has shifted from shallow to deep, reflecting a thorough spirit of philosophy. The so-called thoroughness is to grasp the essence of things, and it has the ability to change the world. The third characteristic is that the system is comprehensive. Philosophy requires systematic organization and a consistent approach, namely principles. Yu Zhenhua believes that the essence of good philosophy is that philosophical speculation all points to the fundamental values of humanity.
Regarding the issue of academic tradition, Yu Zhenhua pointed out that science is established within tradition. During the period of the Enlightenment, tradition became the spokesman of the old order, which meant some negative things such as ignorance, superstition and unequal wealth. The New Culture Movement took a radical attitude towards tradition. A basic fact is that everything becomes history, and all historical traditions are called traditions. Tradition is the stage we choose to cultivate. Studying natural sciences can lead to the conclusion that science is built within tradition, which is indispensable and cannot be ignored for scientific research. These principles also apply to the traditions of other industries.
Professor Yu stated that the issue of innovation ability is a matter of concern for people. The existence of tradition is directly related to scientific research and innovation ability, and both product quality and innovation ability are related to traditional accumulation. Science knows no borders, and from an epistemological perspective, science and construction also require an additional research process. Science, as a regional tradition, includes a large amount of intuitive entry and emotional value, which can only be transmitted through generations. What we should advocate is the application of a work style, allowing tradition to become our assistance in solving current problems. The purpose of promoting tradition, directing creativity, and emphasizing tradition is to explore and innovate. Speaking of tradition requires facing new historical situations and opening up new horizons for tradition. To challenge authority in tradition and pave the way for innovation, this is true in literature and Confucianism, as well as in various industries, including the current bottleneck technology.
With regard to the original spirit, Yu Zhenhua believes that it is the value of science to fully implement research and generally conform to the current understanding of the nature of things, and to Empirical research the relevance of the whole system. Some scientists say that since the Romantic movement, originality has gradually been regarded as a talent, and only it can enable people to engage in important founding activities. Professor Yu believes that the spirit of originality includes several key points: firstly, originality transcends the gap between problem-solving and problem-solving; Secondly, originality cannot be stylized or reversible; Thirdly, originality reveals new aspects of reality; Fourthly, originality arouses people's sense of surprise; Fifth, originality is full of rational passion. The spirit of originality is the main driving force of scientific discovery, and originality is a strong love for truth rather than responsibility.
Yu Zhenhua
Distinguished professor of Changjiang Scholar of the Ministry of Education, professor of the philosophy department of East China Normal University, and former president of Simian Institute of Humanities. He received his doctor's degree from East China Normal University in 1998 and University of Bergen in Norway in 2006. He has conducted visiting research at Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, andEcole Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France.