The Role of Human Sciences in the Dialogue among Civilizations

Abstract

In the aftermath of the 9.11 terror, the world appeared to be heading for a real clash of civilizations. And yet, humanity is still ill prepared for overcoming the predicaments of the currently predominant civilizations governing the life of mankind. This paper is an attempt to help understand the dilemmas of current civilizations in search of possible solutions. This is done with a framework provided by the classical thoughts of Yin-Yang dialectics originated in East Asia. The typical dilemmas posed by the dominant civilizations are related to man and nature, human nature, man and society, culture, and the triad of state, market, and civil society. And the principles of change derived from Yin-Yang dialectic stress limit to human endeavor, moderation, and flexibility or adaptability, which may be applied to deal with the dilemmas of human civilizations.