Five Phases in the modern Chinese culture

Abstract

This article reviews the universal conceptual system of Ancient China, an intrinsic part of which is the so- called quinary classification or the doctrine of Five Phases of Wuxing, and its impact upon the modern Chinese culture (modernity implies the period from the beginning of the XX century to the present). The doctrine of Five Phases , which emerged during the period of the early categorical thinking (approximately 1045 – 221 BC) and comprised the backbone of the traditional Chinese culture Yinyang and Wuxing (Yinyang Wuxing Wen hua 阴五行文化), continues influencing the life of modern China, having overcome the disastrous consequences of the “Cultural Revolution” of 1966-1976. Within the framework of historical-philosophical research, the author analyzes the two traditional spheres of Chinese culture – martial art Taijiquan and music, revealing the substantial structural components in their theoretical frameworks that indicate the profound conceptual rootedness in the culture Yinyang and Wuxing. It appears that the conceptual framework of Taijiquan includes not only the basic proto-categorical conceptual constructions Yinyang 阴阳, Sancai 三才, and Wuxing 五行, but also the closely related 8 trigrams Bagua 八卦and the magic Lo Shu Square 洛书. It is not a coincidence that the pentatonic system or five colors of Wŭ Sheng 五声 becomes the fundamentals of musical thinking in China. Along with the musical system Shí-èr-lǜ 十二律吕(12 pitches), the pentatonic system is a continuation of the ancient proto-categorical thinking that took foothold in the Chinese mentality.