Scholars exchange views at the dialogue Photo: Yang Xue/CSST

ATHENS—On Sept. 18, the “Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Between Chinese and Greek Civilizations: Harmony in Diversity for Shared Beauty” was held at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), drawing over 200 scholars and experts from China, Greece, and other countries. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, delivered the opening address. Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and NKUA Rector Gerasimos Siasos also attended the event and delivered speeches.

In her speech, Mendoni stated that both Greece and China have philosophical traditions that emphasize virtue, harmony, and the safeguarding of public interest. These ideas have remained vivid and consistent from ancient times to the present, guiding social development and offering insights for better addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century.

Siasos noted that despite the geographical distance between Greece and China, the two countries share a long-standing and profound connection. The ancient Silk Road served not only as a trade route but also as a channel for the exchange of philosophy, ideas, and art, leaving a rich legacy in human history. He emphasized that the Greek concept of “the world as an ordered whole” resonates with the Chinese philosophy of “harmony in diversity.”

Intellectual resonance

Attending scholars engaged in discussions around two main themes: “Dialogue Between Ancient Philosophers: Diverse Civilizations, Inclusiveness, and Mutual Learning” and “Dialogue Between Ancient and Modern Thought: Inheritance, Innovation, and Civilizational Progress.”

Ancient Greek and classical Chinese political thought, which took shape between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE, emerged from vastly different contexts yet revealed profound convergences in their responses to social crises and their pursuit of order, remarked Sophia Papaioannou, vice rector of NKUA. She pointed out that Plato emphasized the alignment of philosopher-kings with political order and the highest good, as well as reason, justice, and harmony among classes. Chinese thinkers, meanwhile, offered distinct yet complementary perspectives: Confucianism stressed the moral cultivation of rulers, the importance of rites, and the power of exemplarity, with Mencius highlighting the significance of the Mandate of Heaven and popular sentiment; Legalism focused on laws, institutions, and constraints on power; and Taoism advocated for governance through non-action (wuwei), maintaining order by observing the natural way.

These classical traditions share a common concern for the virtue of leaders, education, law, and social stability, reflecting a universal preoccupation with just governance across Eastern and Western civilizations, Papaioannou summarized. Comparative study of Chinese and Western political thought not only reveals their distinctive features but also offers cross-civilizational insights for contemporary political philosophy and governance.

Philosophy is not merely an intellectual pursuit but also a way of life, guiding individuals toward moral perfection and living well. Stelios Virvidakis, secretary-general of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations and a professor at NKUA, held that the Chinese and Greek philosophical traditions, arising almost simultaneously during the “Axial Age,” developed distinct conceptual systems and modes of thinking yet still exhibit remarkable commonalities.

In the ethical realm, Virvidakis explained, both traditions are concerned with personal cultivation, moral virtue, and codes of just conduct, exploring the nature of the ideal ruler and their relationship with society. In metaphysics, analogies can be drawn between Taoism and pre-Socratic philosophy in their reflections on cosmic principles, change, and opposition; likewise, the discourses of Neo-Confucian thinkers like Zhu Xi resonate with the theories of Plato and Aristotle. While Chinese and Western philosophies each possess unique characteristics, both embody philosophy’s deep concern for life, morality, and cosmic order.

Chinese insights

“The unique perspective of Chinese civilization offers a new path for rethinking the concept of ‘civilization:’ It is not merely a system of institutions or symbols of human activity, but also an organic community of life, whose development follows the principles of growth, transformation, and symbiosis,” asserted Zhang Zhiqiang, director of the Institute of Philosophy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He underscored that Chinese civilization’s five key features—continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peaceful nature—embody two core principles: “great unity” and “adapting through change for lasting prosperity.” These principles reflect a holistic view of life centered on the harmony between humanity and nature, as well as historical wisdom that connects past and present while flexibly adapting to change.

Within Chinese philosophy, civilization represents both cultural expression and a way of life, through which humans align their existence with that of the universe, achieving moral transformation and cultural creation, Zhang continued. This perspective highlights cultural subjectivity and the capacity for self-renewal, enabling civilizational development to unfold as an organic, continuous process. Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are not confrontational or competitive; rather, they foster mutual support and moral resonance, encouraging shared growth and the expansion of civilizational order, offering unique theoretical insights for global dialogue among civilizations.

Yang Yanqiu, director of the Institute of Ancient History at CASS, emphasized the relevance of the ancient Chinese principle of “harmony in diversity” for promoting inter-civilizational mutual learning. In classical Chinese philosophy, the cosmic view holds that all beings possess their own characteristics yet exist in coordinated unity, while the social perspective stresses collective development without harm and mutual coexistence, suggesting that social harmony arises from tolerance of differences.

Historically, phenomena such as the “Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought,” integration of Confucian and Legalist doctrines, and interaction of the “Four Great Inventions,” silk, and porcelain with Western cultures demonstrate how “harmony in diversity” drove inter-civilizational exchanges and innovation. In today’s globalized world, she stressed, “harmony in diversity” provides a philosophical foundation for inter-civilizational dialogue, reminding nations to seek common ground while respecting differences, address shared challenges through cooperation, and realize a vision of a world where all civilizations flourish together.

The dialogue was co-hosted by CASS, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the Embassy of China in Greece, and NKUA, and organized by the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens under CASS.