Origins of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements Concepts

【摘要】 <正> discusses these concepts which in the past were generally believed to have originated in two different systems of China’s ancient culture.The concepts of yin and yangwere believed to be intrinsic to the Book of Changes or hexagrams.Pang Pu,however,demonstrates that the five elements,the hexagrams and yin-yang had separate ori-gins in three different modes of divination,which were representative of the culturesof the three different peoples of ancient China’s east,west and south.After theWarring States period the three gradually merged to form a culture which had yin-yang and the five elements as its framework,the idea of the mean as its content andethical values as its particular characteristic.In short,this was what is commonly call-ed a Chinese-style culture.更多还原

【Abstract】 discusses these concepts which in the past were generally believed to have originated in two different systems of China’s ancient culture.The concepts of yin and yang were believed to be intrinsic to the Book of Changes or hexagrams.Pang Pu,however, demonstrates that the five elements,the hexagrams and yin-yang had separate ori- gins in three different modes of divination,which were representative of the cultures of the three different peoples of ancient China’s east,west and south.After the Warring States period the three gradually merged to form a culture which had yin- yang and the five elements as its framework,the idea of the mean as its content and ethical values as its particular characteristic.In short,this was what is commonly call- ed a Chinese-style culture.更多还原