Co-hosted by School of History of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Cultural Communication Center of Guiyang Confucius Academy, the Leopoldina Centre for Science Studies, National Academy of Sciences, Germany and Confucius Institute of Dusseldorf in Germany from September 28 to September 30, “the International Symposium on Axial Age and China” and a series of cultural exchange activities have been held at Guiyang Confucius Academy. Over 70 experts and scholars from Germany, the U.S., Japan and Hong Kong SAR, and those in history, philosophy, politics and other academic fields domestically gathered together, conducting the dialogue and exploration on China and multi-civilization in the new era through such forms as keynote speech, forum dialogue, academic report and interactive exchange on the basis of “Axial Age” Theory.

The reason for holding the seminar is the publication of a brand-new translation (East China Normal University Press, 2018) of The Origin and Goal of History written by Karl Jaspers, well-known German Philosopher. The term “Axial Age” advanced by Karl Jaspers in that book has become a key concept for research on comparison of eastern and western civilizations and intercultural dialogues. Forty years after its publication in 1949, its Chinese version was published. With the development of times and standardization of academic level, it requires a new Chinese translation featuring more prudence and appropriateness. Professor LI Xuetao, Dean of School of History, Beijing Foreign Studies University, presents the new Chinese version of The Origin and Goal of History for the first time on the basis of the German original and reference to the English and Japanese version.

At the opening ceremony on September 28, Professor XU Qi, Executive Chairman of Confucius Academy Academic Board and President of Guizhou Association of Philosophy, and LI Xuetao, Dean of School of History, Beijing Foreign Studies University, delivered the speech respectively. Professor XU Qi expressed his warm welcome to all scholars present and introduced the basic information and academic research of the Confucius Academy. Professor LI Xuetao made detailed introduction on the background and topics of the seminar. Later, all participants attended the 2018 (Year of the Dog) Confucius Ceremony and First Writing Ceremony of Guiyang Confucius Academy. Alfons Labisch, Academician of German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and Distinguished Professor of School of History, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Professor WU Genyou, Dean of School of Philosophy, Wuhan University, made their keynote speech respectively at the opening ceremony, interpreted the concept of “Axial Age” on the viewpoint of global history and comparative philosophy, and elaborated the significance of “Axial Age” concept’s enlightenment on civilization history study and philosophical methodology over the last half of century.

In the following three dialogue forums, two academic reports and several small activities on exchange and discussion, Wolfgang Kubin, German Sinologist and Professor of School of History, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Togo Kazuhiko, Professor of the Institute for World Affairs, Kyoto Sangyo University ,Japan; Joshua Derman, Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Science, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, XU Qi, President of Guizhou Association of Philosophy, YANG Hengda, Professor of Renmin University of China, XIE Qiyang, Professor of the Institute of Ethics, China University of Political Science and Law and other experts and scholars have respectively discussed the relations between axial civilization and ancient Greek civilization, Chinese civilization (including Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, etc.), Persian civilization and Indian civilization, gentleman’s doctrines, Mo-tse’s utopia, etc., unfolded the dialogues on “Axial Age in the 21st Century” and the way of thinking of China and Japan, thoroughly explored the similarities and differences between Greek civilization and Chinese civilization, German thinking and ancient Chinese thinking, and reflected the concept of axial age and modernity through topics including “Axial Age and World Civilization”, “Axial Civilization in Today’s View: Searching for Universality in Particularities”, “Axial Age and East Asian Ethnics”, “Axial Age and China” and “From Axial Civilization to Multiple Modernity”.

Through the discussion and exchange, the experts and scholars from varied countries denoted that the theoretical research on “Axial Age” has been no longer a deserted topic in China today. Moreover, it has been beyond the academic category. That is because it concerns the cultural identity and value of China, increasing importance of Chinese civilization in the development of world civilization and recognition of the history and today of Chinese culture in an international viewpoint. For China with thousands of years’ ceaseless history, the discussion on “Axial Age and China” concerns the position of Chinese culture in the history of human civilization and significance to the global culture. Upon the 40th anniversary of Reform and Opening-up of China, the international seminar is held at Guiyang Confucius Academy, the place for carrying forward the excellent traditional Chinese cultures, adhering to the policy of “always remembering the past, absorbing essence from outside and facing the future”, which is of special significance. It’s not only a breakout for the academic circles’ thorough exploration on western learning’s and transformation and generation in the Chinese academic circle, but also a help for people’s more profound understanding on the internal relation between great revitalization of the Chinese nation and the community with a shared future for mankind.