Tracing the Cultural Genes of the Great Striving Spirit of the Chinese Nation

Abstract

The great striving spirit is one of the most important spiritual symbols of the Chinese nation, which has gradually formed through philosophical thinking and historical practice in the long river of history. The great striving spirit originated from Zhouyi, which states that “As Heaven is in constant motion and vibrant, virtuous men should strive continuously for self-improvement.” This indicates the respect and adherence of the ancestors to the laws of cosmic motion. Next, the “Three immortality” of “Li De”, “Li Gong”, and “Li Yan” demonstrate the ideal of striving for a civilized and developed society, with moral cultivation as the fundamental premise. Next, Wang Yangming, a representative figure of the Confucian philosophy of mind, proposed classic propositions such as “the unity of knowledge and action” and “the pursuit of conscience”, he implemented moral cognition and moral practice into daily cultivation and included human transcendence and striving spirit in every detail of life. These precious spiritual treasures have influenced countless people and gathered into a great tide of striving spirit, creating outstanding spiritual and material civilization for the Chinese nation and making tremendous contributions.