Cosmotécnica, inter-relacionalidade e tianxia: um triálogo filosófico em prol da superação da modernidade

Cosmotechnics, inter-relationality and tianxia: a philosophical trialogue in favor of overcoming modernity

Abstract

This article intends to establish a trialogue among the thoughts of three crucial authors for understanding chinese philosophy and the way in which the topic of science and technology inserts itself in such philosophy in the scope of an attempt of overcoming western modernity. The first contribution comes from Yuk Hui: his interpretation of technique as cosmotechnics points to the central influence of original cosmologies in the way people relate themselves with the universe of technique. By doing that, this author demonstrates that the Chinese notion of technique doesn’t coincide with Greek technique, thus creating a typical chinese bond with this particular universe, the union between Qi (器) and Dao (道). Next there is Antonio Florentino Neto’s theory of inter-relationality pointing to the non-centrality of the idea of essence in chinese philosophy, thus establishing
being as a process and, at the same time, disassociating science from the pursuit of definite truths and putting it in service of a harmonization with the world. Finally, we tackle Zhao Tingyang’s proposal of rereading the Tianxia System (天下) that was in effect during the Zhou dynasty. For him it is necessary to create a global governance system based on the world’s internalization capable of overcoming the anarchic condition of the current international system based upon states and influenced by imperialist ambitions. We point that Yuk Hui’s philosophy establishes a way to achieve such proposal which would virtually overcome western modernity.
Keywords: technique, cosmotechnics, inter-relationality, tianxia, modernity