The understanding and definition of creativity between the Eastern and Western cultures may differ, as traditional Asian culture is more conservative, while modern culture of the West is more liberal. But in terms of creative thinking, their influences are equally significant.
For the past couple of years, the Singapore government is actively encouraging and promoting creativity at the same time as it is improving the education system. Some recent media reports in Hong Kong were also of the view that perhaps creativity is more important than the development of high technology.
Creativity is a very wide scope that covers all fields. Creativity is the driving force behind the development of technology, the economy, the arts and culture. This article attempts to look at the issue of creativity from the technological, cultural and historical perspectives.
As an Asian country, we are naturally concerned about the relationship between the history and culture of the East and creativity. In the East, especially in East Asia where Chinese culture was the mainstream, there were many illuminating examples of creativity and inventiveness in 5,000 years of Chinese history. For example, the invention of paper, gunpowder, printing and the compass. There were also great thinkers like Confucius, Mencius, Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. But these achievements go back a thousand years, or even earlier in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Qin and the Han Dynasties. Way back during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods, the contention among the Hundred Schools of Thought not only created a favourable milieu for the advancement of science and technology, it also laid the foundation for the various categories of ancient science and technology in China, making it a characteristic of tradition.
However, there hasn't been a likewise breakthrough for the last 1,000 years. What caused this stagnancy is an issue for us to ponder over. Throughout its history, Chinese culture has two obvious historical traits. One is that it had a very long period of feudalism. Only after 2,000 years of feudalism from the Zhou Dynasty right up to the early Republican period, did the class-based society with its strict ethical codes began to change. The second trait is that the Imperial Examination System was too rigid and deeply entrenched. Therefore, when we discuss the issue of creativity, we should take these two traits as a historical backdrop, so as to analyse the positive and negative effects of Eastern and Western cultures on creativity.
The feudal period in Europe was, by comparison, shorter. It was followed by over 200 years （14th to 16th century A.D.） of the Renaissance, a movement spurred on by the call to revive the arts of classical Greece. It was a revolution in intellectual thought and inventiveness. The Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution that followed caused a tumultuous transformation in Europe. Shaking off its feudal shackles in ideology and social systems, Europe created a brave new world for itself. Under such circumstances, Europe produced many new creations and inventions in the realms of art, science, music, architecture and so on. In the last 200 years, the United States created many new opportunities for self-development. Its favourable conditions attracted many immigrants of high calibre, it was able to achieve many breakthroughs and unearth many new ideas in economics, science and culture, making it the only superpower in the world today. On the whole, the historical circumstances in the West over the past few centuries provided very favourable conditions for creativity and inventiveness.
There is a difference in understanding and defintion of creativity between the East and the West. Although Asian traditions are conservative in comparison, and the social climate and ideological make-up of the West are more liberal, each of them has valid contributions towards creativity. The most prominent Chinese scientist in the 20th century, Prof Yang Chen-Ning has more than once mentioned the fact that he was an amalgation of Eastern and Western cultures. His new scientific ideas and theories are a result of the clash of Eastern and Western cultures and the resolution of this conflict. Whether it is Hegel's idealism or Engels' materialism, they all converge at a common point：the resolution of conflict. Creativity is a multi-level and complex thought process, involving many different factors. Prof Yang's idea to glean the best from both the East and the West to resolve the conflict is something we should think seriously about.
Modern science originated from Europe. Therefore, we must know the characteristics of Western culture and its effect on creativity. The characteristics of Western culture is reflected in making bold hypotheses followed by the meticulous search for evidence. The basis of science is the experiment. A scientific experiment is to test a hypothetical theory in the laboratory. Not only can the experiment verify the soundness of the hypothesis, it can also improve or debunk it. It is due to these cultural traits that Westerners are more used to making bold hypotheses. As a result, many important and revolutionary discoveries were made. The disadvantage of this is that some of these new ideas and hypotheses may not have solid foundations, but this fault is a minor one where creativity is concerned.
Another characteristic of Western culture is the emphasis on individual contribution. Perhaps there may be some historical or religious reasons, but the mainstay of Western culture is the individual. This trait is manifested in the adulation of individual heroes in Western culture and creativity. The individual's heroic exploits and contributions are placed above collective effort. The advantage of this is that it can spur people on to greater heights. The flaw is that it results in self-centred individualism, which affects creativity indirectly.
Up to some level, creativity requires the coordination of all sides. Eastern culture can play a positive role in this. We can look at the issue at two levels：
The traditional Eastern system emphasises building a solid foundation, and then build up the basic knowledge step by step. However, Eastern tradition places too much emphasis on foundations. The insistence on rote learning robbed the initiative to make bold hypotheses about new situations and new problems. In the modern world, a solid foundation is not a bad thing for creativity. Another trait of Eastern culture is humility in learning.
The 21st century will witness an explosion of human knowledge and technology. Students can no longer know everything. Under such circumstances, the unique and innovative ideas that creativity requires, as well as the grasp of new ideas and new situations, are all difficult to come by. They require the full understanding of the problem, sometimes from the surface to its core, from a superficial knowledge to a comprehensive understanding. Humility and prudence will no doubt prove valuable to such a comprehensive thought process and assist creative innovators.
The relationship between Eastern and Western cultures and creativity is multi-faceted. We only seek to offer some simple preliminary opinions. Singapore, Hong Kong, indeed the whole of Asia should stress the importance of creativity. The Singapore government's active encouragement of creativity is a testiment to its far-sightedness. The Tan Kah Kee Young People's Invention Award, set up more than 10 years ago, was suggested by Prof Yang himself. This is to encourage young people to be creative. I believe that if we synergize the essence of Eastern and Western cultures, and seek a new direction amidst the clashes and contradictions, we can achieve a greater breakthrough in creativity vis a vis the West.
創(chuàng)新與東西方文化
東西方文化對創(chuàng)新的內(nèi)涵有不同理解和定義,亞洲傳統(tǒng)比較保守,西方近代的社會環(huán)境和意識形態(tài)則比較開明,但兩者在影響力方面則各有千秋。
近一、兩年新加坡政府在發(fā)展教育的同時大力鼓勵各種創(chuàng)新活動。香港近期一些媒體也認(rèn)為鼓勵創(chuàng)新或許比發(fā)展高科技更重要。
創(chuàng)新是很廣泛的范疇,任何領(lǐng)域都會牽涉到,創(chuàng)新是推動科技、發(fā)展經(jīng)濟及提高藝術(shù)文化的主要意念。本文的重點是從科技、文化和歷史的角度來看創(chuàng)新的問題。
作為亞洲國家,我們自然十分關(guān)心東方歷史文化與創(chuàng)新的關(guān)系。
在東方,特別是東亞文化中,主流是中華文化。中國在五千年歷史中有過很輝煌的創(chuàng)新與發(fā)明,如造紙、火藥、印刷術(shù)和指南針,也出現(xiàn)了像孔子、孟子、老子、莊子這些偉大的思想家。然而這些都是在一千年以前,甚至遠至春秋戰(zhàn)國、秦漢時代的成就；早在春秋戰(zhàn)國時期,學(xué)術(shù)上的諸子百家爭鳴不僅為科學(xué)技術(shù)的進步創(chuàng)造了有利的條件,而且奠定了中國古代科技各大門類的體系基礎(chǔ),形成了傳統(tǒng)的特征。
然而近千年中都沒有類似的突破,是什么因素造成這種停滯不前的現(xiàn)象,這個問題值得我們深思?？v觀歷史,中華文化有兩個顯著的歷史因素,其一是中國有很長的封建時期,二千多年的封建制度自周代開始直至民國初,等級和禮教森嚴(yán)的社會體系才開始有所轉(zhuǎn)變；其二是中國的科舉制度嚴(yán)格而根深蒂固。所以,我們在探討創(chuàng)新時,應(yīng)將這兩個特點作為歷史背景來分析東方文化對創(chuàng)新的正面、負(fù)面的作用。
比較而言,歐洲的封建制度歷史較短,其后以復(fù)興古希臘文藝為口號的文藝復(fù)興時期歷時二百余年（公元14-16世紀(jì)）,實則是一次思想意識和發(fā)明創(chuàng)造的革命。相續(xù)的啟蒙運動和工業(yè)革命使到歐洲有了翻天覆地的變革,尤其是在意識形態(tài)、社會制度方面大大超脫了封建束縛,使歐洲呈現(xiàn)出一個嶄新的局面。在這種環(huán)境下,歐洲在各個領(lǐng)域出現(xiàn)了大量的創(chuàng)新發(fā)明,特別是體現(xiàn)在美術(shù)、科學(xué)、音樂、建筑等方面。
在近二百年中,美國因自身發(fā)展所需制造了許多新機會,以優(yōu)厚條件吸收了大批優(yōu)秀移民,因而在經(jīng)濟、科技、文化各個方面有許多重大突破,發(fā)掘了不少新意念,使之成為當(dāng)今世界上的超級強國?？偟膩碚f,西方近幾百年的歷史環(huán)境為創(chuàng)新和發(fā)明提供了非常好的條件。
其實東西方文化對創(chuàng)新的內(nèi)涵有不同理解和定義。雖然亞洲傳統(tǒng)比較保守,西方近幾百年的社會環(huán)境和意識形態(tài)則比較開明,但它們對創(chuàng)造發(fā)明的積極影響則各有千秋。20世紀(jì)科學(xué)領(lǐng)域最有成就的華裔物理學(xué)家楊振寧教授不只一次提到他的成就是東西方文化結(jié)合所致,是在東西方文化沖突與矛盾統(tǒng)一的情況下而得到新的科學(xué)構(gòu)想與理論。其實,無論黑格爾的唯心論或者恩格思的唯物論都強調(diào)了一個共同點,即尋求矛盾的統(tǒng)一。創(chuàng)新是一個多層而復(fù)雜的思維過程,牽涉許多因素。楊振寧教授所謂吸收東西文化優(yōu)勢、尋求矛盾的統(tǒng)一,值得我們深入分析。
現(xiàn)代科學(xué)起源是歐洲,因此我們需要了解西方文化的特點及其在創(chuàng)新方面的作用,西方文化特點反映在科技方面為大膽假設(shè),細心求證。而且科學(xué)基礎(chǔ)重視以實驗為主,所謂科學(xué)實驗就是將這個假設(shè)理論拿到實驗室檢驗。實驗的過程不但可以檢驗其正誤,往往還可能提升或*這個理論。正因為這些文化傳統(tǒng),西方人士比較習(xí)慣提出大膽假設(shè),因而產(chǎn)生了許多重要的、革命性的成果,而其缺點是一些新想法或假設(shè)也許沒有很好的基礎(chǔ),不過相對大膽的假設(shè)而言,這個缺點在創(chuàng)新發(fā)明中是比較次要的。
西方文化的另一個特點是強調(diào)個人的貢獻,或許這有歷史與宗教的原因。以個人為主是西方傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)格,演變到今日表現(xiàn)在西方文化和創(chuàng)造發(fā)明中往往是制造個人英雄,并將其英雄作風(fēng)和貢獻突出于集體之上。其好處是啟發(fā)人的進取心,弊端是導(dǎo)致以個人為中心,間接影響創(chuàng)新。
創(chuàng)新,到達一定程度之后須要各方面的配合。東方文化則在這方面會起積極作用。這可以從兩方面來看：
東方傳統(tǒng)教育強調(diào)腳踏實地建立學(xué)問的基礎(chǔ),注重將基礎(chǔ)知識一步一步建立起來。然而東方傳統(tǒng)中過于重視基礎(chǔ),強調(diào)死記硬背,無形中影響了對新現(xiàn)象、新問題的大膽設(shè)想、求證?，F(xiàn)代社會中,穩(wěn)固全面的知識基礎(chǔ)對創(chuàng)新而言并非壞事。東方文化傳統(tǒng)另一個特點是強調(diào)做學(xué)問的謙虛態(tài)度。
到了21世紀(jì),人類知識技術(shù)達到爆炸的時代,求學(xué)者無法盡善盡美。在這種情況下,創(chuàng)新所需要的具有獨特與新的見解以及抓到新問題新現(xiàn)象則更為不易,這要求全面了解問題的實質(zhì),有時要從表面至內(nèi)部,從片面至全面。謙虛謹(jǐn)慎的態(tài)度無疑會對這種深入全面的思考過程有很大幫助,對創(chuàng)新者有直接的幫助。
東西方文化和創(chuàng)新的關(guān)系是多方面的,我們只是簡單地提出以上初步的意見,新加坡、香港甚至整個亞洲確應(yīng)強調(diào)創(chuàng)新的重要性,新加坡政府近年來大力鼓勵創(chuàng)新發(fā)明是高瞻遠矚的。早在十多年前設(shè)立的陳嘉庚青少年發(fā)明獎就是在楊振寧教授的倡議下成立的,以鼓勵年輕人具有創(chuàng)新精神。相信如果我們善加結(jié)合東西方文化精粹,在東西文化傳統(tǒng)的矛盾與沖突中尋求新方向,應(yīng)比西方社會在創(chuàng)新方面有更大的突破。
（作者是國立大學(xué)物理系兼任教授、陳嘉庚青少年發(fā)明獎委員會主席以及華文報咨詢團成員）
For the past couple of years, the Singapore government is actively encouraging and promoting creativity at the same time as it is improving the education system. Some recent media reports in Hong Kong were also of the view that perhaps creativity is more important than the development of high technology.
Creativity is a very wide scope that covers all fields. Creativity is the driving force behind the development of technology, the economy, the arts and culture. This article attempts to look at the issue of creativity from the technological, cultural and historical perspectives.
As an Asian country, we are naturally concerned about the relationship between the history and culture of the East and creativity. In the East, especially in East Asia where Chinese culture was the mainstream, there were many illuminating examples of creativity and inventiveness in 5,000 years of Chinese history. For example, the invention of paper, gunpowder, printing and the compass. There were also great thinkers like Confucius, Mencius, Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. But these achievements go back a thousand years, or even earlier in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Qin and the Han Dynasties. Way back during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods, the contention among the Hundred Schools of Thought not only created a favourable milieu for the advancement of science and technology, it also laid the foundation for the various categories of ancient science and technology in China, making it a characteristic of tradition.
However, there hasn't been a likewise breakthrough for the last 1,000 years. What caused this stagnancy is an issue for us to ponder over. Throughout its history, Chinese culture has two obvious historical traits. One is that it had a very long period of feudalism. Only after 2,000 years of feudalism from the Zhou Dynasty right up to the early Republican period, did the class-based society with its strict ethical codes began to change. The second trait is that the Imperial Examination System was too rigid and deeply entrenched. Therefore, when we discuss the issue of creativity, we should take these two traits as a historical backdrop, so as to analyse the positive and negative effects of Eastern and Western cultures on creativity.
The feudal period in Europe was, by comparison, shorter. It was followed by over 200 years （14th to 16th century A.D.） of the Renaissance, a movement spurred on by the call to revive the arts of classical Greece. It was a revolution in intellectual thought and inventiveness. The Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution that followed caused a tumultuous transformation in Europe. Shaking off its feudal shackles in ideology and social systems, Europe created a brave new world for itself. Under such circumstances, Europe produced many new creations and inventions in the realms of art, science, music, architecture and so on. In the last 200 years, the United States created many new opportunities for self-development. Its favourable conditions attracted many immigrants of high calibre, it was able to achieve many breakthroughs and unearth many new ideas in economics, science and culture, making it the only superpower in the world today. On the whole, the historical circumstances in the West over the past few centuries provided very favourable conditions for creativity and inventiveness.
There is a difference in understanding and defintion of creativity between the East and the West. Although Asian traditions are conservative in comparison, and the social climate and ideological make-up of the West are more liberal, each of them has valid contributions towards creativity. The most prominent Chinese scientist in the 20th century, Prof Yang Chen-Ning has more than once mentioned the fact that he was an amalgation of Eastern and Western cultures. His new scientific ideas and theories are a result of the clash of Eastern and Western cultures and the resolution of this conflict. Whether it is Hegel's idealism or Engels' materialism, they all converge at a common point：the resolution of conflict. Creativity is a multi-level and complex thought process, involving many different factors. Prof Yang's idea to glean the best from both the East and the West to resolve the conflict is something we should think seriously about.
Modern science originated from Europe. Therefore, we must know the characteristics of Western culture and its effect on creativity. The characteristics of Western culture is reflected in making bold hypotheses followed by the meticulous search for evidence. The basis of science is the experiment. A scientific experiment is to test a hypothetical theory in the laboratory. Not only can the experiment verify the soundness of the hypothesis, it can also improve or debunk it. It is due to these cultural traits that Westerners are more used to making bold hypotheses. As a result, many important and revolutionary discoveries were made. The disadvantage of this is that some of these new ideas and hypotheses may not have solid foundations, but this fault is a minor one where creativity is concerned.
Another characteristic of Western culture is the emphasis on individual contribution. Perhaps there may be some historical or religious reasons, but the mainstay of Western culture is the individual. This trait is manifested in the adulation of individual heroes in Western culture and creativity. The individual's heroic exploits and contributions are placed above collective effort. The advantage of this is that it can spur people on to greater heights. The flaw is that it results in self-centred individualism, which affects creativity indirectly.
Up to some level, creativity requires the coordination of all sides. Eastern culture can play a positive role in this. We can look at the issue at two levels：
The traditional Eastern system emphasises building a solid foundation, and then build up the basic knowledge step by step. However, Eastern tradition places too much emphasis on foundations. The insistence on rote learning robbed the initiative to make bold hypotheses about new situations and new problems. In the modern world, a solid foundation is not a bad thing for creativity. Another trait of Eastern culture is humility in learning.
The 21st century will witness an explosion of human knowledge and technology. Students can no longer know everything. Under such circumstances, the unique and innovative ideas that creativity requires, as well as the grasp of new ideas and new situations, are all difficult to come by. They require the full understanding of the problem, sometimes from the surface to its core, from a superficial knowledge to a comprehensive understanding. Humility and prudence will no doubt prove valuable to such a comprehensive thought process and assist creative innovators.
The relationship between Eastern and Western cultures and creativity is multi-faceted. We only seek to offer some simple preliminary opinions. Singapore, Hong Kong, indeed the whole of Asia should stress the importance of creativity. The Singapore government's active encouragement of creativity is a testiment to its far-sightedness. The Tan Kah Kee Young People's Invention Award, set up more than 10 years ago, was suggested by Prof Yang himself. This is to encourage young people to be creative. I believe that if we synergize the essence of Eastern and Western cultures, and seek a new direction amidst the clashes and contradictions, we can achieve a greater breakthrough in creativity vis a vis the West.
創(chuàng)新與東西方文化
東西方文化對創(chuàng)新的內(nèi)涵有不同理解和定義,亞洲傳統(tǒng)比較保守,西方近代的社會環(huán)境和意識形態(tài)則比較開明,但兩者在影響力方面則各有千秋。
近一、兩年新加坡政府在發(fā)展教育的同時大力鼓勵各種創(chuàng)新活動。香港近期一些媒體也認(rèn)為鼓勵創(chuàng)新或許比發(fā)展高科技更重要。
創(chuàng)新是很廣泛的范疇,任何領(lǐng)域都會牽涉到,創(chuàng)新是推動科技、發(fā)展經(jīng)濟及提高藝術(shù)文化的主要意念。本文的重點是從科技、文化和歷史的角度來看創(chuàng)新的問題。
作為亞洲國家,我們自然十分關(guān)心東方歷史文化與創(chuàng)新的關(guān)系。
在東方,特別是東亞文化中,主流是中華文化。中國在五千年歷史中有過很輝煌的創(chuàng)新與發(fā)明,如造紙、火藥、印刷術(shù)和指南針,也出現(xiàn)了像孔子、孟子、老子、莊子這些偉大的思想家。然而這些都是在一千年以前,甚至遠至春秋戰(zhàn)國、秦漢時代的成就；早在春秋戰(zhàn)國時期,學(xué)術(shù)上的諸子百家爭鳴不僅為科學(xué)技術(shù)的進步創(chuàng)造了有利的條件,而且奠定了中國古代科技各大門類的體系基礎(chǔ),形成了傳統(tǒng)的特征。
然而近千年中都沒有類似的突破,是什么因素造成這種停滯不前的現(xiàn)象,這個問題值得我們深思?？v觀歷史,中華文化有兩個顯著的歷史因素,其一是中國有很長的封建時期,二千多年的封建制度自周代開始直至民國初,等級和禮教森嚴(yán)的社會體系才開始有所轉(zhuǎn)變；其二是中國的科舉制度嚴(yán)格而根深蒂固。所以,我們在探討創(chuàng)新時,應(yīng)將這兩個特點作為歷史背景來分析東方文化對創(chuàng)新的正面、負(fù)面的作用。
比較而言,歐洲的封建制度歷史較短,其后以復(fù)興古希臘文藝為口號的文藝復(fù)興時期歷時二百余年（公元14-16世紀(jì)）,實則是一次思想意識和發(fā)明創(chuàng)造的革命。相續(xù)的啟蒙運動和工業(yè)革命使到歐洲有了翻天覆地的變革,尤其是在意識形態(tài)、社會制度方面大大超脫了封建束縛,使歐洲呈現(xiàn)出一個嶄新的局面。在這種環(huán)境下,歐洲在各個領(lǐng)域出現(xiàn)了大量的創(chuàng)新發(fā)明,特別是體現(xiàn)在美術(shù)、科學(xué)、音樂、建筑等方面。
在近二百年中,美國因自身發(fā)展所需制造了許多新機會,以優(yōu)厚條件吸收了大批優(yōu)秀移民,因而在經(jīng)濟、科技、文化各個方面有許多重大突破,發(fā)掘了不少新意念,使之成為當(dāng)今世界上的超級強國?？偟膩碚f,西方近幾百年的歷史環(huán)境為創(chuàng)新和發(fā)明提供了非常好的條件。
其實東西方文化對創(chuàng)新的內(nèi)涵有不同理解和定義。雖然亞洲傳統(tǒng)比較保守,西方近幾百年的社會環(huán)境和意識形態(tài)則比較開明,但它們對創(chuàng)造發(fā)明的積極影響則各有千秋。20世紀(jì)科學(xué)領(lǐng)域最有成就的華裔物理學(xué)家楊振寧教授不只一次提到他的成就是東西方文化結(jié)合所致,是在東西方文化沖突與矛盾統(tǒng)一的情況下而得到新的科學(xué)構(gòu)想與理論。其實,無論黑格爾的唯心論或者恩格思的唯物論都強調(diào)了一個共同點,即尋求矛盾的統(tǒng)一。創(chuàng)新是一個多層而復(fù)雜的思維過程,牽涉許多因素。楊振寧教授所謂吸收東西文化優(yōu)勢、尋求矛盾的統(tǒng)一,值得我們深入分析。
現(xiàn)代科學(xué)起源是歐洲,因此我們需要了解西方文化的特點及其在創(chuàng)新方面的作用,西方文化特點反映在科技方面為大膽假設(shè),細心求證。而且科學(xué)基礎(chǔ)重視以實驗為主,所謂科學(xué)實驗就是將這個假設(shè)理論拿到實驗室檢驗。實驗的過程不但可以檢驗其正誤,往往還可能提升或*這個理論。正因為這些文化傳統(tǒng),西方人士比較習(xí)慣提出大膽假設(shè),因而產(chǎn)生了許多重要的、革命性的成果,而其缺點是一些新想法或假設(shè)也許沒有很好的基礎(chǔ),不過相對大膽的假設(shè)而言,這個缺點在創(chuàng)新發(fā)明中是比較次要的。
西方文化的另一個特點是強調(diào)個人的貢獻,或許這有歷史與宗教的原因。以個人為主是西方傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)格,演變到今日表現(xiàn)在西方文化和創(chuàng)造發(fā)明中往往是制造個人英雄,并將其英雄作風(fēng)和貢獻突出于集體之上。其好處是啟發(fā)人的進取心,弊端是導(dǎo)致以個人為中心,間接影響創(chuàng)新。
創(chuàng)新,到達一定程度之后須要各方面的配合。東方文化則在這方面會起積極作用。這可以從兩方面來看：
東方傳統(tǒng)教育強調(diào)腳踏實地建立學(xué)問的基礎(chǔ),注重將基礎(chǔ)知識一步一步建立起來。然而東方傳統(tǒng)中過于重視基礎(chǔ),強調(diào)死記硬背,無形中影響了對新現(xiàn)象、新問題的大膽設(shè)想、求證?，F(xiàn)代社會中,穩(wěn)固全面的知識基礎(chǔ)對創(chuàng)新而言并非壞事。東方文化傳統(tǒng)另一個特點是強調(diào)做學(xué)問的謙虛態(tài)度。
到了21世紀(jì),人類知識技術(shù)達到爆炸的時代,求學(xué)者無法盡善盡美。在這種情況下,創(chuàng)新所需要的具有獨特與新的見解以及抓到新問題新現(xiàn)象則更為不易,這要求全面了解問題的實質(zhì),有時要從表面至內(nèi)部,從片面至全面。謙虛謹(jǐn)慎的態(tài)度無疑會對這種深入全面的思考過程有很大幫助,對創(chuàng)新者有直接的幫助。
東西方文化和創(chuàng)新的關(guān)系是多方面的,我們只是簡單地提出以上初步的意見,新加坡、香港甚至整個亞洲確應(yīng)強調(diào)創(chuàng)新的重要性,新加坡政府近年來大力鼓勵創(chuàng)新發(fā)明是高瞻遠矚的。早在十多年前設(shè)立的陳嘉庚青少年發(fā)明獎就是在楊振寧教授的倡議下成立的,以鼓勵年輕人具有創(chuàng)新精神。相信如果我們善加結(jié)合東西方文化精粹,在東西文化傳統(tǒng)的矛盾與沖突中尋求新方向,應(yīng)比西方社會在創(chuàng)新方面有更大的突破。
（作者是國立大學(xué)物理系兼任教授、陳嘉庚青少年發(fā)明獎委員會主席以及華文報咨詢團成員）