The first nationwide meeting of Chinese philosophers began here Monday, with more than 900 scholars, experts and students attending.

Named "Philosophy and China in the New Century," the China Congress of Philosophy includes three topics: "Tradition vs. Modernity," "East vs. West" and "Science and Technology vs. Humanism."

The participants are scheduled to discuss philosophies of Marxism, Buddhism, natural sciences, ethics, politics, aesthetics and culture.

Wang Luolin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), delivered a welcoming speech at the inaugural, which was presided over by Li Deshun, vice director of the CASS Institute of Philosophy and a well-known philosopher.

After the inaugural, Li Tieying, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and former CASS president, Yang Chungui, former vice president of the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Li Jingyuan, director of the CASS Institute of Philosophy, each delivered speeches.

The participants will exchange views from different academic perspectives to prevent isolation in the study of philosophy at the four-day meeting.

According to Chinese scholastic categorization, philosophy contains eight sub-studies: Marxism, Chinese thought, Eastern thought, Western logic, aesthetics, ethics and science and technology.

The CPC Central Committee issued a document in March encouraging interdisciplinary research not only between different social sciences but also between social sciences and natural sciences.

The congress is expected to be held every three years.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2004)