Harmony without Uniformity
This notion of harmony without uniformity originated in The Analects of Confucius. "The gentleman aims at harmony, and not at uniformity," reads the quote. "The mean man aims at uniformity, and not at harmony." A gentleman is affable with others, but he has his own views when it comes to a particular issue and will not follow others blindly. The opposite is true of the mean man. Harmony without uniformity is considered by Confucius to be a basic principle to guide interpersonal relations. It also epitomizes the ancient Chinese view on diversity and uniformity in the world.
Seeking harmony requires reconciling differences and striking a balance between them and promoting uniformity implies making everything identical. Harmony without uniformity connotes respect for differences and stresses that such differences make the world diverse. Everything has its place and value; things coexist harmoniously to make a diverse whole. This concept shines light on the social values of the Chinese people: They resolve differences based on mutual respect, seek common ground while acknowledging differences, and pursue harmonious coexistence through cooperation.
和而不同
和而不同出自《论语·子路》，原文是“君子和而不同，小人同而不和”。孔子认为，君子能够与他人保持和谐友善的关系，但在具体问题的看法上则有自己的独立思考，不盲从附和；小人则相反。“和而不同”是孔子对人际交往基本原则的论述，也是中国古人对于世界多样性和统一性看法的精练概括。
“和”是多样性的调和与平衡，“同”则是把不同的事物转变成相同的。“和而不同”，就是尊重事物的差异性，并强调这些差异性恰好构成丰富多彩的整体世界。每一种事物存在于整体中，各自有其恰当的位置和价值，并与其他事物和谐共处，构成具有多样性的整体。“和而不同”理念体现了中国人的社会观，即以相互尊重的方式化解冲突，以求同存异的态度寻求共识，以彼此合作的精神和谐共存。
