Yin-Yang and the Five Elements

陰陽學(xué)說和五行學(xué)說,，是中國古代用以認(rèn)識自然和理解自然的一種宇宙觀和方法論，具有唯物論和辯證法的思想內(nèi)涵,。

Thetheories of yin-yang and the five elements originated in ancientChina, and are the perspectives and methodologies applied tounderstand nature. They possess the ideological characteristics ofdialectic materialism.

陰陽學(xué)說

The Theory of Yin-Yang

陰陽學(xué)說的基本概念

陰陽學(xué)說是中國古代的一種宇宙觀和方法論,，具有對立統(tǒng)一的內(nèi)涵。陰陽,，是對自然界相互關(guān)聯(lián)的某些事物或現(xiàn)象對立雙方的概括。陰陽既可以代表兩種相互對立的事物或勢力,，也可以代表同一事物內(nèi)部所存在的相互對立的兩個方面,。故《類經(jīng)·陰陽類一》說：“陰陽者，一分為二也,。”因此,，陰陽學(xué)說是我國古代唯物主義哲學(xué)的重要組成部分，具有矛盾對立統(tǒng)一的辯證觀點,。

The Basic Concept of the Theory of Yin-yang

Thetheory of yin-yang is a perspective and methodology that originatedin ancient China, and which has as its central premise the unity ofopposites. Yin-yang is the generalization for the two oppositeaspects of some things or phenomena which are interrelated in thenatural world. Yin and yang represent not only two inter-oppositethings or forces, but also the two inter-opposite aspects existingwithin one object or person.

陰陽屬性歸類舉例

Samples in the Natures of Yin and Yang

五行學(xué)說

THE THEORY OF FIVE ELEMENTS

五行學(xué)說的基本概念

五行,，即是指木,、火、土、金,、水五種基本物質(zhì)元素的運動變化,。五行學(xué)說，則是古人用人們?nèi)粘Ｉ钪凶钍煜さ哪?、火,、土、金,、水五種物質(zhì)的功能屬性為代表,，來歸類事物的屬性，並以五者之間相互滋生,、相互制約的關(guān)係來論述和推演事物之間的相互關(guān)係及其複雜的運動變化規(guī)律,。因此，五行學(xué)說亦是中國古代的唯物主義哲學(xué)的重要範(fàn)疇,。

The Basic Concept of the Five Elements

The five elements refer to the movement and changes of the fivebasic material elements, i.e., wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.The theory of the five elements originated when the ancients tookthe functional properties of the five materials which are the mostfamiliar to people in their daily life, as representative conceptsto classify things’ properties. The ancients also took therelationships of inter-generation and inter-restriction among thesefive elements to discuss and infer the mutual relationships and thecomplicated laws of movement and changes among things. Thus, thetheory of the five elements also pertains to the materialism inancient Chinese philosophy.