What is Culture?

In broad sense, it means the aggregation of material fortune and spiritual fortune, which are made in the social historical practice. In narrow sense, it means system that suits to the social mental condition and organizational institution, the reflection of the social politic and economic, and has force on social politic and economic. With the production and development of the nation, culture has the property of nation. Every social pattern has its suitable culture, and every culture will develop as the social material develops. The continuity of the development of the social material decides that the development of culture has continuity and historical succession.

Generally, literal ability and common sense: learning culture/ culture level. Sociologist, deputy editor in chief of “labor union" Mr. Aijun points out that the concept of "culture" is very deep, having the broad sense and also narrow sense. There is a scholiast understands culture in this way: Historicity, group, and effect. Thus, it is said that culture refers to aggregation of material fortune and spiritual fortune in social historic practice. He believes that, the definition of culture is hard, sometimes is very broad, sometimes narrow. In broad sense, culture means big. In narrow sense, culture means cultural phenomenon involving spiritual creation. In fact, every theory has its concept difficult problem. However, Aijun thinks, as far as the understanding of culture is conce
ed, we should treat it as values, feeling of beauty, and mode of thinking, and so on, to some extent, equivalent to the concept of spirit, social consciousness and ethical system. In his opinion, it could be visual and invisible. For example, mind, moral, values and religion belong to invisible culture; while "a piece of painting, a temp, an opera, a masterpiece and an activity" belong to visual culture. He points out, in modern society, culture manifest in four aspects: spiritual food, values, religion and belief and moral norms. For example, if we take one period of history into culture. We can only say that this history gives us inspiration to think, or, this history is written into a piece of work and published, or, this history brings us values revolution.

Besides, somebody holds objection to the non-material culture protection of Quanjude. They insist that Quanjude is not non-material culture. As a matter of fact, it is not the Quanjude shop needing protections; it's the process that Quanjude ever gets through, like commercial concept, moral rules, commercial history and brand value. These all belong to non-material culture, and needing protection. As a result, as with the understanding of culture, Aijun thinks that we should not take culture as static, and never change, but it's dynamic, it will change with people's spirit, value tendency, moral concepts and social awareness. The simplest example is in the early reform and open, we take culture just as "spirit", so there exist "material civilization", "spiritual civilization". Afterwards, with the renewal of our concept and development of the society, we think that "spirit" cannot completely include social culture intension. Thus, in the afterwards important literature, there appears "advanced culture" concept. Actually, the spiritual range is included in the big culture. "Advanced culture" is the big cultural range that is good for social development, and represents the social development tendency.

What is "wen"? Composite vestige is a dividing line. "Hua" means change. Generally speaking, the phenomenon of everything beautifully gathering in order is "wen". Using this "beautiful harmony" concept in everything is "YI WEN HUA ZHI", that is the requirement of "culture". Beauty and harmony is the highest requirement of culture. The core of culture is people. Culture is the dream and endeavor of human super natural power.