ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.03.013
Spatial Consciousness in the West and in China: A Philosophical Root of the Knowledge of the World
Weihan Yuan
Qingdao City University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong, China.
*Corresponding author: Weihan Yuan
Published: March 31, 2026
Abstract
Space is a concept that we, as human beings, constantly strive to grasp. The notion of space fuels a long-term debate in the philosophical discipline, where thinkers seek to scrutinize its essence. The emergence of the concept of space was recognized in the West more than two millennia ago, and its interpretation has become increasingly complex and divergent over time. Avant-garde philosophers have sought to scrutinize the essence of space and based their theories upon the concept of topos. Meanwhile, the idea of space in ancient Chinese philosophy was a blend of time and space, which derived from mythology to daily life experience. This article aims to highlight the difference between Western and Chinese spatial consciousness in the philosophical field from a diachronic perspective. As a way of conceiving spatial relations in the real world, spatial consciousness will later allow us to better understand both realistic and metaphorical relationships in a dualistic way.
Keyword
Spatial consciousness; Classical philosophy; Dualism
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Copyright
© 2026 by the author(s).
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How to cite this paper
Spatial Consciousness in the West and in China: A Philosophical Root of the Knowledge of the World
How to cite this paper: Weihan Yuan. (2026) Spatial Consciousness in the West and in China: A Philosophical Root of the Knowledge of the World. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(3), 322-325.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.03.013