Proceedings of the 2025 3rd International Conference on Language, Innovative Education and Cultural Communication (CLEC 2025)

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Cultural Relativism and Civilization Evolution in Northern and Southern Epics: A Study of Fu Xi Chuang Shi and Miluotuo

Authors
Yan Chen1, *
1Tianshui Normal University, Princeton Tianshui, 741001, China
*Corresponding author.
Corresponding Author
Yan Chen
Available Online 22 June 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-430-3_31How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Fu Xi Chuang Shi; Miluotuo; cultural relativism; civilization evolution
Abstract

As literary forms that carry collective ethnic memory and civilizational history, epics document early human life. Chinese civilization, profound and extensive, exhibits distinct evolutionary characteristics in northern and southern epics shaped by different geographical and cultural contexts. Guided by Franz Boas’ cultural relativism—which asserts that cultures should be evaluated within their own contexts rather than hierarchical standards—this study deconstructs the “center-periphery” narrative and reconstructs a dialogue framework between northern and southern civilizations. Fu Xi Chuang Shi (Fu Xi Creates the World) fills the gap in Han Chinese epic literature by narrating the collective memory of Fu Xi, a cultural symbol who initiated human civilization. Correspondingly, Miluotuo, the creation epic of the Bunu Yao people in southern China, reflects their holistic ethnic memory. Though differing in historical narratives of origin and development, both epics explore civilizational beginnings through primordial life, revealing the formation of China’s pluralistic-yet-unified cultural landscape.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2025 3rd International Conference on Language, Innovative Education and Cultural Communication (CLEC 2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
22 June 2025
ISBN
978-2-38476-430-3
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-430-3_31How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Yan Chen
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/06/22
TI  - Cultural Relativism and Civilization Evolution in Northern and Southern Epics: A Study of Fu Xi Chuang Shi and Miluotuo
BT  - Proceedings of the  2025 3rd International Conference on Language, Innovative Education and Cultural Communication (CLEC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 260
EP  - 268
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-430-3_31
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-430-3_31
ID  - Chen2025
ER  -