On the Universal Applicability of the Pre-Qin Inference Model

Zhang Xiaomang and Jia Lei

Abstract： The pre-Qin inference model has clear cultural characteristics of its times from the perspective of discussing logic， and with regard to the mode of political communication， it also has a methodological significance of universal applicability from the perspective of using logic. The communicability and expansibility of its examples are shown in the Book of Poetry， the Book of History， the Book of Changes， Zuos Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals， and the pre-Qin philosophers discourses， ideas and treatises that continue to be discussed to this day. In the sense of the greatest common factor of culture， we should study why and how it is possible to make a modern transformation of the pre-Qin inference model.

Keywords： pre-Qin inference model， methodology， universal applicability

The pre-Qin inference model is a method of explanation and argumentation which emerged and developed in Chinas pre-Qin period. As a result of historicization， it shows that the spirit of those times were seeking goodness and governance， rather than seeking truth. Today， we should think about its universal applicability on the basis of analyzing and evaluating the suitability， effectiveness or enhancement of the model.

The Historical and Cultural Characteristics and Methodological Significance of the Pre-Qin Inference Model

[Refer to page 28 for Chinese. Similarly hereinafter]

As a part of traditional culture， the pre-Qin inference model is a demonstration method demanded by the times， which reflects the thinking characteristics of Chinese people and their emphasis on practicality. The scope of thinking and the purpose of demonstration mainly focus on the perfection of morality， the improvement of governance， and the elevation of realms of life so as to seek the aim of what ought to be and maintain the principle that “that which lies beyond the Six Realms， the sage admits of its existence but does not theorize about it.” Although it is not as complete as Aristotles logical system， the inference model still constructs a meaningful framework for its real existence with certain theoretical elaboration and its own effective operation， it is constantly copied and reproduced in the process of historicalization， and it appears in the final form of historical collective thinking， showing its universal applicability.

At this point， there were already some basic theoretical explanations available during the pre-Qin period， which can be generally selected as follows：

So that the superior man could use them by way of comparison; how much more should rulers of States do so！ Your project is like what the common saying describes. （Zuos Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals， “Duke Wen， Seventh Year” [文公七年]）

So， whenever things are of the same species， they will resemble each other. This being so， how could we doubt that it is the same with human beings？ I and the sage are of the same species. （Mencius 6A：7）

When those who are able to dispute， dispute. （Mozi， “Geng Zhu” [耕柱]; Johnston）

Mencius was a critic of Mozi， and yet both his wit and argument are similar to Mozis. Xunzi， Zhuangzi， and others condemned the Logicians but they could not change their form of argumentation.

The ancients in prosecuting their learning compared different things and traced the analogies between them.

That all the sages were able to discern misfortune and fortune was a matter of being able to derive the categories of things from consideration of their beginnings. Starting with the origins they observed the completion. In the village they discussed in the morning hall， using what is clear to investigate what is obscured.

From the emphasis on comparison in the Book of Poetry to the pre-Qin philosophical works， such wide-ranging examples of analogical reasoning using logic can be found everywhere， which shows the universal applicability of the model.

The Inference Model Shines Brilliantly in the Pre-Qin Debates [29]

Although there is not much strict reasoning in the Pre-Qin inference model， the practical application of exemplification from one instance to another is most prevalent among the Spring and Autumn scholars and philosophers， especially Mencius， Mozi， Huizi， Zhuangzi， and Hanfeizi. In the face of a turbulent society in which “name and reality create confusion，” the dissemination of political thought is such an important factor that any thinker or politician concerned about the current social order cannot ignore it.

They “drew the analogy of a thing to argue for the rise and fall of a country.” In the debate， they made extensive and deep use of exemplification and comparison， and full use of the simple truths of daily life （life experience） or the inductive summary of historical rise and fall （historical experience）， and the profound truth in governing the country and the world. They thoroughly displayed the function of exemplification and comparison of the inference model in the analogy of physical nature （attribute and reason）， images （situation）， and events （causal） in a certain attribute， reason， situation， and the unity and similarity in their causal connectivity. This also shows that the first concern of the sages was not how to create “l(fā)ogic，” but how to use “l(fā)ogic” correctly and effectively， so as to realize the fundamental purpose of discussing the dao 道 （the Way）—telling right from wrong， good from evil， and order from disorder.

Many of the idioms formed thereby are concise and comprehensive， but have profound implications. The evaluation effect may be better than large-scale argument to todays Chinese people. As a means of political communication handed down from generation to generation， the belief or behavior about logic thought and method has an unbroken tradition to the present day. The following is a brief introduction of particular examples.

The Book of Poetry [30]

An awareness of the inference model concerning exemplification and comparison started early in the Book of Poetry， Chinas first realistic poetry collection. “My illustrations are not taken from things remote; — / Great Heaven makes no mistakes.” （Book of Poetry， “Greater Odes of the Kingdom” [大雅]; Legge） At that time， people used comparison skillfully to express their feelings. The physical nature， images， and events cited by them were extensive. Bi 比 （making comparisons） became one of the three artistic forms—fu 賦 （to narrate in detail and in a simple and direct way）， bi， and xing 興 （foreshadowing or stimulating）—used in the Book of Poetry.

Guan-guan go the ospreys，

On the islet in the river.

The modest， retiring， virtuous， young lady：

For our prince a good mate she.

（Book of Poetry， “Lessons from the States” [國風(fēng)]; Legge）

In the first song of the Book of Poetry， the singer takes the water land area as the backdrop， and in the singing of a pair of waterfowl courting on the river， the singer thinks of the girl he loves and hopes to be a constant partner to her. This xing is based on associating the identity of beautiful things. Since then， the use of the bi–xing method has filled up every poem. The singer does not need to change the object of cognition; instead he can follow the identity of cognition and understanding. “A description of things is used to stand for ideas， and the figures of speech to intimate the nature of certain facts.”

In establishing the common ground between similar things， the Book of Poetry is also adept at using the word “ru 如” （like， as a preposition）. Though the nine “l(fā)ikes” of a gentleman in the comparison were originally words to celebrate monarchs， later generations also quoted them to offer birthday congratulations.

Like the high hills， and the mountain masses，

Like the topmost ridges， and the greatest bulks;

That， as the stream ever coming on，

Such is thine increase.

.? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .? .

Like the moon advancing to the full，

Like the sun ascending the heavens，

Like the age of the southern hills，

Never waning， never falling，

Like the luxuriance of the fir and the cypress; —

May such be thy succeeding line！

（Book of Poetry， “Minor Odes of the Kingdom” [小雅]; Legge）

It is precisely because the Book of Poetry makes good use of thoughts and feelings of the subject by means of the bi–xing method that it is possible to leave a lot of image blanks and imagination space for singers of the poems to deduce when expressing their mind through concrete images. This also paves the way for the development of ancient Chinese poetry in terms of concepts and methods. In the tradition of poetry expressing aspiration， from ancient times to the present，

The analogy and foreshadowing of the poets observed perfectly whatever they encountered. Though things were as far as Hu [in the north] and Yue [in the south]， when put together， they were as liver and gall. To imitate appearance and get the heart， decisive words must be used with daring. Then gathered into poetry and songs， they will sweep along like a stream.

The poems attracted numerous admirers. “Those who chant them feel boundless， those who hear them feel moved.”

This reality is also reflected in the following historical and literary work Qu Yuans 屈原 （340–278 BCE） Songs of Chu [楚辭]. There are various comments on this practical method in past dynasties.

（1） Evaluation of its workflow. For example， the interactive use of “comparing A with B，” “A compared with B，” “taking A in comparison with B，” and “A taken in comparison with B.”

（2） Evaluation of its working mechanism. For example， in Liu Xies 劉勰 （465–520） The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons [文心雕龍]， a particular chapter is devoted to “Comparison and Affective Image” [比興]. When analyzing and evaluating the Songs of Chu， he thinks that “when Qu Yuan wrote his ‘Orange-Ode [橘頌]， he imparted to it a colorful language of exquisite fragrance and taste， steeped in metaphor and allegory， and elaborated on the details of insignificant things.” In Commentaries on the Book of Poetry [詩集傳]， Zhu Xi 朱熹 （1130–1200） also discusses “this kind of comparison” as analogy， which shows that the working mechanism of this method is based on establishing connectivity or similarity.

（3） Evaluation of its characteristics. Sima Qian 司馬遷 （145–90 BCE） commented on the function of this method used in Qu Yuans “Encountering

Sorrow” [離騷]， saying that “his description is plain in form but great in meaning; he draws comparison with what is near but refers to what is far-reaching . . . which shows his aspiration by analogy.” Zhong Rong 鐘嶸 （ca. 468–518） also explains the characteristics of this method， saying， “to use objects to refer to aspiration is analogy.”

（4） The evaluation of its effect. Liu Xie connects comparison and analogy （bilei 比類） with metaphorical meaning （yuyi 寓意）， indicating that comparison and analogy has a deeper meaning to express; metaphorical meaning is a phenomenon of meaning transfer under this method; and “to elaborate on the details” means that with this writing method， we should ponder over the truth demonstrated after the transfer of meaning. Yu Guanying 余冠英 （1906–1995） thinks that this is the effect of a kind of metaphor， that is， an internal logical thinking， which connects different images， and explains the working mechanism and deduction function of this method.

The Book of History [32]

In the Book of History we also see some application of the method of thinking through imagery. For example， the “Chronology of Emperor Yao” [堯典] expresses Emperor Yaos evaluation of moral qualities and behavior as follows： “When all is quiet， he talks; but when employed， his actions turn out differently. He is respectful （only） in appearance. See！ The floods assail the heavens！” “Pan Geng I” [盤庚上] cites life experience and testifies the profound implication of the primary and secondary orders as follows： “When the net has its line， there is order and not confusion.” “Yings Subjugation” [胤征] goes as follows： “When the fire blazes over the ridge of Kun， gems and stones are burned together; but if a minister of Heaven should exceed in doing his duty， the consequences will be fiercer than blazing fire.” “Fire” is used here to explain the harm of officials fault.

The Book of Changes [32]

The Book of Changes is the first to consciously combine imagery thinking with the inference model， and made it a simple logic methodology with universal applicability. The abstract generalization of images （hexagrams）， semantic explanation of words （verbal explanations of hexagrams）， determination of auspiciousness or misfortune of meaning （meaning of hexagrams）， and pragmatic unity of images， words， and meanings are the presupposition of the derivation of divination in the Book of Changes. Each hexagram or trigram can be regarded as a mode of thinking， which is regulated by the abstract concept： “Therefore what we call the yi 易 （change） is （a collection of） emblematic lines. They are styled emblematic as being resemblances.” （Book of Changes， “Appended Remarks II” [系辭下]; Legge）. In the sense of the same category of things and attributes， they can be substituted into all kinds of things in nature， life， and society. “If we led on from the diagrams and expanded them， if we prolonged each by the addition of the proper lines， then all events possible under the sky might have their representation”; “The yi was made on a principle of accordance between the realms of heaven and earth， and shows us therefore， without division or confusion， the course （of things） in heaven and earth.” （“Appended Remarks I” [系辭上]; Legge） The function and significance of inferring by images， inferring according to words， and comparing categories with images by means of setting up images to express the meaning， thus “taking the feelings of all things” （“Appended Remarks II”） have laid a solid foundation for Chinese traditional modes of thinking with analogy as its main characteristic.

As a book of divination， the method of analogy in the Book of Changes is a kind of comparative method based on empirical logic， which has the characteristics of visualization and intuition. It is not an analogical method of reasoning in a strict sense. However， this analogical method based on its connotations in the first place lays a stable methodological foundation for logical thought and reasoning methods mainly based on the analysis of connotations in the pre-Qin period， and second， its derivation process in a certain order also contains a significant ethical guide for human relations. The trend of political ethics in the development of pre-Qin logical thought is blended with the ethical guide to human relationships. The Book of Changes is， in this sense， the seminal work of its kind.

Zuos Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals [34]

This is the first historical work in China. In the narration of different events， by various references， it testifies the authors attitude toward love， hatred， affirmation， and denial based on benevolence， righteousness， propriety， and morality.

A superior man may say， “Kao Shu 考叔， administrator of Ying， was filial indeed. His love for his mother was transmitted to and affected Duke Zhuang of Zhen. Was there not here an illustration of what is said in the Book of Poetry， ‘A filial son of piety unfailing， there shall forever be conferred blessing on you？” （Zuos Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals， “Duke Yin， the First Year” [隱公元年]; Legge）

The expression “Was there not here an illustration of what is said in . . .” here refers to the connective process of reference and deduction of categories， forming the standard verbal format of “comparing this with that，” that is， to refer one to the other.

In order to achieve its purpose or effect， the sources for reference are diversified in Zuos Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. All of them serve its reasoning and illustrating by offering similar categories and common reasoning. There fall into four main categories： （1） The Book of Poetry is the most frequently quoted， with up to 270 citations; （2） 47 citations from the Book of History; （3） about 21 citations from the Book of Changes; and （4） more than 100 citations from other categories， including almanacs （zhi 志）， former kings laws， bronze inscriptions， official speeches， ancient sayings， maxims， allusions， proverbs， folk adages， nursery rhymes， and folk ballads， and peoples life experience， dreams， and visions.

Pre-Qin Philosophers Exemplifications [37]

In the contentions of the Hundred Schools of Thought， most pre-Qin philosophers were super debaters by inference. For example， Confucius said， “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star， which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it” （Analects 2：1; Legge）. Mencius said， “One fellow runs a hundred paces and stops. Another runs fifty paces and stops. What would you think if the one who ran fifty paces laughs at the one who ran a hundred？” （Mencius 1A：3; Muller） Mozi said， “A large state attacking a small state is like a young boy [playing at] being a horse” （Mozi， “Geng Zhu”; Johnston）. Zhuangzi critiqued lip service， saying， “The goby flushed with anger， and said， ‘I have lost my proper element， and I can here do nothing for myself; but if I could get a gallon or a pint of water， I should keep alive. Than do what you propose， you had better soon look for me in a stall of dry fish” （Zhuangzi， chap. 26; Legge）. To exemplify that “l(fā)earning must never be concluded” （Xunzi， “An Exhortation to Learning” [勸學(xué)]）， Xunzi cited a whole series of quotations. Hanfeizis “Collected Persuasions” [說林] was also primarily a collection of allegories to be used for reasoning.

The Universal Applicability and Continuity of the Pre-Qin Inference Model in History [38]

It is precisely because pi 譬 （analogy） is a kind of argumentation method， which can express ideas， emotions， and the thought path of argumentation that it has been widely used by Chinese people since ancient times， and it is the dominant mode of reasoning with Chinese characteristics. From ancient times to the present， such examples are numerous， such as comparing superior persons virtue to jade.

The oracle bone inscription of bi 比 （） is a pictogram of two people close to each other， and the original meaning is “close to” or “side by side.” Therefore， it is made possible to compare and produce the meaning of comparison， which is then extended to metaphor. That is to say， to compare， it is necessary to connect the two things by some comparable situation. The idea of comparing a superior persons virtue to jade in the pre-Qin period is to “connect natural phenomena with the spiritual quality of human beings， experience the moral meaning of human beings from the characteristics of natural scenery， and personify natural things.” Therefore， there are all kinds of comparisons to mountains， rivers， stones， and pines. Among them， the most classic is to link the physical properties of jade with the talent and morality of superior person， such as the accounts in “Water and Land” [水地] in the Guanzi and “On the Model for Conduct” [法行] in the Xunzi. Today， the most frequently quoted is the understanding of Confucius in “The Meaning of the Interchange of Missions between Different Courts” [聘義] of the Book of Rites：

Anciently， superior men found the likeness of all excellent qualities in jade. Soft， smooth， and glossy， it appeared to them like benevolence; fine， compact， and strong—like intelligence; angular， but not sharp and cutting—like righteousness; hanging down （in beads） as if it would fall to the ground—like （the humility of） propriety; when struck， yielding a note， clear and prolonged， yet terminating abruptly—like music; its flaws not concealing its beauty， nor its beauty concealing its flaws—like loyalty; with an internal radiance issuing from it on every side—like good faith; bright as a brilliant rainbow like heaven; exquisite and mysterious， appearing in the hills and streams—like the earth; standing out conspicuous in the symbols of rank—like virtue; esteemed by all under the sky， —like the path of truth and duty. As is said in the Book of Poetry， “Such is my lords carriage. / He rises in my mind， / Lovely and unadorned， like jade of richest kind.”

Here， the beauty of natural images as the aesthetic object and the aesthetic subjects expectation for the beauty of virtue are integrated in the beauty of the personality.

Since the Book of Poetry， ancient Chinese literature has often adopted the analogical mode of thinking. This mode of reasoning has been mimicked and reproduced over a long history. It has become a comfortable， natural， and convenient traditional way of thinking from describing things to discussing dao. Its paradigms have continued to grow from ancient times to the present. Lets look at some examples as follows.

In the form of debate carried out through “comparing by categories and analogy” and “verifying by categories and analogy，” Wang Chong 王充 （27–ca. 97）， a scholar in the Han dynasty， used “the simple to refer to the profound in argument” and “the easy to refer to the difficult for wisdom” to demonstrate the importance of the analogical method.

Throughout his “Short Ballad” [短歌行]， Cao Cao 曹操 （155–220）， Emperor Wu of the Wei dynasty， ingeniously used the method of comparison. In “It evaporates， to our dismay， / Like the morning dew， day after day” （“Short Ballad”; Zhu， 3）， he drew his life experience and compared the morning dew to the fleeting of time. In addition， “You wear a collar blue; / At ease I cannot be” are quoted from “The Blue Collar” [子衿] in the Book of Poetry to describe the yearning between lovers; and “The calling deer seems to sing， / As it nibbles the wormwood green” are quoted from “The Deer” [鹿鳴] to show the mutual respect between host and guest. In “When an open-minded king calls for talent， / It is him the world must stand by，” the poem drew the allusion of Duke Zhou from Han Yings Miscellaneous Collection [韓詩外傳]， where ambition was integrated with sentiment to express his grand expectation of seeking talents， understanding the law of life and achieving early great feats.

Li Shimin 李世民 （ca. 598–649）， Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty， drew from his life experience and hoped to learn lessons from the successes and failures of history. “If you take copper as a mirror， you can straighten your clothes in its reflection; if you take the past as a mirror， you can know of rises and falls; if you look at people as a mirror， you can see gains and losses.”

Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元 （773–819） said in “On Enfeoffment” [封建論]： “Under the rule of Zhou Emperors， the land was divided and enfeoffed. . . . People can travel far and wide like the stars all over the country， and they move and gather around the center like wheels.” Four comparisons are consecutively used to verify the grandeur of the Zhou Emperors rule.

In the Northern Song， Zhou Dunyi 周敦頤 （1017–1073）， in his “Loving Lotuses” [愛蓮說]， embodied his aspirations and expressed his deep love for the quality of the lotus by comparing

it with two other flowers. The line “how stainless it rises from its slimy bed” combines narration， description， argumentation， and emotion altogether， with citation and exemplification highlighting each other.

In the history of ancient Chinese logical thought， after the dialectic of names in the pre-Qin period， the Neo-Confucianism of the Song dynasty brought another peak of discussions using analogy， and made the inference model more and more rational.

Zhang Zai 張載 （1020–1077） made the point of comparison by exhaustive reasoning， and clearly proposed making inferences by reasoning. “For whatever to be explained， if it cannot be explained clearly， then making inferences may serve the purpose; if it can be explained clearly and thus is considered exhaustive， it often suffers numerous losses， which is a common fault.”

Zhu Xi said， “All things are subject to one reasoning， and all reasonings originate from one source; therefore， there is nothing that cannot be explained through making inferences.” He not only made great contributions to discussions on logic， he also made great use of logic， he would also exemplify human nature by drawing inferences from their physical properties， implementing his idea of making inferences and drawing analogies. These fine examples of using logic are scattered all over the pages of The Classified Sayings of Master Zhu [朱子語類]， such as comparing water to human nature of clarity， purity， and tranquility.

The above examples may not be profound in their theoretical content. However， on the practical level， under the influence of the cultural framework of traditional imagery thinking and analogical method， we can still accept the signifier of its meaning by citation and believe in the signified of its implication by exemplification.

The Modern Transformation of the Greatest ‘Cultural

Common Factor as a Thinking Tool [42]

It is of practical significance to discover why and how reasoning by inference works. In the process of historical development， one of the reasons why this kind of inference model can always retain the cultural essence of imagery is that it is more in line with the intuitive psychological feeling of traditional imagery thinking， and the other reason is that it strengthens a kind of satisfactory and acceptable belief with a comfortable， convenient， and simple means of argument. Therefore， a logical thinking methodology of its broad validity and universal applicability can have the diffusion value of self-replication throughout the historical and cultural atmosphere of talking about inference and using inference from generation to generation， making its modern transformation possible.

The discussion of the rational elements of the pre-Qin inference model inevitably involves the discussion of logic， that is， whether the formation of ancient Chinese logical thought is the result of rationality.

At present， there has been a basic consensus on the research of Chinese and Western thinking modes： “Chinese thinking mode is dominated by imagery thinking， while western thinking mode is dominated by conceptual thinking.” Combined with our own view， the former considers the contrastive association or connection of the connotation between two things， both the essential stipulation and the ethical stipulation between the two things; the latter thinks about the relationship of the denotation between the two concepts.

According to this， the inevitability of the pre-Qin inference method is that in the process of natural personification， the universe， life， and nature are presented in front of people as a whole， and nature becomes the inorganic body of human beings， and human beings the organic part of nature. In the process of understanding the whole form， there are consistent reasons and the same causal relationship between the harmony of nature and the harmony between human and nature， between man and man， and the harmony of human beings body and mind. Therefore， we can use imagery thinking to observe the images and draw inferences from them; we can obtain an enlightenment that benefits the country and its people， and realize the truth of governing the country.

In the pattern of describing things to discussions on the dao， it is a random choice to draw an inference from one thing. However， as long as “the affinity between mind and reason is derived from that between the thing and reason，” then it is possible that “the certainty of the argument comes from the necessity of things， and we get to know the nature of things， so that all thoughts from all directions lead to the same destination. . . . And the certainty of reason is based on the necessity of things， which corresponds to the nature of things.” Therefore， in the process of “the rise and fall of a country” and the exemplification of right and wrong by discussing dao， we can effectively control the communication process of explanation， demonstration， guidance， and persuasion through the consensus formed by the “maximum common factor” between the categorical attributes and the categorical reasoning. In this process， the traditional imagery thinking has become the highest cultural common factor of the thinking instrument of inferential reasoning mode.

The formation and development of the pre-Qin inference model is a historical and cultural choice promoted by a sense of historical responsibility to “observe the ornamental figures of the sky， and thereby ascertain the changes of the seasons; watching the ornamental observances of society， and understanding how the processes of transformation are accomplished all under heaven” （Book of Changes， “Bi” [賁]）， which is confirmed or denied by the practice of contemporary people and future generations. Although the mode of imagery thinking may seem vague and general， it can directly point to the essence of a problem in political communication， making it have the rational characteristics of the culture. Therefore， if we can more fully explain why the pre-Qin inference model could achieve a modern transformation， we will find the key to understanding and respecting the history of Chinese thinking and culture.

An American studying in China had the following view：

After several years of observing and thinking， I realized when discussing aspects of culture and thinking， many foreign expatriates will face an extremely difficult obstacle. This “obstacle” is composed of three parts： The first part is having a difficulty adapting to the China-way-of-thinking. The second part concerns the difficulty to fully understand underlying factors related to China-exclusive-characteristics behind the state of the country. The third part is the difficulty in comprehending Chinese way of behaving and dealing with affairs and so-called way-of-the-world.

In these three difficulties， the first is the key to understanding.

Chinese people often use idioms inadvertently in interpersonal communication， which is actually the unconscious use of Chinese inference and logic. According to South Korean media， “Chinese people like to use idioms because the wisdom of their ancestors is concentrated in the few words of idioms. It does not need a long speech to express what they want to express.”

Based on this， as a way of thinking， the pre-Qin inference model not only needs the accumulation of experience， but also the summary of theory， so as to make the familiar things become cognitive and applicable. This is not only related to whether a logical reasoning model can be constructed for this formula， but also how it can be transformed in modern times. In todays comparative study of Chinese and Western logical thought， we should approach it as a demonstration of a traditional thinking instrument with a warm and respectful attitude， and admit that it has an eternal nature going beyond the changing times and a value that changes with the changes of the times.

In recent years， President Xi Jinping， in his visits and keynote speeches both at home and abroad， has been using most subtle and adequate similes and metaphors to tell stories of common development， and to make the blueprints vivid for the world to create the Belt and Road Initiative. For example， the Chinese people are fond of tea and the Belgians love beer. Xi used the moderate tea drinker and the passionate beer lover to represent two compatible ways of understanding life and knowing the world， and thus conveyed the principle of extensive consultation of the Belt and Road Initiative to Europe and the world. For another example， at the 2016 APEC CEO Summit in Lima， Xi used the local product sweet potatoes， which may grow out of its roots and stretch in all directions， to explain that no matter what level of development it may reach， China， with its root in the Asia-Pacific region， will always contribute to its development and prosperity. He told the Asia-Pacific and other countries in the world that China always adheres to the principle of joint contribution.

In general， we need to grasp the instrumental value and significance of the logical method of the inference model in the pre-Qin period from ancient times to the present， and its role in communication in todays cultural exchange， so as to make its modern transformation possible.

In conclusion， the occurrence of culture and logic are intrinsically related， and both are embodiments of peoples free and conscious use of analogy in specific cultural groups. They are not only a historical and cultural phenomenon， but also the result of a certain form of social life. As for the universal applicability of the pre-Qin inference model， it has continuously consolidated and demonstrated the instrumental utility of its thinking method over history， and continuously diffused its instrumental value. This also enables us to understand our ancestors thinking methodology; meanwhile， through the modern transformation of traditional ways of thinking， we can better grasp this traditional instrument of communication and reasoning in our modern lives.

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Translated by Zhu Yuan