人类不仅拥有文字，通过长期积累，人类还形成了丰富多彩的文化。而动物没有语言，其知识局限于本能或直接观察现实所学到的东西……
Mandiffersfromanimalspeciesinmanyways.Biologicallythedifferenceisminorbutinmindtherearemanydifferences.Manlivesintheworldofideas,andactsandreactsintermsofconceptsaboutobjectsandorganizations.Theanimalsliveonlyinthepresent,theyarenotpossessedoflanguage,andtheirknowledgeislimitedtoinstinctorwhattheylearnbydirectandpresentobservations.Theirlearningdoesnotaccumulateexceptforwhattheycanpresentlyuse.Manontheotherhandcansimultaneouslylookintothepast,presentandfuture.Hepossessesthecapacitytotalk,torespond,torepresent,toaccumulateknowledgeandtolearnfromthestimulusresponserelationships(刺激反应关系).Thesepeculiarelementsinthemake-upofmanprovidealonghistoryandtraditionofwisdom,accumulatedinvariousformsofcivilizationfromwhichculturegrowsandcontinuesflowing.Thefundamentalsofculturedevelopedbypastgenerationsserveasthefoundationstonetothenextgeneration.Thenewgenerationfurtheraddstothepastaccumulationofcivilizationandcultureandenablesmantocontinuallyassimilateinthestreamofculture.Thusmancontinuestoliveasacivilizedandculturedmemberofsociety.
Scientificinventionsanddiscoveriesgreatlyinfluenceculturalvariability(变化性，易变性).Theyaffecttradition,customs,beliefsandfaiths.Theynotonlyaffectthepresentandfutureideology(意识形态)ofsocietybutalsopracticallybringaboutchangesinartisticproductsandculturalenvironment.Theyquiteoftenunderminethespiritualaspectofculturallifeandprovidematerialpatterns.Inventionsanddiscoveriesbringaboutchangesinthemodeofproduction,art,morals,customs,laws,literature,etc.thechangingmodeofproductionaffectstheculture.KarlMarxheldthatthecultureofcapitalistcountriesdifferedfromthatofsocialistcountriesbecauseofthedifferencesinthemodesofproduction.
Whatdoesculturedo?Thefirstfunctionofcultureistomakemanahumanbeing.Itisculturethatregulateshisconductandprepareshimforgrouplife.Itteacheshimtheartoflivingaspertheculturaltraitsofthegroup.Hetakesthefood,wearstheclothes,goestoschool,speaksthelanguageanddoessomanyotherlittlethingsofday-to-daylifewhichareapartoftheconventionalnorms,mores(风俗),laws,customsandmoralsofthegroup.Thecultureofagroupplaysamajorpartintheheighteninghumanqualitiesofitsindividualsandsavethemfromavoidingparticipationintheculturalstream.
Thecultureofthegroupmustgivetoitsindividualthecapacitytoleadasociallifeasaneffectivememberofsociety.Withtheinductionoftheindividualasaneffectiveparticipantinthesociallifeofthegroup,onecangreatlygainbytheutilizationofenergyoftheindividualindifferentconstructiveactivities,whichnotonlyprovidessatisfactionontotheindividualbutalsobenefitsthegroup.
Thesecondimportantroleofcultureistokeepsocialrelationshipintactsothatthegroupasawholecanmaintainanddevelopthevaluesandidealsofthegroupthroughtheregulationofbehaviorsofitsmembersandbysatisfyingtheirprimaryneedsandobjectivesinrespectofthenecessitiesandluxuriesoflife.Peoplelearntobehavesociallyinagroupbecausetheirbehaviorissubjecttoapprovalordisapproval.
Thecultureofagroupprovidesanumberofcontrolsontheirrationalconductsforitsmembers.Itorganizesmanyculturalaidslikeschooling,provisionofwork,outlettotalent,etc.theseoutletsgotoproviderationalityandresponsibilitytothemembersandintegratethemmentally,morallyandsentimentallyinthegroup.Aculturallyadvancedgroupisalsocapableofprovidingacoordinatedset-uptotakethebestoutofeachmemberandinreturngivethenecessarycomfortforpersonaldevelopment,recreationandemotionalliving.Itmustalsoprovideotherfacilitiesforbroadeningthevisionoftheindividualmemberssoastoprovidenecessarymotivationsforcreationindifferentfieldsofsocialactivityincludingproductionofpiecesofart,handicraftsandscientificimplementsandequipmentswhichthegroupmayneedforthesatisfactionofitsdifferentculturalandmaterialrequirements.
Thenextimportantfunctionofcultureistoinstantlyprovidenewinterpretationtodifferentsituationsarisingfromthetraditionalculturalelementstransmittedtothegroup.Provisionofinterpretationtotraditionalculturehelpsthereorientation(重新定位)ofpresentandfutureculturaltrends,puttingthemontherighttrack.Forinstance,inthemoderneraitisthedutyoftheschoolandotherinstitutionofagrouptotellitsmembersthatifacatcrosseshiswayheneedsnotconsideritunfortunateandgiveupthenewprojects,whichisneededinthemodernnormsofsociety.
However,theseinterpretationsbasedontraditionmaydifferfromculturetoculture.Amongsomeculturestheowlmaystillberegardedasasymbolofbadluckwhileinothersitmaybesymbolofwisdom.
TheprincipleofculturaldiffusionhasbeenadvocatedbythreeGermanscholars.Culturaldiffusionistheprocessbywhichtheculturaltradesofonegroupofsocietyarespreaddirectlyorindirectlytoothersocieties.Itishistoricallyestablishedthatsomesocietieshaveservedascentersofculturalunification.AfterthebirthofChristwasbornaculturalcenter,fromwheremanyculturaltradesinthefieldofartandpoliticalorganizationgotdiffusedtothenorthwesternEuropeandtotheeastuptoIndia.SubsequentlyRome(罗马)becameagreatculturalcenterfromwhereRomanlawspreadinmostcountriesofEurope.InancienttimeIndiawastheculturalcenterfromwheremanyculturaltradespreadeastwarduptoIndonesia(印度尼西亚)andpassedthroughthefourteenthcentury.EuropeanculturebecamethedominantelementinAsiaandAfricaandevenAmerica.AtpresenttheUnitedStatesandRussiaareexportingtheirrespectiveculturestodifferentcountries.
Severalfactorsinfluencethediffusionofculture.Theforemostisthecapacityoftheculturalcentertoinspireothercountriestoimporttheculture.Themostimportantvehicleofculturaldiffusionismasscommunication,tourism,andexchangeofeducationalandculturaldelegationsandteams,literature,films,etc.Obstructiontoculturaldiffusionmaysometimesarisefromtherefusalofagrouptoborroworimportfromtheothergroup.Suchagrouptendstobecomeanislandoflocalcultureuntouchedbytheculturallydevelopedcountries.Sometimesaculturalislandmayexistwithinalargerculturalisland.Forexample,inIndiathecaste(印度的世袭等级)systemthathasseparatedBrahmins(印度的婆罗门阶级)fromtheothersocialgroupsformanygenerationsonsupposedbiologicalsuperioritymayrejectaforeignculturalform,astheyfearitsimpactontheprevailingmoralnormsandsocialvalues.Itisforthisreasonthatculturalcentersofnewvaluesfinditmoreexpeditioustoinvadeforeignculturesthroughsuchmeansasthemassmedia.Thisprocess,althoughindirectandslow,hasinduecoursealastingimpactasitappealstothecominggenerationsoftheforeigncountrieswhicharestillnotfullysocializedtothelocalcultures.Forexample,theyoungagegroupsinIndiaweresubjectedtoculturalinfluenceoftheBeatles(披头士乐队，甲壳虫乐队)forquitealongtime.
注释:
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belief
faithfaith
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India
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