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From the Axial Age to Philosophers Age: Cultural Genes for Philosophical Breakthroughs and the Continuity of Chinese Civilization

Shu Fan
Vol. 6, No. 10, pp. 34-38, 2026 DOI: 10.54691/dvhy7b87 October 19, 2026
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Abstract.The theory of "Axial Age" reveals the philosophical breakthrough of human civilization, but the breakthrough path of "Age of Sons" in China is unique. This paper points out that the Hundred Schools of Thought did not negate the ancient tradition completely, but bred the "cultural gene" that deeply influenced the trend of Chinese civilization through a "continuous breakthrough". By analyzing the Confucian ethical path of "inner transcendence", the Taoist cosmology of "Tao and nature" and the logical spirit of the two schools of thought, this paper argues that these ideological genes together constitute a civilized framework emphasizing harmony, order and historical consciousness. It is this framework that provides the fundamental spiritual impetus and internal mechanism for the Chinese civilization to show strong inclusiveness, resilience and historical continuity in later generations.
Keywords. Axial Era, Hundred Schools of Thought, Cultural Gene, Continuity of Civilization, Inner Transcendence.
APA Citation Shu Fan (2026). From the Axial Age to Philosophers Age: Cultural Genes for Philosophical Breakthroughs and the Continuity of Chinese Civilization. Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(10), 34-38. https://doi.org/10.54691/dvhy7b87

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