Comparative Study: Chinese and Western Theoretical Sources for Sustainable Development Theory

Countries around the world are now plagued by deteriorating environmental problems (including global warming, desertification, reduction of biodiversity, and possible sources of unknown viruses such as COVID-19). Besides cooperation at the international level, countries, especially the East and West, have adopted different approaches. Philosophy can guide our actions, and exploring the theories of each period could help us understand what people know about and how they behave. The Chinese “San cai” and “Sheng Wang Zhi Zhi” theories and the "Anthropocentrism" and "Resource are limited" of the West countries have their on the relationship between human beings and environment, which play important roles in their traditional philosophies before the largely accepted definition of Sustainable Development (SD).