志异 Draft by Drama box December 2014 (english) | Page 27

Though the early thinkers drew inspiration chiefly from these
two sources, I would like to explore three different models of
harmony that can be derived from these two models. These three
models present us with three different ways of looking at discord,
and how harmony is conceived through different methods of
diversity management.

1

The Culinary Model of Harmony

In the context of cooking, every flavour appears to be competing
for attention with one another. The job of the chef when cooking,
is to ensure that each flavour manifests itself with just the right
intensity that it complements the other flavours in the dish. This
is done through careful a preparation of the ingredients (cutting

Jonathan Sim

The culinary model of harmony conceptualises discord as the
presence of diverse elements fighting for attention in the same
space and time. To achieve harmony in such a setting requires
managing the diverse elements in such a way that all the
elements involved can still manifest themselves in the same time
and space, but in varying degrees of intensity.

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Early Chinese Conceptions of Harmony

around them, specifically, from cooking and music — two
processes that involve managing a diverse range of elements
in such a way that the end result is not only harmonious but
aesthetically pleasing as well.