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1

Confucian Philosophy of Zhongdaology and Its Practical Significance in Resolving Conflicts

100%

Xu K.

Dialogue and Universalism

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2016

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issue 4

187-199

EN

The essence of traditional Chinese Confucian philosophy can be termed “Zhongdao-logy”; it searches for the appropriate degree of zhong which is a standard guiding peo-ple’s actions. The Chinese pictographic character “zhong” has multiple meanings, in-cluding centrality, middle, appropriate, fit, just, fair, impartial, upright, etc. In early Confucianism, it has been developed into an important concept with profound philo-sophical connotations; it includes a combination of subjective and objective views, a fusion of different stances and considerations, and postulates a harmony of the internal and external worlds. Zhongdaology takes a dynamic, contextual, correlative and dialec-tic view of things in the world, and provides a way of thinking different from the tradi-tional Western ontological (metaphysical) way of thinking. The practical rationality and wisdom of Zhongdaology are very significant for promoting dialogue and resolving a variety of conflicts in human societies.

2

Correlative thinking: From abduction to Ars Contextualis in early Chinese cosmology

100%

Ames R. T.

Azja-Pacyfik

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2020

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issue XXIII

17-35

EN

The items available for ars contextualis can be characterized in terms of the focal point from and to which the lines of divergence and convergence attributable to them move and find resolution, and the field from which and to which those same lines proceed and have influence. To take Confucius himself as a concrete example, we would have to allow that he is corporate in the sense that the lines of divergence and convergence that constitute his focus and meaning move throughout the entire field of the Chinese cultural tradition. Confucius is both focus and China as a focused field.

3

Mencius o lidské přirozenosti a vládě lidskosti

100%

Myšička S.

Filosofický časopis (Philosophical Journal)

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2014

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vol. 62

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issue 4

559-581

EN

This study aims to interpret Mencius' political thinking taking as the starting point his doctrine of human nature. Each individual is capable of the moral self-cultivation of his or her innately good human nature, but in this task the individual requires adequate conditions and education. Political power is able to ensure this (and it is, indeed, one of its main asks to do so), but it can also, on the contrary, contribute, in a fundamental way, to the decadence of the state and society. The result of inadequate and ineffective application of political power is a growing crisis in society, especially in the area of inter-personal relations and moral conduct. Mencius' ideal is a relatively small and effective state that looks after its inhabitants and which does not unduly intervene in the social organism. War is understood, by him, as a great evil which is justifiably used only when putting-down an uprising or in self-defence. Generally, Mencius' political thought is characterized by the thought that the virtuous ruler will have, by dint of his strength of character, not only spiritual but also purely practical political successes.

4

Społeczno-religijne uwarunkowania wczesnej kultury chińskiej

100%

Kierzkowski K.

Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae

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2014

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vol. 12

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issue 1

117-132

EN

The claim that all living creatures constitute a wholeness in the world of nature is a primary thought of the Chinese philosophy. It links both cosmological and anthropological motifs. Living creatures are interconnected and interdependent. The world of nature is tao. Tao is wholeness. The world of nature is in constant flux set by progressive cycles in which individual changes take place. When the world of nature remains stable, it reaches equilibrium. Life can develop in a harmonious way. Chinese anthropology treats the human as a microcosm of the world of nature. Man is an intermediary between Heaven and Earth and a descendant of the interpolating cosmic and earthly powers. An ideogram, found in China, presents the human figure as a tree rooted in the Earth, with hands outstretched like branches towards Heaven, deriving power from both above and below.

5

The Great Body Has No Shape, the Great Art Is Embodied. Conception of Body in Zhang Huan’s Performance Art

100%

Banka R., Jinli He J. H.

Estetyka i Krytyka

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2014

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issue 1(32)

67-78

EN

Zhang Huan (b. 1965) can be considered a pioneering contemporary performance artist in China. His position on the Chinese art scene is highly regarded not only from a historical perspective. The use of the artist’s body as a means of expression can serve multiple purposes, which can touch upon, e.g. social or political issues, and seldom reflects the role of the human body as a vehicle for mediation. Through his artistic activity, the artist tries to discuss this issue based on the Chinese philosophical intuitions of this aspect of human existence. In our paper, we shall try to examine the theoretical foundations of the artist’s approaches to performance and illustrate them with selected works.

6

Confucian Multiculturalism: A Kantian Reinterpretation of the Classic of Rites

75%

Ka Pok Tam A.

Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture

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2023

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vol. 7

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issue 1

26-46

EN

Chinese Communist monocultural policies, notably the re-education camps for the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, have recently been condemned for violating human rights. In response to critics, the Chinese Communist Party frequently replied that one should not impose Western concepts of democracy, liberty, and human rights on the Chinese people. Nevertheless, instead of introducing Western philosophies criticizing the current Chinese Communist monoculturalism; with the help of a modern reinterpretation of the Classic of Rites, this paper aims to construct a Confucian Multiculturalism and argues that: (1) the Classic of Rites explicitly warned against cultural assimilations of “barbarians” into the “civilized” Empire, (2) the Classic of Rites acknowledges cultural diversities, and (3) although the Classic of Rites does not explain clearly why the imperial court should tolerate cultural diversities, a Kantian reinterpretation of the Chinese concept of 敬 Jing implies the respects for minority rights. In doing so, this paper formulates Confucian Multiculturalism as a new model of the Chinese philosophy of culture which asserts cultural diversity.

7

Discording Enlightenments on China: Pierre Bayle’s Skepticism vs Johan Jacob Brucker’s Exoticism

75%

Ambrogio S.

Dialogue and Universalism

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2021

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issue 3

157-177

EN

It is usually acknowledged that the core contribution of the Enlightenment is primarily twofold: the first being the introduction of reason and science as judgmental principles, and the second being the belief in the future progress of humankind as a shared destiny for humanity. This ‘modern’ reason—an exclusively human prerogative among creatures—could be applied to create a better society from the political, civil, educational, scientific, and religious points of view. What is usually less known is that for most of the Enlightenment thinkers, this philosophical and cultural step was the prerogative of European or Western-educated thinkers, which implied a gradual exclusion of extra-European civilizations from human progress as a natural phenomenon. Thus, with the exception of a few French libertines, the creation of a better society was due to reason and critical thinking absent in other civilizations, who could, at most, inherit this ‘rational power’ from Western education. This exclusion, which is usually attributed to the violence of the colonialist period, is already implied in the arguments of several Enlightenment thinkers. Our investigation will follow three steps: an exposition of the three Western historical paradigms in which Eastern civilizations were inserted between the 17th and 18th century; a comparison between the attitude toward China and Buddhism of two very distant philosophers of the Enlightenment—i.e. Pierre Bayle (1647– 1706) and Johann Jacob Brucker (1696–1770)—and a brief reflection on the Enlightenment from an ‘external/exotic’ point of view that will suggest the necessity of a ‘new skeptical Enlightenment’ for inducing actual intercultural dialogue.

8

“Terrestrial Identity” as Grounded Relationality: A Comparative Study of Contemporary Chinese and Hawaiian Sources

75%

Morrow S.

ARGUMENT: Biannual Philosophical Journal

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2018

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vol. 8

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issue 2

EN

In this essay, I discuss a potential nexus for comparison between Hawaiian and Chinese philosophies grounded in what I call “terrestrial identity”. I bring Fei Xiaotong’s (1910–2005) description of the formation of social identity in China, which is historically agrarian and inalienably place-based, to meet contemporary Hawaiian philosophical perspectives of personal responsibility (kuleana), genealogical (moʻokūʻauhau) consciousness, and “seascape epistemology” (Ingersoll, 2016) to flesh out a new theory of relationality, one that includes the ontological, historical, and ethical relationship of humans to the land on which they orient themselves and that defines the circumstances of their lives. The concept of terrestrial identity is inclusive in terms of types of relational entities, accommodating place, space, and memory into a comprehensive social ontology. It also opens onto discussions of contemporary social problems in a way that centres place and contextuality. I will conclude this essay with such a discussion, regarding homelessness among Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians).

9

Jazyk, písmo a čínská filosofie

75%

Zádrapa L.

Filosofický časopis (Philosophical Journal)

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2014

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vol. 62

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issue 4

583-596

XX

Even those historians of Chinese thought, who are capable of both masterly analyses and great synthetic surveys of pre-modern Chinese philosophy, such an Anne Cheng, author of The history of Chinese thought, mostly remain in the grip of enduring stereotypes about Chinese language and Chinese letters. This is true despite the fact that old Chinese linguistics has progressed in the last 50 years at an unforeseen rate, and practically no experts on that language fail to take these advances seriously. At issue, above all, are the immensely popular analyses of characters, which authors treat as the path to uncovering the etymology of a given concept under research. Emancipation from written characters is, it would seem, a basic precondition for a better understanding of language, including the lexicon of philosophical concepts. This article aims to give a broad acccount of the inadequacy of character-etymology and, in contrast to this method, to describe which direction we should take if we wish to understand the conceptual apparatus of ancient Chinese thinkers.

10

Kant and Confucius: On moral decision-making

75%

Świątczak-Borowy M.

Studies in Global Ethics and Global Education

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2018

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vol. 10

72-91

EN

The aim of this paper is to determine the patterns of moral decision-making in Kantian and Confucian thought and to assess the necessary preconditions of moral behavior for Kant and Confucius respectively. This paper focuses on comparing the way Kant is structuring constitutive elements of moral decision-making, such as will, reason, or moral autonomy to the way Confucius is structuring the relationship between elements such as duty, commands of Tian, or social relations.

11

Book of Changes: Cosmological and Anthropological Metaphors in Chinese Philosophy

75%

Sertdemir İ.

Academicus. International Scientific Journal

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2021

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vol. 12

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issue 24

214-225

EN

Ancient Chinese history holds a quality which has syncretized traditional thought with its cultural wealth unified of mystical and mythological figures in the background. Such that classical documents, which had begun to be written before Common Era, has directly influenced the political regime, education system and status of society in China. One of the most prominent features of these works is to propound collective knowledge about perception of cosmology, attitudes to earthiness, community standards, policy and morality. Among Five Classics works of these masterpieces of Chinese philosophy, Book of Changes which stands closest to metaphysical narrative, mainly consists of the texts about prophecy. While this piece of work had been referred as a divination guide in Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), it turned into a cosmological text that included a range of philosophical commentary during Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The mainstay of this remarkable change is the direct correlation of all the concepts and terms that characterize the worldly beyond along with the relevant text, especially yin-yang dualism, which symbolizes an extraordinary harmony in early Chinese thought. Traditional idea suggests reciprocity in which heaven, earth and man are interconnected to maintain natural order. However, the superiority attributed to human beings also brings compulsive responsibilities to idealize a compatible society. This paper aims to discuss influences of cosmological and anthropological items on human behaviors explained in prescriptive perspective.

12

On the Question of Whether We Need a New Enlightenment for the 21st Century

75%

Allinson R. E.

Dialogue and Universalism

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2023

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issue 1

217-228

EN

It is gratifying to learn that there are fellow humanist philosophers who pay homage to the Enlightenment and its legacy. Such a humanist philosopher is Michael Mitias. He has taken precious time and the labor of his active and synoptic thought to both read the trilogy I have had the privilege of guest editing and what is more, to write about it. Hence, I feel that he deserves a response. I shall address some of the key points that he has raised in the interest of dialogue, an activity which he has praised and which rightly forms the heart of our journal. I intend to respond to the following points: (i) that we do not need a new enlightenment, but a reinterpretation of the old; (ii) that the editorials are not consistent with the articles of the contributors; (iii) that the method I have utilized, to endeavor to invoke a new Enlightenment through self-conscious intention, via rallying philosophers together is at odds with the origin of the classical Enlightenment; (iv) that the viewpoint I have expressed suffers from its Eurocentrism.

13

Klasyfikacja doktryn buddyjskich według Zongmiego a istota religii

75%

Nowak K.

ARGUMENT: Biannual Philosophical Journal

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2017

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vol. 7

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issue 2

299-310

PL

The classification of Buddhist doctrines by Zongmi and the essence of religion In the paper the system of doctrinal classification (pànjiào 判教) created by the Buddhist scholar of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618–907) Guifeng Zongmi (Guīfēng Zōngmì 圭峰宗密, 780–841) has been analyzed. The paper consists of two parts. In the first part the author describes Zongmi’s doctrinal classification, focusing on the process of the deconstruction of consecutive Buddhist doctrines. In the second part the author compares particular doctrines with the most important theories on the essence of religion. The comparison aims at revealing the limitations of those theories, when applied to the understanding of the religious systems, based on the gradual attaining of gnosis, such as the system of panjiao. In the conclusion the author suggests the creation of a synthesis of the enlisted concepts of religious studies, based on the synthesis of the Buddhist doctrines combined within the panjiao system.

14

Pojęcie Prawa (fa) w dziele „Prawo rytualne islamu” (Tianfang Dianli) Liu Zhi

75%

Michoński D.

Przegląd Orientalistyczny

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2016

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issue 3-4

327-341

EN

The article aims to briefly describe the cultural context and philosophical heritage of the Han Kitab literature. It also introduces the reader to the thought of China’s arguably most eloquent and innovative Sino-Islamic scholar, Liu Zhi. Liu’s multidimensional concepts are deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophical tradition (Confucianism, Legalism, Buddhism) while simultaneously borrowing heavily from the theology of Sufi Islam. The author aims to decode these diverse influences by focusing on a single concept – fa.

15

Constructing a Moral Person in the Analects 論語 and Mengzi 孟子

45%

Pejda K.

Roczniki Humanistyczne

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2020

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vol. 68

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issue 9

101-117

EN

In early Chinese philosophy, the concept of a unique individual separated from the outside world has no ontological basis. Every person is an open, interdependent construction, whose uniqueness can only be achieved and cannot be given. A person is an undetermined range and locus of experiences expressed through specific roles and relationships. In this article, the Author analyses such an understanding of the person in Confucian and Mencian thought. In Confucius’ philosophy, the junzi 君子 lives up to his status as long as he maintains ren 仁 relationships and displays proper emotions connected to ren. The author argues that, in the Analects, ren is a concept connected to the terms shu 恕, zhong 忠, yi 義 and li 禮. Ren may be interpreted as an ideal interaction that starts with an emphatic reaction towards another human being. Emphatic reactions, along with zhong-a sense of duty- is the basis for applying the situational moral norm yi and carrying it out according to li-the social norm. Ren behaviour is different for every person in every situation. It has to be learned and practised during the process of self-cultivation, xiushen 修身. Mencius’ moral theory is more complex, and concentrates on human nature and its features. According to this, human nature is shan 善, commonly translated as ‘good,’ because every person has four dispositions-emotions for developing ren, yi, li and zhi 智. Ren may be considered a virtue-it is not inborn, but has to be achieved and learned. Another skill required to be a sage was the understanding that every situation is unique, and that there is a right time to apply different norms-shizhong 詩中. Mencius’ thought is not simply an ethics of virtue, but it is also influenced by situational factors. Mencian moral behaviour is complex; not only does it require a deep understanding of oneself and the other, but also the use of all senses, sensitivity and creativity to deal with every situation in a different way. A sage, or a person who wants to become one, has to watch, listen, feel and understand every person and every situation. Moral cultivation in Mengzi’s thought is also a cultivation of the body’s qi 氣 (vigour or energy). Properly cultivated qi becomes haoran zhi qi 浩然之氣 (overflowing qi) and enables one’s body to have the zhi 志 (will) to follow its ren (heart/mind).

PL

Budowanie osoby moralnej w Analektach 論語 i Mengzi 孟子 We wczesnej filozofii chińskiej koncepcja wyjątkowej jednostki oddzielonej od świata zewnętrznego nie ma ufundowania ontologicznego. Każda osoba jest otwartą, współzależną konstrukcją, której wyjątkowość można tylko osiągnąć, nie można jej darować. Osoba to nieokreślony zakres i miejsce doświadczeń, wyrażone poprzez określone role i relacje. W tym artykule jest analizowane rozumienie osoby w myśli konfucjańskiej i menciańskiej. Zgodnie z filozofią Konfucjusza junzi 君子 żyje w swoim statusie, dopóki utrzymuje relacje ren 仁 i wykazuje odpowiednie emocje związane z ren. Autorka twierdzi, że w Analektach ren jest pojęciem związanym z terminami shu 恕, zhong 忠, yi 義 i li 禮. Ren można interpretować jako idealną interakcję, która zaczyna się od zdecydowanej reakcji na drugiego człowieka. Reakcja empatyczna, wraz z zhong – poczuciem obowiązku, jest podstawą do zastosowania sytuacyjnej normy moralnej yi i spełnienia jej zgodnie z li – normą społeczną. Zachowanie ren jest inne dla każdego człowieka w danej sytuacji. Trzeba się go nauczyć i praktykować w procesie samodoskonalenia, xiushen 修身. Teoria moralna Mencjusza jest bardziej złożona i koncentruje się na ludzkiej naturze i jej cechach. Zgodnie z tym ludzką naturą jest shan 善, powszechnie tłumaczone jako „to, co dobre”, ponieważ każda osoba ma cztery skłonności – emocje do rozwijania ren, yi, li i zhi 智. Ren może być uważane za cnotę – nie jest wrodzone, ale musi zostać osiągnięte i trzeba się go nauczyć. Inną umiejętnością wymaganą od mędrca było zrozumienie, że każda sytuacja jest wyjątkowa i że jest właściwy czas na zastosowanie różnych norm – shizhong 詩中. Myśl Mencjusza nie jest po prostu etyką cnoty – duże znaczenie mają w niej również czynniki sytuacyjne. Moralne zachowanie menciańskie jest złożone: nie tylko wymaga głębokiego zrozumienia siebie i drugiego, ale także wykorzystania wszystkich zmysłów, wrażliwości i kreatywności, aby poradzić sobie z każdą sytuacją w inny sposób. Mędrzec lub osoba, która chce się nim stać, musi obserwować, słuchać, czuć i rozumieć każdą osobę i każdą sytuację. Kultywacja moralna w myśli Mengzi jest także kultywacją ciała qi 氣 (wigoru lub energii). Właściwie kultywowana qi staje się haoran zhi qi 浩然之氣 (przepełniona qi) i pozwala ciału na zhi 志 (wolę) podążania za swoim ren 仁 (sercem/umysłem).

Refine search results

Confucian Philosophy of Zhongdaology and Its Practical Significance in Resolving Conflicts

Correlative thinking: From abduction to Ars Contextualis in early Chinese cosmology

Mencius o lidské přirozenosti a vládě lidskosti

Społeczno-religijne uwarunkowania wczesnej kultury chińskiej

The Great Body Has No Shape, the Great Art Is Embodied. Conception of Body in Zhang Huan’s Performance Art

Confucian Multiculturalism: A Kantian Reinterpretation of the Classic of Rites

Discording Enlightenments on China: Pierre Bayle’s Skepticism vs Johan Jacob Brucker’s Exoticism

“Terrestrial Identity” as Grounded Relationality: A Comparative Study of Contemporary Chinese and Hawaiian Sources

Jazyk, písmo a čínská filosofie

Kant and Confucius: On moral decision-making

Book of Changes: Cosmological and Anthropological Metaphors in Chinese Philosophy

On the Question of Whether We Need a New Enlightenment for the 21st Century

Klasyfikacja doktryn buddyjskich według Zongmiego a istota religii

Pojęcie Prawa (fa) w dziele „Prawo rytualne islamu” (Tianfang Dianli) Liu Zhi

Constructing a Moral Person in the Analects 論語 and Mengzi 孟子