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Introduction

Holloway Kenneth W.

in Guodian: The Newly Discovered Seeds of Chinese Religious and Political Philosophy

This chapter introduces the problem of recently excavated texts from Guodian being seen as nothing more than new ways to support old ideas about the glorious Chinese tradition. Sources of this ... More

This chapter introduces the problem of recently excavated texts from Guodian being seen as nothing more than new ways to support old ideas about the glorious Chinese tradition. Sources of this problem are discussed first. Next is an overview of ways that this methodology skews our understanding of lost manuscripts. In particular, the evidence found in tombs is significantly different from the Han dynasty notion of Confucianism and Daoism as balkanized schools. Two texts from Guodian are highlighted: “The Five Aspects of Conduct” (“Wuxing Pian”) and the Laozi, or Dao De Jing. The last part of the introduction provides an overview of subsequent chapters.Less

Laozi

Paul R. Goldin

in The Art of Chinese Philosophy: Eight Classical Texts and How to Read Them

This chapter lay out a centrist interpretation of the Laozi on the basis of the Wang Bi recension, and then asks how much of this account needs to be adjusted in view of evidence from the Guodian ... More

This chapter lay out a centrist interpretation of the Laozi on the basis of the Wang Bi recension, and then asks how much of this account needs to be adjusted in view of evidence from the Guodian manuscripts. Laozi is one of the few classical Chinese texts for which a theory of accretion might fit the facts. Currently, there is only one set of undisputedly pre-imperial Laozi texts: the so-called Laozi A, B, and C manuscripts from Guodian, each of which contains a small number of passages that are found, with some variation, in the Wang Bi recension. Laozi is also discussed in this chapter because its philosophy marks a major turning point: the conceptualization of “the Way” (dao) as a cosmic principle. Although it is not certain that Laozi was the very first text to use the word dao in its radically new sense, the text is representative of intellectual trends that emerged around the fourth century BC.Less

The Three Powers and Resources 《三才章》‎

Henry Rosemont and Roger T. Ames

in The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaojing

In this chapter, Confucius and Master Zeng are talking about how family reverence links together the tripartite dimensions of the dao—that is, the intersection of the way of tian, the way of the ... More

In this chapter, Confucius and Master Zeng are talking about how family reverence links together the tripartite dimensions of the dao—that is, the intersection of the way of tian, the way of the earth, and the way of humankind. According to Confucius, “Family reverence is the constancy of the heavenly cycles, the appropriate responsiveness (yi) of the earth, and the proper conduct of the people.” He proceeds by saying that “The former kings saw that their teachings (jiao) were able to transform the people. Thus, setting their own example of magnanimity (boai) before the people, none of the people would neglect their parents; demonstrating excellence (de) and appropriateness (yi) in their own actions, the people were inspired to conduct themselves accordingly.” Confucius ends by citing a passage in the Book of Songs which says, “Illustrious Grand Tutor Yin, the people all look up to you.”Less

Dào as a Naturalistic Focus

Chad Hansen

in Ethics in Early China: An Anthology

Modern ethical naturalism has the challenge of showing how normativity, broadly speaking, is a feature of the natural world—a description, roughly, acceptable in the language of modern natural ... More

Modern ethical naturalism has the challenge of showing how normativity, broadly speaking, is a feature of the natural world—a description, roughly, acceptable in the language of modern natural science. The concept of dào can be used in expressing a positivist traditionalism, social or rational constructivism, or emotivism, among other positions, as well as naturalism. This chapter refines claims about the overall role and value of a concept in normative language that functions as dào does. It discusses Mackie's queerness objection to ethical naturalism and briefly illustrates how it envisions dào-like concepts dispelling it. The chapter also argues that normative claims explicated in natural dào terms would not seem as strange, particularly given other salient features of Chinese normative vocabulary. Furthermore, it briefly sketches a picture of the larger gradations in plausible naturalistic stories illustrating continuity in the emergence of normative from natural dàos.Less

“It Goes beyond Skill”

Dan Robins

in Ethics in Early China: An Anthology

In early Chinese discourse, a dào was most often a norm-governed way of doing something, such as filling a role, engaging in an activity, or achieving some goal. The dào promoted by the various ... More

In early Chinese discourse, a dào was most often a norm-governed way of doing something, such as filling a role, engaging in an activity, or achieving some goal. The dào promoted by the various masters were of this sort, for example. But there are also texts according to which dào is prior to and gives rise to the cosmos. For example, Book 6 of the Zhuāngzǐ tells us that “dào . . .[is] from the basis, from the root, when there were not yet heaven and earth, since ancient times it has persisted . . . it produces heaven and produces earth” (Zhuāngzǐ 6:230/81). The aim of this chapter is to give an account of how these two uses of the term “dào” relate, and of what it might mean for ways of acting to give rise to the cosmos.Less

Intellectual Breakthroughs in the Tang-Song Transition

Ying-shih Yü

Josephine Chiu-Duke and Michael S. Duke (eds)

in Chinese History and Culture: Sixth Century B.C.E. to Seventeenth Century

Describing the rise and development of Neo-Confucianism as the third and last major intellectual breakthrough in traditional China, this essay demonstrates the “prime mover” behind the breakthrough ... More

Describing the rise and development of Neo-Confucianism as the third and last major intellectual breakthrough in traditional China, this essay demonstrates the “prime mover” behind the breakthrough to be the new Chan Buddhism. It suggests that we can understand Neo-Confucianism better if we view it as the culmination of the long-lasting spiritual movement initially activated by the new Chan Buddhism in the eighth century. That is, Neo-Confucianism developed a metaphysical vision of transcendent reality in response to Chan Buddhism.Less

The Five Punishments 《五刑章》‎

Henry Rosemont and Roger T. Ames

in The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaojing

In this chapter, Confucius and Master Zeng are talking about the crimes that are addressed by the Five Punishments, none of of which is graver than to be wanting in family reverence. According to ... More

In this chapter, Confucius and Master Zeng are talking about the crimes that are addressed by the Five Punishments, none of of which is graver than to be wanting in family reverence. According to Confucius, “To coerce one’s lord is tantamount to repudiating the institution of rulership; to denounce the sage is tantamount to repudiating law (fa) itself; to denounce family reverence is tantamount to repudiating parenthood altogether.” Such offenses, he says, lead the dao to mayhem and anarchy.Less

Elaborating upon “the Vital Way” 《廣要道章》‎22

Henry Rosemont and Roger T. Ames

in The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaojing

In this chapter, Confucius is discussing the vital way (dao) with Master Zeng. According to Confucius, “There is nothing more effective than family reverence for teaching (jiao) the people about love ... More

In this chapter, Confucius is discussing the vital way (dao) with Master Zeng. According to Confucius, “There is nothing more effective than family reverence for teaching (jiao) the people about love and affection; there is nothing more effective than deference for elders (ti) for teaching the people about ritual propriety (li) and compliance (shun); there is nothing more effective than music (yue) for changing the ways and customs of the people; and there is nothing more effective for safeguarding the lord and bringing proper order to the people than observing ritual propriety.” Confucius says ritual propriety is simply a matter of respect (jing).Less

On Remonstrance (jian) 《諫諍章》‎

Henry Rosemont and Roger T. Ames

in The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaojing

In this chapter, Confucius is explaining to Master Zeng the essence of remonstrance, or jian. When Master Zeng asks whether children can be deemed filial simply by obeying every command of their ... More

In this chapter, Confucius is explaining to Master Zeng the essence of remonstrance, or jian. When Master Zeng asks whether children can be deemed filial simply by obeying every command of their fathers, Confucius answers: “What on earth are you saying? Of old, an Emperor had seven ministers who would remonstrate with him, so even if he had no vision of the proper way (dao), he still did not lose the empire. The high nobles had five ministers who would remonstrate with them, so even if they had no vision of the dao, they still did not lose their states.” According to Confucius, a son who is confronted by his father’s reprehensible behavior has no choice but to remonstrate with him, and a minister who is confronted by his ruler’s reprehensible behavior has no choice but to remonstrate with that ruler. Hence, remonstrance is the only response to immorality.Less

Notes on Some Vegetarian Halls in Hong Kong Belonging to the Sect of Hsien-T’ien Tao (The Way of Former Heaven): (1968)*

Marjorie Topley

Jean DeBernardi (ed.)

in Cantonese Society in Hong Kong and Singapore: Gender, Religion, Medicine and Money

Members of the Society visited four vegetarian halls at Ngau Chi Wan, Kowloon, belonging to a religious sect called Hsien-t'ien Tao [Xiantian Dao]. The notes in this chapter are based on materials ... More

Members of the Society visited four vegetarian halls at Ngau Chi Wan, Kowloon, belonging to a religious sect called Hsien-t'ien Tao [Xiantian Dao]. The notes in this chapter are based on materials provided for the visit, which are rearranged and expanded slightly, and they include also a brief account of the visit itself. The members chose vegetarian halls for the visit because they are, to many members of the public in Hong Kong, less known places of worship than the more popular temples, and the monasteries and nunneries of Buddhism. When the members first came across these particular halls in Kowloon and discovered they were of the Hsien-t'ien Tao sect they seemed to them to be an obvious choice for another reason: they follow an ideology standing outside Buddhist and Taoist religion and again far less known about them by most people in Hong Kong than other faiths.Less

Some Preliminary Observations on the Rise of Qing Confucian Intellectualism

Ying-shih Yü

Josephine Chiu-Duke and Michael S. Duke (eds)

in Chinese History and Culture: Seventeenth Century Through Twentieth Century

This essay describes the internal development of Neo-Confucianism from the Song (960-1279) to the Qing (1644-1911). It sees the central problem in Qing intellectual history as arising from a renewed ... More

This essay describes the internal development of Neo-Confucianism from the Song (960-1279) to the Qing (1644-1911). It sees the central problem in Qing intellectual history as arising from a renewed tension between “erudition” and “essentialism,” but with a shift from moral grounds to intellectual grounds. It proposes a new scheme of three-stage periodization of Neo-Confucianism, according to which its development from early Song to mid-Qing times may be understood in terms of the inner logic of intellectual history.Less

Quine’s Naturalized Epistemology and Zhuangzi’s Daoist Naturalism: How Their Constructive Engagement Is Possible

Bo Mou

in The Philosophical Challenge from China

In this chapter, I examine how it is possible for Zhuangzi’s Daoist naturalism to constructively engage W. V. Quine’s naturalized epistemology to jointly contribute to our understanding and treatment ... More

In this chapter, I examine how it is possible for Zhuangzi’s Daoist naturalism to constructively engage W. V. Quine’s naturalized epistemology to jointly contribute to our understanding and treatment of several specific epistemological issues in a broad naturalist framework. In Section 1, I consider whether they can be got to talk to each other and whether some apparent differences are merely verbal disagreements or substantial ones. In so doing, I identify and specify the structures of these two seemingly competing types of naturalism along with some of their joint concerns, especially in view of their metaphysical foundations and underlying methodological strategies. In Section 2, I examine how Quine’s naturalized epistemology can be constructively engaged by Zhuangzi’s naturalist approach and how they can thus jointly contribute to two philosophically interesting components of epistemology in a broad setting: (1) naturalism and normativity, and (2) the relationship of philosophical inquiry to science and scientific methodology.Less

The Subjectivity of Nature

James Miller

in China's Green Religion: Daoism and the Quest for a Sustainable Future

Daoism proposes a radical reversal of the way that modern human beings think about the natural world. Rather than understanding human beings as “subject” who observe the “objective” world of nature, ... More

Daoism proposes a radical reversal of the way that modern human beings think about the natural world. Rather than understanding human beings as “subject” who observe the “objective” world of nature, Daoism proposes that subjectivity is grounded in the Dao or Way, understood as the wellspring of cosmic creativity for a world of constant transformation. As a result the Daoist goal of “obtaining the Dao” offers insights into the ecological quest to transcend the modern, Cartesian bifurcation of subject and object, self and world. From this follows an ideal of human action not as the projection of agency onto an neutral, objective backdrop but as a transaction or mediation between self and world.Less

The Inevitability of Failure

Michael David Kaulana Ing

in The Dysfunction of Ritual in Early Confucianism

This chapter provides a close reading of the account contained in the “Liyun” chapter of the Liji, which describes the coming forth of ritual into the world. It argues that the Liji constructs a ... More

This chapter provides a close reading of the account contained in the “Liyun” chapter of the Liji, which describes the coming forth of ritual into the world. It argues that the Liji constructs a narrative of dysfunctional ritual that is not simply about incompetent people making mistakes in the performance of ritual. Additionally, it constructs a narrative about the inevitability of ritual failure owing to necessary changes made in the world to support the flourishing of a more complex and more interdependent human population. Ritual, in this view, must change in order to maintain its efficacy but also struggles to capture perfectly the dao, or the process of flourishing where all things in the world maximize their potential for growth and development. Other chapters of the Liji are also discussed in reference to this narrative. The significance of this chapter is that it provides a hermeneutic for understanding unpreventable failures in ritual.Less

Letter on Learning to Zhu Canmei of the Grand Secretariat1

in On Ethics and History: Essays and Letters of Zhang Xuecheng

This chapter presents the English translation of a letter written by Zhang to Zhu Cangmei, which not only describes Zhang's own course of learning and specific advice to his young protégé but also an ... More

This chapter presents the English translation of a letter written by Zhang to Zhu Cangmei, which not only describes Zhang's own course of learning and specific advice to his young protégé but also an analysis of how people in general should pursue an understanding of the dao. Zhang self-consciously modeled his composition on a justly famous letter from Han Yu to his student Li Yi. But Zhang uses the occasion to review and apply some of the central claims of his general philosophical view.Less

Reply to Shen Zaiting Discussing Learning1

in On Ethics and History: Essays and Letters of Zhang Xuecheng

This chapter presents the English translation of a reply written by Zhang to Shen Zaiting. Zhang says that learning must be aimed at personal understanding; its true goal is moral improvement. The ... More

This chapter presents the English translation of a reply written by Zhang to Shen Zaiting. Zhang says that learning must be aimed at personal understanding; its true goal is moral improvement. The aspiring student of the dao must be on guard so as not to be seduced by promises of worldly renown or reward or led astray by the popularity of intellectual fashions. Different intellectual fashions come and go, and everyone has its underlying merits, but one must realize that each is but one facet of the dao. Students must keep their eyes on the true prize: a personal understanding of the Way, and the first step in this process is grasping what the dao is and what it is not; this, of course, is the focus of Zhang's “On the Dao.” Zhang then presents a summary of his view of the dao.Less

Letter on Learning to Chen Jianting1

in On Ethics and History: Essays and Letters of Zhang Xuecheng

This chapter presents the English translation of a letter written by Zhang, which offers insight on the motivation and intention behind his most important essay, “On the Dao.” The letter begins with ... More

This chapter presents the English translation of a letter written by Zhang, which offers insight on the motivation and intention behind his most important essay, “On the Dao.” The letter begins with Zhang's noting the criticisms his essay had received and responding that at least these critics did not really understand the central argument of the essay or the larger project, the General Principles of Literature and History, of which it is a part. He suggests that the likely source of their misunderstanding is the fact that his essay shares its title with several famous predecessors, but notes that the point of his essay is fundamentally different from any of them. Zhang goes on to explain that “On the Dao” was written to show the historical origins of the dao in a way that would make clear what the dao essentially is. He further says that “On the Dao” plays a vital role within his larger work, the General Principles of Literature and History, which is why it is the lead essay in this collection of writings.Less