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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Oriental religions > Confucianism
This volume is the first comprehensive and in-depth discussion
written in English of the Confucian tradition in the context of the
intellectual history of Korea. It deals with the historical,
social, political, philosophical and spiritual dimensions of Korean
Confucianism, arguably the most influential intellectual tradition,
ethical and religious practice, and political-ideological system in
Korea. This volume analyzes the unique aspects of the Korean
development of the Confucian tradition by examining the role of
Confucianism as the ruling ideology of the Choson Dynasty
(1302-1910). It investigates Confucianism s social and cultural
construction, and intellectual foundation in highlighting the
Korean achievement of the Neo-Confucian discussion on "human nature
and its principle" in light of the Chinese Neo-Confucian
development. The volume also surveys the most influential Korean
Confucian scholars discussing their philosophical significance in
relation to one of the most fundamental Neo-Confucian discourses,
namely the li (principle) and qi (material force) debates, to
elucidate how metaphysical theories shaped the socio-political
factions of the Choson Dynasty. Furthermore, issues concerning the
relationship between Confucianism and Buddhism and other native
traditional belief systems are also included in this volume. The
volume explores the Confucian confrontation with modernity,
encounter with the "Western Learning" including Western science and
Catholicism, and the Confucian struggle with modernity in dealing
with issues such as democracy, human rights, and gender in modern
Korea. Individual contributors of this volume are either well
established senior scholars or promising young scholars in the
field.
In this book Bryan W. Van Norden examines early Confucianism as a
form of virtue ethics and Mohism, an anti-Confucian movement, as a
version of consequentialism. The philosophical methodology is
analytic, in that the emphasis is on clear exegesis of the texts
and a critical examination of the philosophical arguments proposed
by each side. Van Norden shows that Confucianism, while similar to
Aristotelianism in being a form of virtue ethics, offers different
conceptions of 'the good life', the virtues, human nature, and
ethical cultivation. Mohism is akin to Western utilitarianism in
being a form of consequentialism, but distinctive in its conception
of the relevant consequences and in its specific
thought-experiments and state-of-nature arguments. Van Norden makes
use of the best research on Chinese history, archaeology, and
philology. His text is accessible to philosophers with no previous
knowledge of Chinese culture and to Sinologists with no background
in philosophy.
As far back as the first century BCE, Chinese dynastic historians -
all men - began recording the achievements of Chinese women and
creating a structure of understanding that would be used to limit
and control them. To men, these women became role models for their
daughters and wives; to the few literate women readers, they became
paradigms for their own behavior. Thus, although these biographies
are descriptive by nature, they actually became prescriptive.
Gentlemen's Prescriptions for Women's Lives is an enlightening
source for studying Chinese women of the Imperial era as well as
for understanding Chinese womanhood in general. By contextualizing
these biographies, the author shows us these women not just as the
complaisant, calm-eyed, delicate figures that adorn Confucian
texts, but also as the products of the Confucian tradition's
appropriation of women.
The author proposes an epistemological strategy to resolve
controversial issues in the indigenous psychology (IP) movement.
These include the nature of IPs, scientific standards, cultural
concepts, philosophy of science, mainstream psychology,
generalization of findings, and the isolation and independence of
IPs. The approach includes a two-step strategy for construction of
culture-inclusive theories, based on a Mandala model of self and a
Face and Favor model for social interaction, and the use of these
models to develop culture-inclusive theories for Confucian
morphostasis. The author has successfully used this strategy, and
encourages others to use it to construct their own
culture-inclusive theories.
This volume of new essays is the first English-language anthology
devoted to Chinese metaphysics. The essays explore the key themes
of Chinese philosophy, from pre-Qin to modern times, starting with
important concepts such as yin-yang and qi and taking the reader
through the major periods in Chinese thought - from the Classical
period, through Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, into the
twentieth-century philosophy of Xiong Shili. They explore the major
traditions within Chinese philosophy, including Daoism and Mohism,
and a broad range of metaphysical topics, including monism,
theories of individuation, and the relationship between reality and
falsehood. The volume will be a valuable resource for upper-level
students and scholars of metaphysics, Chinese philosophy, or
comparative philosophy, and with its rich insights into the
ethical, social and political dimensions of Chinese society, it
will also interest students of Asian studies and Chinese
intellectual history.
This is the first complete, one-volume English translation of the
ancient Chinese text Xunzi, one of the most extensive,
sophisticated, and elegant works in the tradition of Confucian
thought. Through essays, poetry, dialogues, and anecdotes, the
Xunzi presents a more systematic vision of the Confucian ideal than
the fragmented sayings of Confucius and Mencius, articulating a
Confucian perspective on ethics, politics, warfare, language,
psychology, human nature, ritual, and music, among other topics.
Aimed at general readers and students of Chinese thought, Eric
Hutton's translation makes the full text of this important work
more accessible in English than ever before. Named for its
purported author, the Xunzi (literally, "Master Xun") has long been
neglected compared to works such as the Analects of Confucius and
the Mencius. Yet interest in the Xunzi has grown in recent decades,
and the text presents a much more systematic vision of the
Confucian ideal than the fragmented sayings of Confucius and
Mencius. In one famous, explicit contrast to them, the Xunzi argues
that human nature is bad. However, it also allows that people can
become good through rituals and institutions established by earlier
sages. Indeed, the main purpose of the Xunzi is to urge people to
become as good as possible, both for their own sakes and for the
sake of peace and order in the world. In this edition, key terms
are consistently translated to aid understanding and line numbers
are provided for easy reference. Other features include a concise
introduction, a timeline of early Chinese history, a list of
important names and terms, cross-references, brief explanatory
notes, a bibliography, and an index.
Tying together cultural history, legal history, and institutional
economics, The Laws and Economics of Confucianism: Kinship and
Property in Preindustrial China and England offers a novel argument
as to why Chinese and English preindustrial economic development
went down different paths. The dominance of Neo-Confucian social
hierarchies in Late Imperial and Republican China, under which
advanced age and generational seniority were the primary
determinants of sociopolitical status, allowed many poor but senior
individuals to possess status and political authority highly
disproportionate to their wealth. In comparison, landed wealth was
a fairly strict prerequisite for high status and authority in the
far more 'individualist' society of early modern England,
essentially excluding low-income individuals from secular positions
of prestige and leadership. Zhang argues that this social
difference had major consequences for property institutions and
agricultural production.
For the first time in one volume, The Analects illustrated by
bestselling cartoonist C. C. Tsai C. C. Tsai is one of Asia's most
popular cartoonists, and his editions of the Chinese classics have
sold more than 40 million copies in over twenty languages. This
volume presents Tsai's delightful graphic adaptation of The
Analects, one of the most influential books of all time and a work
that continues to inspire countless readers today. Tsai's
expressive drawings bring Confucius and his students to life as no
other edition of the Analects does. See Confucius engage his
students over the question of how to become a leader worth
following in a society of high culture, upward mobility, and
vicious warfare. Which virtues should be cultivated, what makes for
a harmonious society, and what are the important things in life?
Unconcerned with religious belief but a staunch advocate of
tradition, Confucius emphasizes the power of society to create
sensitive, respectful, and moral individuals. In many ways,
Confucius speaks directly to modern concerns--about how we can
value those around us, educate the next generation, and create a
world in which people are motivated to do the right thing. A
marvelous introduction to a timeless classic, this book also
features an illuminating foreword by Michael Puett, coauthor of The
Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us about the Good Life.
In addition, Confucius's original Chinese text is artfully
presented in narrow sidebars on each page, enriching the books for
readers and students of Chinese without distracting from the
self-contained English-language cartoons. The text is skillfully
translated by Brian Bruya, who also provides an introduction.
In a radically new translation and interpretation of the I Ching,
David Hinton strips this ancient Chinese masterwork of the usual
apparatus and discovers a deeply poetic and philosophical text.
Teasing out an elegant vision of the cosmos as ever-changing yet
harmonious, Hinton reveals the seed from which Chinese philosophy,
poetry, and painting grew. Although it was and is widely used for
divination, the I Ching is also a book of poetic philosophy, deeply
valued by artists and intellectuals, and Hinton's translation
restores it to its original lyrical form. Previous translations
have rendered the I Ching as a divination text full of arcane
language and extensive commentary. Though informative, these
versions rarely hint at the work's philosophical heart, let alone
its literary beauty. Here, Hinton translates only the original
stratum of the text, revealing a fully formed work of literature in
its own right. The result is full of wild imagery, fables,
aphorisms, and stories. Acclaimed for the eloquence of his many
translations of ancient Chinese poetry and philosophy, Hinton has
reinvented the I Ching as an exciting contemporary text at once
primal and postmodern.
For more than 1500 years, Confucianism has played a major role in
shaping Japan's history - from the formation of the first Japanese
states during the first millennium AD, to Japan's modernization in
the nineteenth century, to World War II and its still unresolved
legacies across East Asia today. In an illuminating and provocative
new study, Kiri Paramore analyses the dynamic history of Japanese
Confucianism, revealing its many cultural manifestations, as
religion and as a political tool, as social capital and public
discourse, as well as its role in international relations and
statecraft. The book demonstrates the processes through which
Confucianism was historically linked to other phenomenon, such as
the rise of modern science and East Asian liberalism. In doing so,
it offers new perspectives on the sociology of Confucianism and its
impact on society, culture and politics across East Asia, past and
present.
Zhu Xi (1130-1200) was the preeminent Confucian thinker of the Song
dynasty (960-1279). His teachings profoundly influenced China,
where for centuries after his death they formed the basis of the
country's educational system. In Korea, Japan, and Vietnam as well,
elites embraced his inspired and authoritative synthesis of
Confucian thought. In Zhu's eyes, the great Way of China was in
decline, with its very survival threatened by external enemies and
internal moral weakness. In his writings and teaching, Zhu took as
his mission the revival of the Confucian tradition, the source of
China's greatness, and its transmission to future generations. For
him, restoring Confucianism to its rightful place required drawing
on the tradition's whole sweep, from the sacred texts of the sages
and worthies of antiquity to the more recent writings of the great
thinkers of the tenth and eleventh centuries. This book presents
the essential teachings of the new Confucian ("Neo-Confucian")
philosophical system that Zhu Xi forged, providing a concise
introduction to one of the most important figures in the history of
Chinese thought. It offers selections from the Classified
Conversations of Master Zhu (Zhuzi yulei), a lengthy collection of
Zhu's conversations with disciples. In these texts, Zhu Xi reflects
on the Confucian teachings of the past, revising and refining his
understanding of them and shaping that understanding into a
cohesive system of thought. Daniel K. Gardner's translation renders
these discussions and sayings in a conversational style that is
accessible to new and more advanced readers alike.
The British colonial administrator and scholar Sir Reginald Fleming
Johnston (1874-1938) travelled extensively in the Far East,
developing a deep interest in Chinese culture and spirituality. His
fourteen-year posting to the relatively quiet port of Weihaiwei
allowed him to indulge this interest and to travel to places not
usually visited by Europeans. Well acquainted with the philosophy
of Confucius, Johnston had happily quoted the Confucian classics in
his court judgments at Weihaiwei. In 1918, he was appointed tutor
to the young Puyi (1906-67), who had been China's last emperor
before his forced abdication. This 1934 publication, developed from
lectures, presents an accessible interpretation of the tenets and
fortunes of Confucianism, notably the impact of the New Culture
Movement on the philosophy's place in Chinese society. Among other
works, Johnston's Buddhist China (1913) and Twilight in the
Forbidden City (1934) are also reissued in this series.
Questions of secularity and modernity have become globalized, but
most studies still focus on the West. This volume breaks new ground
by comparatively exploring developments in five areas of the world,
some of which were hitherto situated at the margins of
international scholarly discussions: Africa, the Arab World, East
Asia, South Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. In theoretical
terms, the book examines three key dimensions of modern secularity:
historical pathways, cultural meanings, and global entanglements of
secular formations. The contributions show how differences in these
dimensions are linked to specific histories of religious and ethnic
diversity, processes of state-formation and nation-building. They
also reveal how secularities are critically shaped through
civilizational encounters, processes of globalization, colonial
conquest, and missionary movements, and how entanglements between
different territorially grounded notions of secularity or between
local cultures and transnational secular arenas unfold over time.
Eastern welfare systems have largely been neglected by Western
social policy. There is very little information in the West about
their operation and the differences between them. Yet, as China and
South-East Asia emerge as a major regional economic block, it is
vital to understand the social models that are in operation there
and how they are developing. This book puts the spotlight on the
Chinese and South-East Asian welfare systems, providing an
up-to-date assessment of their character and development. In
particular it examines the underlying assumptions of these systems
and how the processes of globalisation are impacting on them. As
well as specific country case studies, there is a valuable
comparative analysis of Eastern and Western welfare states. The
book provides a unique insight into the main South-East Asian
welfare systems written by experts living and working within them.
It focuses on 'Confucianism' and globalisation to provide an
account of tradition and change within the South-East Asian
cultural context. Eastern welfare states in transition will be
essential reading for students of social policy requiring an
understanding of non-Western welfare systems. Policy makers and
practitioners who are interested in how Eastern welfare systems are
adapting to globalisation will also find it an important read.
This book guides the reader to the emerging Ecozoic Era when humans
will be present upon the Earth in a mutually enhancing manner.
Indeed, this book calls for an Ecozoic spirituality that is timely
and much needed. It also illustrates an important direction for
theology and spirituality and for deep ecumenism that is yet to be
fully realized and opens more doors for such dialogue. By giving
special attention to the integral relationship among God, the
cosmos, and humanity, the works of Thomas Berry (1914-2009, USA)
and Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073, China) provide insights that speak to
the current ecological crisis, a cosmological context for
developing an Ecozoic spirituality, while helping to advance clear
values and ethical parameters that lead to a more authentic human
presence on Earth.
Comparative political theory has grown into a recognized discipline
in its own right in the last two decades. Yet little has been done
to explore how political theory engages with the actual social,
legal, and political reality of a particular polity. East Asians
are complexly conditioned by traditional Confucian norms and
habits, despite significant social, economic, and political changes
in their contemporary lives. This volume seeks to address this
important issue by developing a specifically Confucian political
and legal theory. The volume focuses on South Korea, whose
traditional society was and remains the most Confucianized among
pre-modern East Asian countries. It offers an interesting case for
thinking about Confucian democracy and constitutionalism because
its liberal-democratic institutions are compatible with and
profoundly influenced by the Confucian habit of the heart. The book
wrestles with the practical meaning of liberal rights under the
Korean Confucian societal culture and illuminates a way in which
traditional Confucianism can be transformed through legal and
political processes into a new Confucianism relevant to democratic
practices in contemporary Korea.
Comparative political theory has grown into a recognized discipline
in its own right in the last two decades. Yet little has been done
to explore how political theory engages with the actual social,
legal, and political reality of a particular polity. East Asians
are complexly conditioned by traditional Confucian norms and
habits, despite significant social, economic, and political changes
in their contemporary lives. This volume seeks to address this
important issue by developing a specifically Confucian political
and legal theory. The volume focuses on South Korea, whose
traditional society was and remains the most Confucianized among
pre-modern East Asian countries. It offers an interesting case for
thinking about Confucian democracy and constitutionalism because
its liberal-democratic institutions are compatible with and
profoundly influenced by the Confucian habit of the heart. The book
wrestles with the practical meaning of liberal rights under the
Korean Confucian societal culture and illuminates a way in which
traditional Confucianism can be transformed through legal and
political processes into a new Confucianism relevant to democratic
practices in contemporary Korea.
In this original study, Joshua Brown seeks to demonstrate the
fruitfulness of Chinese philosophy for Christian theology by using
Confucianism to reread, reassess, and ultimately expand the
Christology of the twentieth-century Catholic theologian Hans Urs
von Balthasar. Taking up the critically important Confucian idea of
xiao (filial piety), Brown argues that this concept can be used to
engage anew Balthasar's treatment of the doctrine of Christ's
filial obedience, thus leading us to new Christological insights.
To this end, Brown first offers in-depth studies of the early
Confucian idea of xiao and of Balthasar's Christology on their own
terms and in their own contexts. He then proposes that Confucianism
affirms certain aspects of Balthasar's insights into Christ's
filial obedience. Brown also shows how the Confucian understanding
of xiao provides reasons to criticize some of Balthasar's
controversial claims, such as his account of intra-Trinitarian
obedience. Ultimately, by rereading Balthasar's Christology through
the lens of xiao, Balthasar in Light of Early Confucianism employs
Confucian and Balthasarian resources to push the Christological
conversation forward. Students and scholars of systematic theology,
theologically educated readers interested in the encounter between
Christianity and Chinese culture, and comparative theologians will
all want to read this exceptional book.
Despite its enduring popularity both in China and worldwide, the
Yijing is often poorly understood. As a divinatory text, it has a
devoted following in the western hemisphere, even as it represents
a foundational text of both Confucianism and Daoism. A fascination
with the Yijing has been evident among western scholars since the
Enlightenment, as well as in notable modern literary and artistic
figures. This book provides an introduction for the general reader
to this classic sacred text. Joseph A. Adler explains its
multi-layered structure, its origins, its history of interpretation
from the early first millennium BCE up to the present day, its
function of divination, its significance in the history of Chinese
thought, and its modern transformations. He explores why the Yijing
has been considered the most profound expression of traditional
Chinese thought and what meaning it can have for contemporary
readers.
Gu Yanwu pioneered the late-Ming and early Qing-era practice of Han
Learning, or Evidential Learning, favoring practical over
theoretical approaches to knowledge. He strongly encouraged
scholars to return to the simple, ethical precepts of early
Confucianism, and in his best-known work, Rizhi lu (Record of Daily
Knowledge), he applied this paradigm to literature, government,
economics, history, education, and philology. This volume includes
translations of selected essays from Rizhi lu and Gu Yanwu's Shiwen
Ji (Collected Poems and Essays), along with an introduction
explaining the personal and political dimensions of the scholar's
work. Gu Yanwu wrote the essays and poems featured in this volume
while traveling across China during the decades immediately after
the fall of the Ming Dynasty. They merge personal observation with
rich articulations of Confucian principles and are, as Gu said,
"not old coin but copper dug from the hills." Like many of his
contemporaries, Gu Yanwu believed the Ming Dynasty had suffered
from an overconcentration of power in its central government and
recommended decentralizing authority while strengthening provincial
self-government. In his introduction, Ian Johnston recounts Gu
Yanwu's personal history and reviews his published works, along
with their scholarly reception. Annotations accompany his
translations, and a special essay on feudalism by Tang Dynasty poet
and scholar Liu Zongyuan (773-819) provides insight into Gu Yanwu's
later work on the subject.
This volume contains nine chapters of translation, by a range of
leading scholars, focusing on core themes in the philosophy of Zhu
Xi (1130-1200), one of the most influential Chinese thinkers of the
later Confucian tradition. It includes an Introduction to Zhu's
life and thought, a chronology of important events in his life, and
a list of key terms of art. Zhu Xi's philosophy offers the most
systematic and comprehensive expression of the Confucian tradition;
he sought to explain and show the connections between the classics,
relate them to a range of contemporary philosophical issues
concerning the metaphysical underpinnings of the tradition, and
defend Confucianism against competing traditions such as Daoism and
Buddhism. He elevated the Four Books-i.e. the Analects, Mengzi,
Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean-to a new and preeminent
position within the Confucian canon and his edition and
interpretation of these four texts was adopted as the basis for the
Imperial Examination System, which served as the pathway to
officialdom and success in traditional Chinese society. Zhu Xi's
interpretation remained the orthodox tradition until the collapse
of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and exerted a profound and enduring
influence on how Confucianism was understood in Korea, Japan, and
Vietnam.
The book is a study of Confucius and the Confucian philosophy of
being non-confrontationist, benevolent and with values such as
filial piety and harmony. It covers an array of themes including
Qufu: Confucius Country, Music and Poetry across China, Chinese
Foreign Policy, Philosophy and China's Legal System. The book is
beautifully illustrated as well as includes some enlightening
photographs from the Confucius Museum in Qufu. It would be of
direct interest to a variety of readers from Political
/History/Sociology departments as well as the avid readers. Please
note: This book is co-published with KW Publishers, New Delhi.
Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
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