Practical Contextualism in Chinese Philosophy Yuzhou Yang a Thesis

Practical Contextualism in Chinese Philosophy Yuzhou Yang A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Humanities and Languages Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences November 2016 PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Yang First name: Yuzhou Other name/s: Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: School of Humanities and Languages Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Title: Practical Contextualism in Chinese Philosophy Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) 'Practical Contextualism' is a multifaceted concept which, I will argue, permeates various ancient Chinese texts. The central focus of practical contextualism is to be aware of, and sensitive to, the contextual environment or situation, including the relationships involved in those contexts. On an individual level, this has important implications for one’s daily engagement with others and the world. On a socio-political level, this is essential to creating and implementing well-functioning social and political institutions and policies. Practical contextualism means, among other things, that one must be prepared for possible changes that might occur in these contexts, and calls for the fostering of optimal and timely responses and solutions. In this light, the cultivation of the self is an arduous process whereby one develops epistemic cognition and skills in order to be able to detect and deal with exigent situations. This thesis studies four pre-Qin Chinese texts: the Yi Jing, the Han Fei Zi, the Zhuang Zi, and the Analects. Each of these arguably exemplifies the particular tradition or practical field it represents, and has received extensive and long-term scholarly attention. The current study unveils practical contextualism as a common theme that exists in the four texts, but with different philosophical emphases. The Yi Jing is one of the earliest texts abundant with contextual and practical ideas that are not necessarily limited to any particular philosophical discipline. In the Han Fei Zi, practical contextualism constitutes an overt theme in political discourse. The Zhuang Zi is ideal for examining practical contextualism in Chinese epistemology. The Analects explores how practical contextualism is played out in human societies. The current study proposes a theoretical framework to describe 'practical contextualism', which does not appear specifically in ancient Chinese texts, and has yet to be studied systematically. The framework identifies six distinctive dimensions of contextualism and four different types of practice. It could serve as a viable interpretive framework for reading other Chinese philosophical texts on their own terms. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). 18/11/201608/03/2016 …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Witness Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. Date …………………………………………….............. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... Abstract ‘Practical Contextualism’ is a multifaceted concept which, I will argue, permeates various ancient Chinese texts. The central focus of practical contextualism is to be aware of, and sensitive to, the contextual environment or situation, including the relationships involved in those contexts. On an individual level, this has important implications for one’s daily engagement with others and the world. On a socio-political level, this is essential to creating and implementing well-functioning social and political institutions and policies. Practical contextualism means, among other things, that one must be prepared for possible changes that might occur in these contexts, and calls for the fostering of optimal and timely responses and solutions. In this light, the cultivation of the self is an arduous process whereby one develops epistemic cognition and skills in order to be able to detect and deal with exigent situations. This thesis studies four pre-Qin Chinese texts: the Yi Jing (易經), the Han Fei Zi (韓非子), the Zhuang Zi (莊子), and the Analects (論語). Each of these arguably exemplifies the particular tradition or practical field it represents, and has received extensive and long-term scholarly attention. The current study unveils practical contextualism as a common theme that exists in the four texts, but with different philosophical emphases. The Yi Jing is one of the earliest texts abundant with contextual and practical ide as that are not necessarily limited to any particular philosophical discipline. In the Han Fei Zi, practical contextualism constitutes an overt theme in political discourse. The Zhuang Zi is ideal for examining practical contextualism in Chinese epistemology. The Analects explores how practical contextualism is played out in human societies. The current study proposes a theoretical framework to describe ‘practical contextualism’, which does not appear specifically in ancient Chinese texts, and has yet to be studied systematically. The framework identifies six distinctive dimensions of contextualism and four different types of practice. It could serve as a viable interpretive framework for reading other Chinese philosophical texts on their own terms. i Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my principle supervisor, Associate Professor Karyn Lai, for her guidance, support, and patience throughout my candidature. It is because of her help that my interest in studying Chinese philosophy is fulfilled. The current project was inspired by her broad knowledge in this field which allowed me to explore a wide range of different topics while still receiving effective and valuable guidance and advice. Her continuous and merticulous efforts helped me refine my writing and thinking, and make this a better thesis that I could have hoped for. I would like to thank the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), for the external research grant it provided, which assisted me to conduct six months of research in Taipei. I would also like to thank the UNSW International for organizing the Practicum Exchange Program on my behalf. I thank the Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University (NTU), for the opportunity to learn new perspectives in studying Chinese philosophy,

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