The Concept of Language in Confucianism
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A New Examination of Confucius' Rectification of Names
Journal of chinese humanities � (���6) �47-�7� brill.com/joch A New Examination of Confucius’ Rectification of Names Cao Feng (曹峰) Professor of Philosophy, Renmin University, China [email protected] Translated by Brook Hefright Abstract Confucius’ explanation of the “rectification of names” is not necessarily related to the theories of “social status” and “names and actuality.” The reason scholars have inter- preted the rectification of names in the Analects in so many different ways is, to a large degree, due to assumptions about Confucius’ thinking by his successors, and based on the views on rectification of names among later generations. In the course of the devel- opment of thinking about names, scholars have augmented Confucius’ own explana- tion, gradually fleshing it out from an empty shell into a substantial edifice. The original meaning may have been very simple: Confucius did not wish to establish a standard system of names. Rather, he was simply the first person in history to realize the impor- tance of language in politics. As a politician, Confucius noticed and foresaw the influ- ence that the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and arbitrariness of names could have on politics. He discerned the political consequences when language could not accurately express meaning or when there was no way for people to accurately perceive it. He also recognized how names, as a way of clarifying right and wrong and establishing norms, could have a great effect on a society’s politics. Although Confucius noted that disunity in speech could lead to disunity in politics, he did not propose a solution. -
Legal Orientalism
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Michigan School of Law Michigan Law Review Volume 101 Issue 1 2002 Legal Orientalism Teemu Ruskola American University Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Jurisprudence Commons, Legal History Commons, and the Legal Writing and Research Commons Recommended Citation Teemu Ruskola, Legal Orientalism, 101 MICH. L. REV. 179 (2002). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol101/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Michigan Law Review at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Michigan Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEGAL ORIENTALISM Teemu Rusko/a* [The] world-wide ... diffusion of [Western culture] has protected us as man had never been protected before from having to take seriously the civilizations of other peoples; it has given to our culture a massive univer- . sality that we have long ceased to account fo r historically, and which we read off rather as necessary and inevitable. 1 - Ruth Benedict [In China,] animals are divided into: (a) belonging to the Emperor, (b) embalmed, (c) tame, (d) sucking pigs, (e) sirens, (f) fa bulous, (g) stray dogs, (h) included in the present classification, (i) frenzied, (j) innumer able, (k) drawn with a very fine camel hair brush, (1) et cetera, (m) having just broken the water pitcher, (n) that from a long way offlook like flies.2 - Michel Foucault * Assistant Professor of Law, American University; Sabbatical Visitor at the Center for the Study of Law and Culture and Senior Fellow at the Center for Chinese Legal Studies, Columbia Law School. -
Utopia/Wutuobang As a Travelling Marker of Time*
The Historical Journal, , (), pp. – © The Author(s), . Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/./), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work. doi:./SX UTOPIA/WUTUOBANG AS A TRAVELLING MARKER OF TIME* LORENZO ANDOLFATTO Heidelberg University ABSTRACT. This article argues for the understanding of ‘utopia’ as a cultural marker whose appearance in history is functional to the a posteriori chronologization (or typification) of historical time. I develop this argument via a comparative analysis of utopia between China and Europe. Utopia is a marker of modernity: the coinage of the word wutuobang (‘utopia’) in Chinese around is analogous and complementary to More’s invention of Utopia in ,inthatbothrepresent attempts at the conceptualizations of displaced imaginaries, encounters with radical forms of otherness – the European ‘discovery’ of the ‘New World’ during the Renaissance on the one hand, and early modern China’sown‘Westphalian’ refashioning on the other. In fact, a steady stream of utopian con- jecturing seems to mark the latter: from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom borne out of the Opium wars, via the utopian tendencies of late Qing fiction in the works of literati such as Li Ruzhen, Biheguan Zhuren, Lu Shi’e, Wu Jianren, Xiaoran Yusheng, and Xu Zhiyan, to the reformer Kang Youwei’s monumental treatise Datong shu. -
Confucius' Philosophy of Zhengming (“Rectification of Names
SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL STUDIES Confucius’ Philosophy of Zhengming (“Rectification of Names”): Implications for Social Harmony in Africa Mark Omorovie Ikeke1 Abstract: Social harmony is an imperative for the development of society. Without social harmony there is bound to be conflicts, violence, and social turmoil that impede the wellbeing of society. A key factor that can promote social harmony is when people live out the meaning of their names. This is what Confucius called Zhengming (“rectification of names”). For him the rectification of names implies every citizen living out the full import and meaning of their names and roles. Without rectification of names society will continue to be bedeviled by disharmony. Like many other societies the African continent is bedeviled with social disharmonies caused by poor leadership, bad governance, corruption and embezzlement of public funds, kidnapping and hostage taking, youth restiveness, illegal migration, environmental degradation, etc. It is difficult for there to be social harmony when citizens are experiencing social deprivations. The paper will use critical analytic and hermeneutic methods to examine the doctrine of rectification of names as proposed by Confucius. The paper will also apply this doctrine to the situation of social disharmony in Africa. The paper finds and concludes that there is need to use the ideas of Zhengming to mitigate social disharmonies in Africa. Keywords: Confucius, Zhengming, “rectification of names”, ethics, social harmony, Africa Introduction Social harmony is vital and necessary for a harmonious and ordered society. Without social harmony a society cannot function to full capacity and fulfils her purpose for being in existence. Social harmony is bedrock for peaceful living and creates the environment for people to live the optimal life, the purpose for which government is ordained. -
CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Matthias Ludwig Richter Department Of
CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Matthias Ludwig Richter Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations University of Colorado at Boulder Eaton Humanities, 279 UCB Boulder, CO 80309–0279, USA fax: +1-303-492.7272 [email protected] www.colorado.edu/alc/matthias-l-richter EMPLOYMENT 5/2013– Associate Professor of Chinese, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Colorado at Boulder 7/2011–6/2012 Mellon Fellow and Member, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton 8/2007–5/2013 Assistant Professor of Chinese, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Colorado at Boulder 10/2006–9/2007 Creel Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago 4–7/2006 Visiting Professor of Chinese studies, University of Freiburg 9/2002–12/2005 Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Hamburg (research project “Towards a Methodology for the Study of Ancient Chinese Manuscripts”) 3–8/2001 Visiting Assistant Professor in Chinese studies, University of Hamburg 11/1996–10/1998 Visiting lecturer in Chinese studies, University of Munich 9/1992–7/1993 Part-time teacher at the Goethe Institute, Beijing 8/1985–8/1989 Teacher of German and English in Dresden and Berlin EDUCATION 6/2000 Ph.D. in Sinology, Hamburg University (summa cum laude), dissertation on Early Chinese texts on characterology and the recruitment of officials 10/1993–9/96 Continuation of studies at University of Munich 9/1992–8/1993 Student of Chinese philosophy, Beijing University (Beijing daxue) 9/1991–8/1992 Student of Chinese language, Beijing Language Institute (Beijing Yuyan xueyuan) 10/1989–8/1991 Student of sinology, japanology and philosophy, University of Munich 7/1985 Diploma in Germanic and English studies, University of Jena (East Germany) Matthias L. -
The “Masters” in the Shiji
T’OUNG PAO T’oungThe “Masters” Pao 101-4-5 in (2015) the Shiji 335-362 www.brill.com/tpao 335 The “Masters” in the Shiji Martin Kern (Princeton University) Abstract The intellectual history of the ancient philosophical “Masters” depends to a large extent on accounts in early historiography, most importantly Sima Qian’s Shiji which provides a range of longer and shorter biographies of Warring States thinkers. Yet the ways in which personal life experiences, ideas, and the creation of texts are interwoven in these accounts are diverse and uneven and do not add up to a reliable guide to early Chinese thought and its protagonists. In its selective approach to different thinkers, the Shiji under-represents significant parts of the textual heritage while developing several distinctive models of authorship, from anonymous compilations of textual repertoires to the experience of personal hardship and political frustration as the precondition for turning into a writer. Résumé L’histoire intellectuelle des “maîtres” de la philosophie chinoise ancienne dépend pour une large part de ce qui est dit d’eux dans l’historiographie ancienne, tout particulièrement le Shiji de Sima Qian, qui offre une série de biographies plus ou moins étendues de penseurs de l’époque des Royaumes Combattants. Cependant leur vie, leurs idées et les conditions de création de leurs textes se combinent dans ces biographies de façon très inégale, si bien que l’ensemble ne saurait être considéré comme l’équivalent d’un guide de la pensée chinoise ancienne et de ses auteurs sur lequel on pourrait s’appuyer en toute confiance. -
Confucius and His Disciples in Thelunyu
full_alt_author_running_head(neemstramienB2voorditchapterennul0inhierna):0_ full_alt_articletitle_running_head(oude_articletitle_deel,vulhiernain):ConfuciusandHisDisciplesintheLunyu_ full_article_language:enindien anders: engelse articletitle:0_ 92 Goldin Chapter4 Confucius and His Disciples in the Lunyu: The Basis for the Traditional View Paul R. Goldin ThereisanemergingconsensusthatthereceivedtextoftheAnalects(Lunyu 論語),thoughregardedthroughoutChinesehistoryasthebestsinglesource .forthelifeandphilosophyofConfucius,1didnotexistbeforetheHandynasty TheworkofscholarssuchasZhuWeizheng朱維錚,JohnMakeham,andMark -Csikszentmihalyihasleftlittledoubtthatthetextwasredactedsometimedur -ingtheWesternHan.2Thisdoesnotnecessarilymean,however,thatthecon tentsmustdatetoaperiodlaterthanConfuciusandhisdisciples.3Aworkthat -wascompiledinacertaincenturydoesnotnecessarilyconsistofmaterialdat ingfromthatsamecentury.4Thus,thenewinsightsregardingtherelatively -latecompilationoftheAnalectsdonotinvalidatethetraditionalunderstand -ingofthetext’sphilosophicalimportance.Inthischapter,Ishallpresentsev eralexamplessuggestingthattheAnalectsreflectsanintellectualenvironment fromlongbeforetheHandynasty.Thesedistinctivefeaturesofthetextwould havetobeexplainedbyanytheoryofitsorigin.Thesameevidencewillalso –supportthetraditionalchronology,whichpostulatesthesequenceAnalects -
(Shijing): on “Filling out the Missing Odes” by Shu Xi
Righting, Riting, and Rewriting the Book of Odes (Shijing): On “Filling out the Missing Odes” by Shu Xi Thomas J. MAZANEC University of California, Santa Barbara1 A series of derivative verses from the late-third century has pride of place in one of the foundational collections of Chinese poetry. These verses, “Filling out the Missing Odes” by Shu Xi, can be found at the beginning of the lyric-poetry (shi 詩) section of the Wenxuan. This essay seeks to understand why such blatantly imitative pieces may have been held in such high regard. It examines how Shu Xi’s poems function in relation to the Book of Odes, especially their use of quotation, allusion, and other intertextual strategies. Rather than imitate, borrow, or forge, the “Missing Odes” seek to bring the idealized world of the Odes into reality by reconstructing canonical rites with cosmic implications. In so doing, they represent one person’s attempt to stabilize the chaotic political center of the Western Jin in the last decade of the third century. The “Missing Odes” reveal that writing, rewriting, ritualizing, and anthologizing are at the heart of early medieval Chinese ideas of cultural legitimation. Introduction If one were to open the Wenxuan 文選, the foundational sixth-century anthology compiled by Crown Prince Xiao Tong 蕭統 (501–531), and turn to the section on shi- poetry 詩 in hopes of understanding early medieval lyricism, the first pages would present one with a curious series of six poems, different in style and tone from the more famous works that follow. This set of tetrametric verses by Shu Xi 束皙 (ca. -
A New Examination of Confucius' Rectification of Names
Journal of chinese humanities � (���6) �47-�7� brill.com/joch A New Examination of Confucius’ Rectification of Names Cao Feng (曹峰) Professor of Philosophy, Renmin University, China [email protected] Translated by Brook Hefright Abstract Confucius’ explanation of the “rectification of names” is not necessarily related to the theories of “social status” and “names and actuality.” The reason scholars have inter- preted the rectification of names in the Analects in so many different ways is, to a large degree, due to assumptions about Confucius’ thinking by his successors, and based on the views on rectification of names among later generations. In the course of the devel- opment of thinking about names, scholars have augmented Confucius’ own explana- tion, gradually fleshing it out from an empty shell into a substantial edifice. The original meaning may have been very simple: Confucius did not wish to establish a standard system of names. Rather, he was simply the first person in history to realize the impor- tance of language in politics. As a politician, Confucius noticed and foresaw the influ- ence that the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and arbitrariness of names could have on politics. He discerned the political consequences when language could not accurately express meaning or when there was no way for people to accurately perceive it. He also recognized how names, as a way of clarifying right and wrong and establishing norms, could have a great effect on a society’s politics. Although Confucius noted that disunity in speech could lead to disunity in politics, he did not propose a solution. -
Confucius, Needham and Modern Psychology
Confucius, Needham and Modern Psychology Speaker: Mr. Ravi Bhoothalingam, Honorary Fellow, ICS Chair: Prof. Sabaree Mitra, Honorary Fellow, ICS 9 September 2015 Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi The presentation by Ravi Bhoothalingam was an attempt to understand the old but valid notions bounded in Confucianism, further propounded in Needham’s magisterial work on China, and its relation and influence on ‘scientific method’ with Chinese characteristics. The speaker analyzed the seemingly contorted ‘trilemma’ of Confucius-Needham-Modern Psychology through four points of reference: 1) the relationship between Confucius and scientific method, 2) the influence of language on thought processes, 3) the ‘mind-brain’ dilemma through the centuries old Confucian concepts of ’shu’ and ‘xin’, and 4) the development of ‘moral sense’ in the human conscience. The speaker examined the first point of reference by discussing the relationship between Needham and Confucius. He referred to the problematic concept of ‘scientific method’ through a simple discussion on how to achieve peace in the world through the application of ‘deductive logic’ and ‘inductive logic’, and by placing the rational human being at the centre. The proto-scientific manual ‘Da Xue’ provides the correct analogy to what Confucius actually meant when founding the basis for world peace: it is not things out there but rather the nature of man that is the epicentre of it all. The question however remains as to what or who is that ‘rational individual’? This is where the other points of reference come into play. Hence, the second point of analysis is the influence of language on the thought processes understood through the Needham-Psychology part of the aforementioned trilemma. -
The Philosophy of Wu Wei
The philosophy of Wu Wei Autor(en): Duyvendak, J.J.L. Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: Asiatische Studien : Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft = Études asiatiques : revue de la Société Suisse-Asie Band (Jahr): 1 (1947) Heft 3-4 PDF erstellt am: 23.09.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-145255 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch 81 The Philosophy of Wu Wei by J. J. L. Duyvendak ¦ The contrast between Western and Oriental philosophies is a theme that for many scholars has a great fascination. More than one observer has been particularly struck by a characteristic that seems to be essential. -
Tracing Confucianism in Contemporary China
TRACING CONFUCIANISM IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA Ruichang Wang and Ruiping Fan Abstract: With the reform and opening policy implemented by the Chinese government since the late 1970s, mainland China has witnessed a sustained resurgence of Confucianism first in academic studies and then in social practices. This essay traces the development of this resurgence and demonstrates how the essential elements and authentic moral and intellectual resources of long-standing Confucian culture have been recovered in scholarly concerns, ordinary ideas, and everyday life activities. We first introduce how the Modern New Confucianism reappeared in mainland China in the three groups of the Chinese scholars in the Confucian studies in the 1980s and early 1990s. Then we describe how a group of innovative mainland Confucian thinkers has since the mid-1990s come of age launching new versions of Confucian thought differing from that of the overseas New Confucians and their forefathers, followed by our summary of public Confucian pursuits and activities in the mainland society in the recent decade. Finally, we provide a few concluding remarks about the difficulties encountered in the Confucian development and our general expectations for future. 1 Introduction Confucianism is not just a philosophical doctrine constructed by Confucius (551- 479BCE) and developed by his followers. It is more like a religion in the general sense. In fact, Confucius took himself as a cultural transmitter rather than a creator (cf. Analects 7.1, 7.20), inheriting the Sinic culture that had long existed before him.2 Dr. RUICHANG WANG, Professor, School of Culture & Communications, Capital university of Economics and Business. Emai: [email protected].