Confucianism has a long history in China, and its reach continues to grow. Confucianism is the practice of following the ideology of Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.), who was a Chinese philosopher...Show moreConfucianism has a long history in China, and its reach continues to grow. Confucianism is the practice of following the ideology of Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.), who was a Chinese philosopher and teacher. In memory of him, the many Confucian temples in China not only display the importance of Confucius and his philosophy but also teach visitors about Confucius and Confucianism. These are temples where people can pay their respects to Confucius, honor him, and learn more about his life and thoughts. The Confucius Temple in Qufu was built a year after Confucius’ death, in 478 BC, at the location thought to have been his residence. The Temple is advertised in many tourist guides as the largest and most famous Confucian temple in China, and as one of the three greatest ancient building complexes in the country. This study tries to understand how the Temple contributes to the understanding that visitors gain from visiting the Temple, by conducting questionnaires and interviews.Show less
This thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a...Show moreThis thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a canonical text on ancient Chinese political philosophy dating back to the 3rd century BCE. More specifically, this thesis describes a paradox in early Chinese thought, particularly in the Han Feizi, about conceptions of self-hood as articulated in anecdotes involving self-interest and self-sacrifice. A close reading of relevant passages demonstrates that, according to the Han Feizi, the contradictory tension between self-interest and self-sacrifice that instigated the premise for this study is in fact not so paradoxical after all. According to the Han Feizi, individuals are motivated by their self-interested nature, even when they sacrifice their limbs, their children, or their lives in the pursuit of personal aggrandizement.Show less
In this thesis, I argue against the view that takes individual cultivation as the primary concern and union with Heaven as the ultimate end in early Confucianism. I propose that with the collapse...Show moreIn this thesis, I argue against the view that takes individual cultivation as the primary concern and union with Heaven as the ultimate end in early Confucianism. I propose that with the collapse of Heaven in Chunqiu period, Confucius endorsed history as the authority, for history revealed a normative order for society. History also held authority over humans because it was in history that humans sought for existential meaning. In this light, I propound new interpretations of some of the most important concepts in early Confucianism.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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With the rapid proliferation of New Confucian studies since the mid 1980s, it has become an unquestioned dogma that one particular event at the beginning of 1958 marks a watershed in the movement’s...Show moreWith the rapid proliferation of New Confucian studies since the mid 1980s, it has become an unquestioned dogma that one particular event at the beginning of 1958 marks a watershed in the movement’s development. This event is the publication of the Manifesto that Mou Zongsan 牟宗三, Tang Junyi唐君毅, Xu Fuguan 徐復觀, and Zhang Junmai 张君劢 co-signed and published almost simultaneously in the two journals Minzhu pinglun民評論 (Democratic Tribune) and Zaisheng再生(National Renaissance) with the title “为中国文化敬告世界人士宣言─我们对中国学术研究及中国文化与世界文前途之共同认识” (Wei Zhongguo wenhua jinggao shijie renshi xuanyan –women dui Zhongguo xueshu yanjiu ji Zhongguo wenhua yu shijiewen qiantu zhi gongtong renshi; translated in English as “A Manifesto on the Reappraisal of Chinese Culture – our Joint Understanding of the Sinological Study relating to World Cultural Outlook.”). Its main purpose is to benefit Western intellectuals in 'aiding them to appreciate Chinese culture'. In order to do so, the authors employ a strategic terminology, which allows them to build a consistent cross-cultural dialogue between Western and Chinese philosophy by means of an unprecedented discourse on 'Chinese Rationalism' (中国心性之学 Zhongguo xinxing zhi xue). Interestingly, the latter is described by the authors as “the essence of Chinese Culture” and, beside its comparative value, it represents the most comprehensive configuration of Confucianism in the context of 20th century. Academic interest in Chinese Studies and Chinese Philosophy should take into account the articulation of Chinese Rationalism in the Manifesto of 1958 as representing a paradigm of post-comparative dialogue that exemplifies the underlying philosophical continuity beyond consistently different traditions of thought.Show less
The Liezi is often regarded as the most important Daoist document after the Laozi and the Zhuangzi (both dating from the Warring States period; 475-221 BCE), yet the existing academic literature...Show moreThe Liezi is often regarded as the most important Daoist document after the Laozi and the Zhuangzi (both dating from the Warring States period; 475-221 BCE), yet the existing academic literature leaves a large gap on the philosophical significance of the Liezi, mainly because it is widely considered a forgery of the fourth or fifth century. Philosophically, the Liezi applies Daoist principles to human destiny by example of the Daoist sage, who despite his humanness, is said to be invulnerable. This is contrasted with ordinary people, who perceive their life as a series of fortunate and/or unfortunate events that either were happening as a result of their free will or were determined by forces beyond human control. Whereas for ordinary people free will and determinism are two separate entities, sages unify the manifestations of both concepts within themselves, realizing free will and determinism to be the same but two viewpoints on life which arise naturally due to the duality of existence. By examining the interrelationship between destiny and the sage based on its Daoist metaphysics, this study on the Liezi shows how the seemingly paradoxical relation between free will and determinism is reconciled in personal freedom and happiness through Daoist self-cultivation.Show less
This thesis researches if there is a relationship between how yin in yang is used in the Huangdi Neijing (the ancient work which forms the basis for Traditional Chinese Medicine), the Laozi and the...Show moreThis thesis researches if there is a relationship between how yin in yang is used in the Huangdi Neijing (the ancient work which forms the basis for Traditional Chinese Medicine), the Laozi and the Zhuangzi (the two most important Daoist works). The conclusion states that there is an apparent correspondence between the three texts, but they differ in their practicality. The Huangdi Neijing elaborates on how yin and yang work in the body and how to stay healthy using these two principles (microcosm). The Laozi and the Zhuangzi mostly use yin and yang to explain the universe and the dao (macrocosm).Show less
