The World of Thought in Ancient China

Schwartz, Benjamin I.

doi:10.4159/9780674043312

Cited by 606 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This apparent tension could be resolved by pointing out that all people possess an equal potential to become fully realized moral agents, but the realization of this potential requires intervention from the ruling elites. 50 For the early Confucians, it was the responsibility of the ruling elites to create and maintain favorable conditions for the people to develop virtues, with these conditions including material sufficiency, social order, and proper education. However, we have to take seriously the possibility that the ruling elites might simply fail to do this.…”

Section: Moral Development For Allmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political authority and resistance to injustice: A Confucian perspective

2022

Philosophy & Social Criticism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Those who bear the burdens of injustice and oppression are entitled to act in ways contrary to existing laws and institutions to secure their own entitlements and those of others. This article aims to articulate a Confucian perspective on resistance against injustice. There are reasons for thinking that the notion of resistance is fundamentally at odds with Confucian political thought. In this article, I move beyond this simple conflict/compatibility model and explore the complex relationships between resistance and Confucianism. On one hand, some of Confucianism’s core commitments can be better attained in contemporary societies by allowing resistance; on the other, a Confucian perspective can offer insights into current discussions on the ethics of resistance.

show abstract

Section: Moral Development For Allmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political authority and resistance to injustice: A Confucian perspective

2022

Philosophy & Social Criticism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For certain individuals, this may be an ideal (or challenge) worth pursuing. But entire communi-As Benjamin Schwartz noticed, 5 the ideal society depicted in Laozi 80 cannot be of the primitive past; it contains many signs of civilization (such as boats, carriages, and armor). What's more, there is no indication whether such a society exists, has ever existed, or ever will exist.…”

Section: Utopias and Golden Agesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Darker Side of Daoist Primitivism

Sarkissian¹

2010

Journal of Chinese Philosophy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Among the numerous voices in the heterogeneous Zhuangzi, two are most conspicuous. The first belongs to Zhuang Zhou , purported author of the "Inner Chapters." In his writings we find most of the ideas associated with the Zhuangzi: Freedom and spontaneity, equanimity toward life and death, the relativity of human experience, the traps of public life, etc. The style of writing and the brilliance of thought are unmatched in the rest of the book. Yet buried in the outer chapters is the voice of another conspicuous contributor, whose individuality has not escaped the attention of textual scholars. 1 This author is responsible for four short articles that comprise the chapters "Webbed Toes," "Horses Hooves," "Rifling Trunks," and the introductory section of "Restrain and Contain." A.C. Graham called him the "Primitivist," as shall I. In this article, I present a novel interpretation of the Primitivist's writings.The Primitivist has largely been neglected in Western surveys of early Chinese thought, most probably because he has been read as just another exponent of the Laozi. A.C. Graham devotes a few pages to the Primitivist in his Disputers of the Tao, mostly limiting his discussion to the Primitivist's take on morality, and skimming over the Primitivist's greatest preoccupation-the consequences of civilization and the dangers of luxury and sophistication. Benjamin Schwartz, in The World of Thought in Ancient China, quotes a single passage from one of the Primitivist's articles, and then only to gloss the Laozi. 2 While these sets of Daoist writings share certain similarities, it is precisely this association with the Laozi that has, I think, done more to enervate a sustained analysis of the Primitivist documents than any other single factor. Indeed, the Primitivist is often treated as simply a more radical or more temperamental "Laoist." 3 This is a shame, because the Primitivist is an idiosyncratic thinker whose theories do not simply reiterate those found in the Laozi. He warrants more sustained and detailed analysis if only for the fact that he seems to have membership in what must be a very exclusive group:

show abstract

“…According to Schwartz, these craftsmen are not settled in transcendent awareness, merely going through the motions of men who live in the world; they are experts in their selected activities and they engage with the world in all its imperfections. 27 They are expert because of their "know-how": ". .…”

Section: The Philosophy Of the Zhuangzimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on this and other metaphors, wisdom in the Zhuangzi has been described as spontaneous and intuitive. Scholars use such terms as "illumination," "awakening," 29 and "gnosis" 30 to describe the nature and mood of its philosophy.…”

Section: The Philosophy Of the Zhuangzimentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning from the Confucians: Learning from the Past

Lai¹

2008

JCPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

karyn l. lai LEARNING FROM THE CONFUCIANS: LEARNING FROM THE PASTA distinguishing characteristic of Confucianism is its emphasis on learning as a key element in moral self-cultivation. The early Confucians, Confucius (551-479 BCE), Mencius (385?-12? BCE), and Xunzi ( ) (310?-219? BCE), discussed learning in significant detail. The texts associated with these figures attend to different ways of learning for self-development. They emphasized xue ( ), which relates to the gathering of information and knowledge, especially about human conduct and behavior. One comes by such information through listening (wen) ( ) and watching ( jian) ( ) (e.g., Analects 2:18 1 ), and through reading classical texts such as the Classic of Odes (Shijing) () and the Record of Rites (Liji) ( ). In addition to xue, the early Confucian texts also emphasize the place of reflection (si) ( ) (e.g., Analects 2:15, at 79) in the cultivation of the self.There is an important distinction between these two primary aspects of learning, xue and si. While xue relates to observing, gathering, and collating of details of past and current practices and beliefs, si is reflective, requiring a person to stand back, as it were, from received information. 2 In this article, I demonstrate that early Confucian philosophy understands xue and si as integrated parts of the cultivation process. Both are important right through a person's development: Learning informs reflection, and reflection guides further learning (Analects 2:15, at 79; 15:31, at 190). In this discussion, I focus primarily on the Analects, while drawing from or commenting on the Mencius and Xunzi where appropriate.An important issue in discussions of Confucian self-cultivation is the role of the past, that is, of ancient wisdoms, traditions, and practices, in Confucian thinking. Appealing to the past seems to be a characteristic feature of the Confucian tradition, one that opponents of Confucian thought (including the Mohists, Legalists, and Daoists) were keen to reject. In briefly examining some of their arguments, I seek to demonstrate that these other thinkers made an incorrect assumption about the Confucians' use of the past. While the Confucians appealed to the

show abstract

The World of Thought in Ancient China

Cited by 606 publications

References 0 publications

Political authority and resistance to injustice: A Confucian perspective

Political authority and resistance to injustice: A Confucian perspective

The Darker Side of Daoist Primitivism

Learning from the Confucians: Learning from the Past

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About