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In ancient China, art has never been a substitute for the category of 'truth' in the sense of Western aestheticism, but a mimic for goodness and beauty. The image in traditional Chinese aesthetics never transcended the idea to the level of Western abstraction, and that is because the artistic expression bore a social synthesis, rather than metaphysical, between human beings, reality, and the world. However, the Ming Dynasty introduces a Dionysian discourse that challenges the Apollonian tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, efforts have been made to reevaluate the tradition of Chinese historical thought and writing. This article seeks to further these efforts and offer a new understanding of the characteristics of historical writing in traditional China. It argues that, at the level of practice, traditional Chinese historians, like their counterparts in the rest of the world, were deeply concerned with establishing and communicating facts in historical writing. Their separation of commentary and narrative in order to practice "straight writing" of the latter is a telling example, one that evolved into an enshrined tradition over the long span of imperial China. At the theoretical level, Chinese historians also consciously explored the ways in which truthfulness in history could be reconciled with the ethical responsibilities they perceived and sought to assume in and for their time. This quest did not stop at the level of "praise and blame" for past personalities and events. Rather, their practice amounted to an effort, epitomized by the historical practice of the Song period (960–1279), to search for the metaphysics of historical morality, or the immanent and overarching principles that guide human society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay challenges moral exemplarist interpretations of the Analects by focusing on exclusivist attitudes and actions exhibited by Confucius as he is portrayed in the Analects. Attention is drawn to what may be plausibly interpreted as culturalism and speciesism in the Analects. The case for culturalism in the Analects turns on a recurrent distinction therein between the Huá (Chinese) and Yí (non-Chinese; peoples outside of China proper), the latter commonly cast as barbarians—a term deployed similarly to yí being mán (rough; reckless). The case for speciesism in the Analects turns on a number of passages of the Analects recommending a privileging of human interests over those of non-human animals. Acknowledgement of forms of Confucian exclusivism ought to provoke contemporary audiences to critically examine the text and to consider carefully that which ought to be regarded as exemplary and worthy of admiration and emulation in their own lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay tracks how Grace Lee Boggs's lifelong engagements with Chinese political thought and US revolutionary praxis co-developed. We first show that Lee Boggs's concepts of roles and revolution drew on Confucian and Maoist philosophy; we next show that Lee Boggs later traced alternative, US-based genealogies of both concepts, just as she engaged more deeply with Asian American activism. Lee Boggs as a reader of Chinese thought tended towards cultural hybridity, transcontinental intimacies, and general intellectualism. We propose that these tendencies could be usefully developed in both Asian American political thought and political theory as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore how Confucius is recharacterised in the multimodal translation of The Analects from verbal (analects) to verbal-visual (comics) texts. The focus is on the interpersonal/interactive meaning in Systemic Functional Linguistics and visual social semiotics. Parameters of MOOD and MODALITY are used in discussing the verbal mode in both source and target texts, and the system of CONTACT, SOCIAL DISTANCE, INVOLVEMENT, POWER, AFFECT, PROXIMITY and MASS/AMOUNT are employed in describing features of the visual mode in comics. The quantitative results show that Confucius has been recharacterised from an authoritative teacher in the source text into different images in four comic adaptions, i.e. a detached truth transmitter in Mori [2002. Dongfang Zhidian Shengshu: Manhua Lunyu. Beijing: Jiuzhou Press], an affable wiser in Tsai [2005. Confucius Speaks: The Message of the Benevolent. Beijing: China Modern Publishing House Ltd.], a superior mentor in Zhang [2007. Manhua LunYu. Hangzhou: Zhejiang People’s Publishing House.], and a popularised teacher in Chen [2021. Banxiaoshi Manhua Lunyu. Shanghai: Wenhui Press]. It is argued that the different images of Confucius reconstrued in four translations can be better understood in terms of the context of translation, in which translators’ identity, translation purpose, target reader and historically accepted image of Confucius are finally explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Plato and Confucius were deeply concerned with moral cultivation and political leadership, topics that were inherently gendered in ancient patriarchal societies. I show that both thinkers focused their discussions on concepts that were associated with male aristocratic ideals of gentlemanliness. Yet while Confucian texts emphasize moral behavior and ritual to beautify the male body (shen 身), Plato focuses on the cultivation of a non-physical soul, which women also possess. Various theories have been proposed to explain this difference in their understandings of the self, but when we bear the gendered nature of their inquiry in mind, an important difference takes center stage: for Socrates, the male body is an object of sexual desire. This paper highlights the influence of homoerotic desire in Plato’s unique approach to gentlemanliness, offering a new perspective for comparing these philosophers' views on gender, cultivation, and leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the previously overlooked influence of Qiu Jun, a renowned mid-Ming dynasty scholar, on Jesuit missionaries and Chinese Catholic believers. Although Qiu's impact on Confucian scholars of the mid-to-late Ming period is well established, his role in shaping formalized Chinese ritual systems and Chinese Catholicism has received little attention. A closer examination of Jesuit missionaries' translation of Confucian classics and Chinese Catholic texts from the late Ming and early Qing periods reveals that Qiu's works were frequently cited, particularly in relation to the abolition of divine titles, the worship of Confucius, and the establishment of the City-god system. Qiu's responses to these issues, informed by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's efforts to centralize power and establish authority in both secular and religious spheres, served as key references for mid-Ming reforms. Moreover, Jesuit fathers and Chinese Catholic adherents drew on Qiu's perspectives in their writings to address various issues during the Chinese Rites Controversy. This research uncovers the profound impact of Qiu Jun's ideas on the cultural exchange between China and the West in the 17th–18th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education is a key global agenda that is primarily driven by concern for children's rights. In China, the term is a translated, introduced, foreign concept. The localised practice of inclusion is encapsulated in the policy of Learning in Regular Classrooms, which not only adopts the narrow sense of inclusion for children with disabilities, but it is also dominated by the medical model of disability. An explicit rights-based philosophical foundation for inclusion that is widely accepted and internalised by local Chinese teachers and schools appears largely absent. This paper explores how Confucianism as a moral philosophy may be compatible with the rights discourse and may provide the necessary moral strengths and philosophical base to support inclusion in Chinese schools. The conclusion highlights the needs to pay attention to how teachers' deeper values, motivation, and drives can facilitate inclusive efforts, and also calls for a more explicit human rights discourse to develop in China in the long term. This paper explores the possibility of using the moral philosophy of Confucianism, rather than relying on the explicit language of human rights, to offer theoretical advocacy for inclusion in China. The rich legacy of Confucianism may offer the necessary moral strengths and philosophical convictions for Chinese teachers and schools to become inspired and empowered to take more inclusive initiatives in a bottom-up approach. Confucianism as a moral philosophy is compatible with the international human rights discourse. While a more explicit human rights discourse in China needs time to develop, Confucian principles such as datong (great harmony), ren (benevolence), as well as its educational believes and human rights ideas, may offer readily-available and more accessible inspiration and support for the inclusive education for children with disabilities in line with the social and human rights models. Re-examining traditional cultural values may shed light on modern effective teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines whether Confucius aligns more with humanism or religious thought, asserting that his philosophy defies simple classification. It highlights his use of religious motifs, especially the concept of li 禮, which he broadened beyond mere rituals to include societal behaviors, infusing them with a sacred essence. Additionally, this essay delves into Confucius's notion of de 德, perceived as having an almost magical influence without coercion, closely tied to his ideas on li and governance. This reflects a belief in a universal moral order, challenging the view of Confucius as purely a humanist. The text also explores his nuanced understanding of tian 天, a central yet complex aspect of his philosophy, suggesting a spiritual dimension. Ultimately, this essay advocates for recognizing Confucius not only as a moral guide but as a thinker embodying significant religious or spiritual insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China does not have a unified and consistent ethical understanding. Ethics have to be mostly conceived and applied in personal terms. At the negotiation table, parties bring their own moral principles and values from their cultural background, education, and experience. Justice principles anchored in Chinese moral philosophy clearly take precedence over legal justice principles. For a Chinese negotiator, striking a deal is a process of balancing between two contradictory sets of values: Confucius' notions of rightness, and those of modern distributive (and procedural) justice. Now, distributive justice implies a whole range of criteria, such as rewards according to efforts, merits, and contribution, as well as need. Equality is still not on the Chinese justice agenda. Fairness has to find its own way between guanxi requirements, traditional nepotism, the influence of symbols, propitious numbers, references to ancestors, feng shui, and astrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic education faces a number of serious challenges including cultural and political disrespect for, and hostility towards religion in general and Catholicism in particular, and lack of knowledge of, and commitment to, Catholic beliefs and values among Catholic educational administrators, school managers, teachers, and other staff, as well as the diminishing percentage of even nominally Catholic staff. I set these matters within the context of broader challenges surrounding Catholic education, deriving from three cultural movements: the reformation, the emergence of liberalism, and the scientific revolution, which undermined the synthesis of scripture, theology, and speculative and practical philosophy achieved in the high middle-ages. I propose in response a creative critique showing that what is of authentic value in modernity can be accommodated within the traditional synthesis. I also connect that tradition with strands of eastern philosophy suggesting that the movement of people, ideas, and traditions from Eastern cultures into historically Western societies provides an opportunity for further synthesis of a wisdom-based approach to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of divergent value systems and the potential risks of abandoning religion. It argues that while every society develops its own value system, secular values cannot fully replace traditional religious ethics. The article raises questions about whether different value systems can replace traditional systems of morality associated with religion and examines the definitions of values and the value system. It also discusses the relationship between values and society from the perspectives of Western and Islamic cultures, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural and philosophical backgrounds when interpreting values. Additionally, the article provides an overview of the value systems in Eastern civilizations, focusing on Japan, China, and India, and highlights the historical and cultural influences on these value systems. It acknowledges the diversity within these societies and the ongoing challenges they face in reconciling different religions and cultures. The article concludes that a value system should complement traditional moral systems rather than replace them, and that religion provides an important basis for ethical behavior. [Extracted from the article]

Since ancient times, thinkers have always emphasized the role of education in improving people and improving society. Confucius (551-479 BC) named Qiu, self-titled Trong Ni was a famous philosopher, politician, and educator in ancient China. Confucius's ancestor was a person from the Song state who moved to the country of Lu. He was born in the country of Lu - where many cultural heritages of the Zhou Dynasty are preserved. Confucius is one of the important delegates who laid the foundation for education in the world in general and in China in particular. For the first time in history, education was promoted and spread widely among the people. To promote his education effectively, Confucius built a rich system of teaching methods and an ideal model in society. With those outstanding features, Confucius's educational thought has contributed valuable experiences to the treasure of human educational theory in general and the history of ancient Chinese education in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a diachronic panorama of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Euro-American esoteric images of Confucius. After selected appraisals capturing the polyphony of nineteenth-century notions of Confucius, emphasis is given to spiritualist and Theosophical appropriations. Next, his soteriological elevation and the introduction of fellow Chinese Masters within the Ascended Masters context are explored in relation to the I AM Activity and, specifically, the post-Second World War groups The Bridge to Freedom (present-day The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom) and The Church Universal and Triumphant. Overall, this article traces the transformation of the esoteric Confucius trope, which substantially contributed to the wider public perception of Confucius and Confucianism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the development of a comparative analysis that explores the conceptions of the Golden Rule that are expressed in the teachings of Confucius, Christianity and the Hatatas, the article shows that the combined insights that emerge from these three teachings have a contemporary significance in the attempt to develop a complementary learning process with the Other. Throughout its variations, the Golden Rule is grounded on the need to treat others as how we want to be treated. Such a moral vision occupies a central importance in Confucius's ren, Christianity's Gospel of Matthew and the commandments, and the Hatatas' principle of harmony. The comparative exercise in contending conceptions of the Golden Rule that are found in Confucius', the Christian and the Hatatas' approaches leads into the emergence of a learning process that goes beyond the mere tolerance of the Other. In a globalized world, where there is a search for a moral guideline that can serve as a common source of motivation, the Golden Rule can serve as a foundation of a process of learning that is mutually supportive, supplementary and is hence complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early proponents of comparative philosophy believed that the dissemination of comparative methods would lead to step forward in human consciousness and contribute to a more peaceful world. Can comparative philosophy today still aspire to such goals? On the one hand, the aims of the field have narrowed, so that comparative philosophy is seen as a method of interpreting particular thinkers and texts or as a tool for addressing specific philosophical problems. On the other hand, critics argue that comparative philosophy is an outmoded enterprise that should give way to more pluralistic forms of inquiry. In this paper, I examine three contemporary views about the social relevance of comparative philosophy. The first sees comparative philosophy as a means of cultivating liberal citizenship; the second as an ally in decolonial struggle; the third as offering resources to promote human flourishing in the modern world. These approaches offer comparative philosophers a wide range of options for thinking about the social relevance of their field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates Confucius' views on education and their relevance in the 4.0 era. Confucius is known as "the great model teacher for centuries" for his dedication to education and his thoughts regarding its role, purpose, substance, and teaching techniques. Confucius founded Confucianism. Confucius felt education should be a right for everyone, not just the affluent. "No class difference in school" quickly transforms people's educational views. It makes formal schooling possible for most individuals. The idea of Confucius is innovative because people from all backgrounds desire justice and equality in education. However, a synthesis of Confucius' education concepts based on past research adds to the literature on educational philosophy. Confucius's thoughts help people worldwide understand the incredible education ideas that have ever developed in moral education. The results of this research can be guided and affect modern educational authorities and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript stages the West and China as civilizations rooted in contrasting myths. The Western leading paradigm is the Faustian Man whose ambition created modernity and the tragedy of progress. It is a tragedy already condemned by history but, being Faust's construction site unfinished, it is a tragedy that everyone seems keen to re-enact. On the other hand, China conceived the concept of stability, rather than competition, the key for a durable success. Behind Zheng He's voyages and the Ming Dynasty's choice to go westbound, rather than eastbound, lies an anti-Faustian attitude, the essence of Chinese philosophy, to be read not as anti-modernity but the attempt to shape an alternative modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of wen 文 has multiple meanings, but it plays an exceptionally important role in the development of Confucianism and Chinese philosophical terms. Pre-Qin Confucianism 先秦儒学 and Song Confucianism (Song dynasty Neo-Confucians 宋代儒学/宋代新儒家) are two important representatives in the history of Confucianism. Confucius has insisted that although the heaven is not going to destroy wen, wen must exist in everyone's xing 性, and only when placed within a community can it develop. In Pre-Qin Confucianism, wen completed the transformation from the long established social political structure of the Zhou dynasty and its corresponding moral principles to the consciousness of consummate conduct and ritual propriety based on human instinct and humanistic rationality. Song dynasty Neo-Confucians inherited this Confucian mission and developed the spirit of wen in their period. They emphasized the necessity of learning classics and then writing articles to get closer to the heart-mind of sages and then to build a cultural community together. Both Pre-Qin Confucianism and Song Confucianism have been applying their viewpoints to achieve a community, which is "this culture of ours" 斯文. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China does not have a unified and consistent ethical understanding. Ethics have to be mostly conceived and applied in personal terms. At the negotiation table, parties bring their own moral principles and values from their cultural background, education, and experience. Justice principles anchored in Chinese moral philosophy clearly take precedence over legal justice principles. For a Chinese negotiator, striking a deal is a process of balancing between two contradictory sets of values: Confucius' notions of rightness, and those of modern distributive (and procedural) justice. Now, distributive justice implies a whole range of criteria, such as rewards according to efforts, merits, and contribution, as well as need. Equality is still not on the Chinese justice agenda. Fairness has to find its own way between guanxi requirements, traditional nepotism, the influence of symbols, propitious numbers, references to ancestors, feng shui, and astrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present article is to clarify Confucius' views on the political being with typical qualities such as benevolence, ritual propriety, and rectification of names; this is to show the effort of the Communist Party of Vietnam in building the political being by drawing upon dialectical materialism and the methods of comparison, analysis and synthesis, logic, and history. In the history of human thought, Confucius' thought, in particular, and Confucianism, in general, became the ideology of the feudal class during the development of feudal dynasties in China and many other Asian countries, including Vietnam. With a system of world views and especially human views expressed in socio-political, moral and ethical theories, Confucius was the one who laid the foundation for the development of Confucianism in the history of Chinese thought. The view of humans in general and political beings in particular is one of the main contents of Confucius' conception of socio-politics, morals, and ethics. Therefore, in order to successfully build a new socialist man, as well as successfully carry out the socio-economic innovation, it requires us to promote education about the right political ideals, education about the moral qualities of benevolence, propriety, and rectification of names according to Confucius' viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the text of The Analects, based on the historical background and life experience of Confucius, the qualitative analysis method is adopted to analyze the image of Confucius as a teacher. As an individual teacher, Confucius is placed in the broader social development background. Confucius's image of a teacher can be divided into the following levels: as an individual teacher, Confucius presents the image of " a scholar" and " a self-cultivator" ; as a teacher who leads the development of students, Confucius shows the image of " an educator" ; as a teacher of social members, Confucius presents the image of " patriot", " a leader" and " a celebrity" ; as a teacher who inherits morality and righteousness, Confucius shows the image of " an aspirant" and " a preacher" . Contemporary teachers should be knowledgeable and eager to learn, and cultivate themselves to become experts; we always love teaching and follow the principle of education without distinction; we adhere to principles, and handle affairs with understanding and contingency; it is our responsibility to care about our country, and strive to make it stronger and greater; we should bravely shoulder the mission of the national development; we should aim highly and carrying on the teachings of the Tao,and be dedicated to the transformation of contemporary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where do ethics or morals come from? We arrive at vastly different answers, given that these answers are contingent upon various sources, such as legendary stories, the theology of various religions, Western and Eastern philosophies, etc. In the Chinese tradition, Laozi, Confucius, and Sunzi are considered as the three ancient sages from approximately 2500 years ago. Their thoughts and teachings have shaped Chinese culture and characterized the Chinese way of life. This essay attempts to demonstrate a new understanding of their philosophy on ethical principles. Herein, we present select analyses of their literary works—Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing), The Analects, and The Art of War. These three sages posited ethical ideas inspired by nature, and a single thread—the way of nature—sewed those ideas together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Confucian Analects or Lunyu has had many translations in the English-speaking world, yet Confucius still largely remains a vague, distant, unattractive, and at times confusing figure for the Western reader. It is both necessary and possible to change this situation. This article reviews the limited progress so far in translating Confucius, examines the remaining problems, and suggests some possible remedies. It concludes that translating the Analects is a sophisticated task that requires the translator to juggle demands from both philosophy and literature. To do this, the translator has to be equipped with literary sensibilities, philosophical insight, a thorough understanding of the Confucian text, a grasp of the syntactical differences between English and Classical Chinese, and a sensitivity to style and nuances of meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interschool collaboration in educational organisations has introduced new complexities and challenges, particularly in the dynamics of relationships and power flow. This article adopts a critical approach to investigate education collectives (ECs) within China's compulsory education system, which represent a multiorganisational model. The study examines the relationship between governance structures that enable ECs to function and explores how power flows through them. Innovatively, the author proposes a conceptual framework based on the Chinese Confucian principles of virtue, authority and collectivism. This framework is utilised to explore and comprehend how power and authority are redistributed within the hierarchical structures of ECs and how these are embedded within broader Chinese social and cultural ideologies. Through the Chinese case study, the article exemplifies the diverse potential relationships between schools, districts and central governments, describing features that are amenable to recontextualisation, policy borrowing, and policy learning in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confucius associates the good and the beautiful. Li (translated variously as "ritual propriety," "ritual," "etiquette," or "propriety") embodies the entire spectrum of interaction with humans, nature, and even material objects. I argue that Confucius attempts to introduce an ethical ontology, not of "what," but of "the way." The "way" of reality becomes known with the deliberate participation to the Dao. In other words, through interaction. The way people co-exist demonstrates the rationality of the associations of living and functioning together. Li, as an aesthetic-moral principle, embodies the entire spectrum of one's interaction with humans, nature, and even material objects. Li is a constitutive element of Confucian ethics and politics, highlighting the importance of beauty, and not only goodness, in human action. The worthiness of human action is judged both aesthetically and morally. Moreover, I hold that Confucius' ethical ontology is not an ontology of "whatness" but of "howness," according to the Dao, since Confucius primary concern was not to define the Dao, but to restore the Dao of the ancient sage-kings. The morality of the action is dependent on the way it is performed, according to the mandates of the Dao. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a very rich country among world civilizations in terms of cultural symbols, and bamboo is one of the important symbols of Chinese culture. Bamboo is one of the materials most widely used by the Chinese due to its properties such as lightness, strength, flexibility, and quick growth. Bamboo forests play a significant role in world geography and are quite large, especially in the region of East Asia. China is one of the countries with the largest bamboo areas in this region. As a natural consequence, bamboo has become an important component of Chinese civilization and has exceeded the limits of being just an agricultural product. Therefore, to not find bamboo-related objects, constructions, descriptions, concepts, images, and works of art in Chinese culture, literature, art, philosophy, and beliefs is practically impossible. The first written sources regarding bamboo started with Chinese fortune-telling inscriptions and have survived to the present day by preserving their existence in the later written forms of the Chinese language. This study examines the place and significance of bamboo in Chinese culture as one of the prominent symbols of Chinese cultural history based on Chinese sources and will trace evidence of the cultural existence of bamboo, especially in daily life, military, art, and Confucian thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1930, the British economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by 2030 people would work only fifteen hours per week and enjoy more free time and leisure, that we would return to "principles of religion and traditional virtue," declaring "love of money morbid, semi-criminal, and semi-pathological," and that "we shall once more value ends above means." But today, we do not see that this prophesy has proven true. Something must have gone wrong. We do not sufficiently know the distinction between needs and wants, absolute values and relative values, what a good life is, and how to live it. In this essay, I will present and discuss ideas from Confucius, Aristotle, Zhuangzi, and the Stoics that I think are deep and meaningful and can help us free ourselves from evolutionary programming and blind belief in economic and technological growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of education to the development of any society cannot be gainsaid. However, decades after the inauguration of Nigeria's National Policy of Education, achieving the required educational goals for the nation's development, has largely, remained a hard sale. In consequence, the country faces alarming rates of social stability and underdevelopment. In the light of the current clamour of tongues and quest for effective ways of achieving more positive outcomes regarding the nation's educational goals, this paper critically interrogates the major challenges to the attainment of these goals. As the way forward, it presents the ideals of Confucius' philosophy of education as a philosophical perspective that could be utilized in transforming Nigeria's education sector towards a more effective attainment of the nation's educational goals. The analytic, critical and prescriptive methods of philosophical research are adopted in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a broad-ranging comparison of practical philosophy in the West and in China with a view to enabling not only better mutual understanding between the two sides but also better self -understanding on each side. Contrary to widespread Western conceptions that Chinese practical philosophy may have contributed some important principles in first-order morality but has contributed little in the area of meta-ethics as compared to the West, it is argued here that Chinese practical philosophy did indeed make important contributions in first-order morality, but that in addition it is generally superior to Western practical philosophy in the area of meta-ethics. There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule on both sides. In the end, therefore, a comparison of the two traditions can contribute not only to a better mutual understanding, but also to a better self-understanding and improvement on each side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China does not have a unified and consistent ethical understanding. Ethics have to be mostly conceived and applied in personal terms. At the negotiation table, parties bring their own moral principles and values from their cultural background, education, and experience. Justice principles anchored in Chinese moral philosophy clearly take precedence over legal justice principles. For a Chinese negotiator, striking a deal is a process of balancing between two contradictory sets of values: Confucius’ notions of rightness, and those of modern distributive (and procedural) justice. Now, distributive justice implies a whole range of criteria, such as rewards according to efforts, merits, and contribution, as well as need. Equality is still not on the Chinese justice agenda. Fairness has to find its own way between guanxi requirements, traditional nepotism, the influence of symbols, propitious numbers, references to ancestors, feng shui, and astrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crisis sense should be generated in the Yin and Zhou Dynasties and be popular in at least in the Spring and Autumn Period. The ancient cultural classics such as The Book cf Songs, The Book cf History, The Book cf Changes and The Book cf Rites Wore Confucius, are all the rational or artistic embodiments of the crisis sense. Confucius reveals the crisis sense in ancient culture and spread it to later generations. In the crisis sense and the spirit of advocating etiquette ( reason) of Chinese culture, the rise and fall of the group' s destiny and the social harmony and order are emphasized. Therefore, its value orientation must be moralism, thus forming its ethic education proposition of cultural development, which constitute a different cultural model from the evolutionism of the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we take Luce Irigaray's idea of fluid feminine subjectivity as productive for the project of rethinking agency in a collaborative feminist-Confucian context. We discuss how diffused agency in the Analects can be used alongside Irigaray's work to critique contemporary notions of atomic agency. Our argument employs the notions of fluidity and agency in Irigaray and the Analects with concentrations on: 1) similarities between Irigaray's "philosophy of breath" and Confucian ritual; 2) parallels between fluid feminine subjectivity and diffused agency; and 3) a shared concern for the ethical life. We thus see how Confucianism can contribute to contemporary feminist discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yansheng Duke is a special title conferred on descendants of Confucius in the Northern Song Dynasty. The title was only a nominal title at first, but after the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, in order to ease ethnic conflicts and develop national culture, Confucius and Confucianism were strongly advocated. The Jin Dynasty introduced the Yansheng Duke conferment system from the Song Dynasty and made Qufu county magistrate as the hereditary official position of title, so that the post and social status of the descendants of Confucius had been unprecedentedly improved, and also laid the foundation for the later regimes to continue to enhance the identity and status of the title. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the issue of life and its meaning in the context of the cultural, historical and philosophical worldview of the peoples of the East. Thoughts about this influence the behavior of these peoples and their worldview. In particular, this confirms the fact that the collective consciousness is always relevant among the peoples of the East. Despite some differences between these views, there is much in common that unites them. In the article, we tried to identify these differences and similarities through comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image of Confucius as a teacher has attracted the attention of people throughout the ages. Historically, based on different value standpoints, people have created a variety of images of Confucius, some of which are arbitrary constructions or even distortions of the image of Confucius. In order to set things right and find the original image of Confucius, we can resort to the text, based on the context of The Analects, explore the common memory of the image of Confucius as a teacher in the eyes of Confucius's disciples, and then outline the demeanor of Confucius who is insatiable in learning and tireless in teaching, the teacher's temperament of carefreeness and righteousness and the teacher's feelings of being benevolent by learning and becoming officials by learning. To be honest, returning to the original intuitive context of The Analects, grasping the collective portraits of Confucius's disciples and taking the images of the teacher constructed by people in different ages and Confucius's disciples into consideration can be regarded as a basic principle in the process of the evolution of the image of Confucius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human position in society was one of the critical topics that attracted philosophers' attention in ancient China. Confucianism had systematic views on the human's role and position in social stabilization. The article aims to analyze the essential characteristics of the viewpoint on humans in Confucianism's philosophy before the Qin dynasty, such as the unity between politics and morality, the humanity in the promotion of moral rule, human civilization. These views still have influences on upholding culture as the spiritual foundation of today's Vietnamese society. This study used a qualitative research methodology through deriving from the literature and examinations of secondary resources to find out these influences. Research results show that Vietnam today is taking the people's legitimate interests and aspirations as a premise for building national solidarity, developing education and training for the development of the knowledge economy, and a lesson about focusing on people's livelihood. Although there are limitations of the times, such as discrimination of caste and status, fate, and human nature are subject to a priori idealism, the philosophy of Confucianism still has specific Vietnamese values in the current society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing a research gap on the relationship between mindfulness and morality, this paper draws insights from Confucius' notion of jing. I explain how jing essentially refers to maintaining a full, respectful and humanity-centred attention towards others. To illustrate the application of Confucius' conception of mindfulness, I use the current coronavirus pandemic as an example. On the one hand, mindfulness is useful as a coping mechanism to reduce stress for individuals during the crisis. But an amoral and atomistic approach to mindfulness is inadequate in addressing social problems such as selfishness that stems from panic buying and community infection caused by inconsiderate behaviours. In this regard, Confucius' concept of respectful attention has the potential to motivate everyone to go beyond self-interest to demonstrate deference, empathy and love towards others. A Confucian orientation of mindfulness extends the existing literature on the ethical foundations and dimensions of mindfulness for educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has recently been argued that in Analects 17.21, Confucius advises a disciple to do something that he, Confucius, believes to be morally wrong. According to Frederick Choo, despite believing that it is morally wrong to not properly observe the three-year mourning ritual for a deceased parent, Confucius tells Zai Wo that he should do so. Choo offers two justifications for Confucius's doing this. In this essay, I argue that the justifications Choo offers for Confucius's advising Zai Wo to do what he believes to be morally wrong are untenable. Indeed, I argue that Confucius does not, in fact, advise Zai Wo to do what he believes to be morally wrong. Instead, I argue that Confucius's advice to Zai Wo in Analects 17.21 is best understood as an expression of exasperation and sarcasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I draw upon Ellen J. Langer's notions of mindlessness and mindfulness to identify and delineate Confucius' views on mindfulness. Langer's theory exemplifies a social-cognitive approach to mindfulness which is a prominent orientation in the extant research. I argue that Confucius, like Langer, rejects mindlessness that is characterised by an over-reliance on automatic responses based on past knowledge and experiences. Furthermore, Confucius supports Langerian mindfulness by underlining the importance of a flexible mindset that is demonstrated through making novel distinctions, appreciating new perspectives and being sensitive to the context. But Confucius' formulation of mindfulness goes beyond Langer's by advocating the setting of one's heart-mind on learning and the application of virtues. A Confucian interpretation of mindfulness debunks an East-West dichotomy on mindfulness and illustrates the harmonisation of the cognitive, affective, moral and social dimensions of mindfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many modern scholars understand Confucianism and the Analects to a philosophy of State and societal order that includes personal attention to rituals of propriety and bearing. The question whether Confucianism is religion or philosophy is a byproduct of the Western Enlightenment, or Cartesian thinking lacking, historical embeddedness. Confucianism, therefore, is thought by many to have been a secular formula for statecraft, grounded in Confucius's spurning the overtly religious in favor of a this-worldly policy platform, which gestured respectfully, but perfunctorily, toward Heaven, while focusing efforts on cultivating the ideal citizen on earth. Coupled with the historical, textual, and archaeological record of ancient and classical China, recent scholarship provides evidence that calls this view into question. This chapter follows the lead of new scholarship to view the Confucian junzi (gentleman) as an exemplary synthesis of the great idea of religion and freedom. It defends the claim that Confucius considered freedom to be greatness in concert with Heaven and that the ideal of greatness in concert with Heaven is the great idea of religion and freedom in classical Chinese history and thought and as understood by Mortimer J. Adler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching and learning of foreign languages in China do not escape the influences of the traditional Confucianist system. To study this phenomenon, it is necessary to distinguish between Confucian philosophy and Confucianism in order to identify the cultural substrate that prevents the teaching system from adopting an open attitude to the communicative approach. This article shows the originality of Confucian philosophy and the keys that lead to the reinterpretation of certain limitations and induce the exploration of cultural aspects that do not conflict with the foundations of communicative teaching. The objective is to analyze the primordial elements of Confucian philosophy, its deviations and the guidelines of a communicative teaching established in the higher courses for the teaching of Spanish in the Republic of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the formation of utopian thought in the history of ancient China. The chronological framework of the topic covers the period of the Eastern Zhou era (770 - 256 BC). The historical preconditions for the emergence of utopia and its features are revealed. Emphasis is placed on the affinity of utopian thought of the region with the ethical and philosophical currents of the time, the peculiarities of worldview. The author draws attention to the relevance of this topic, which is explained by the existing debate in modern humanities about the existence of utopia and utopianism in ancient China. The idea of the presence of certain elements of utopian thought, starting with Confucius and Mo-Tzu, whose works later became the basis for the development of utopia in the future. The methodological basis of the work revealed the main roots of the utopian ideal, to substantiate the characteristics of utopia in line with socio-political thought China. Generic signs of utopia were revealed. It is shown that these features are the product of a socio-political crisis (the fragmentation of the state into warring kingdoms, social contradictions of property and legal nature between social strata). Hence the idea of the "golden age" as an idealized past, the opposite of the real (modern) rolling situation. Weak political power causes the emergence in utopia of the image of a strong wise (and perfectly wise) ruler, who is helped to rule by wise and pious people. In support of this, the article quotes Mo-Tzu, who assesses reality with a degree of pessimism and, putting forward an altruistic idea of universal love, does not believe in its realization. As a result, among the typological features of utopian thought in ancient China are criticism, idealization of the "ideal" past, compensatory (utopia inspires hope) and timeless (ukhronia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper specifically deals with the relation between respect and li禮in the Confucian context. Li has both negative and positive sources. On the positive level, ritual propriety enables one to express internal moral and religious feelings, especially respect, reverence and humility. Furthermore, this work investigates into the relevant feelings and acts of respect and ritual propriety, as well as meaningful critiques of ritual, in an attempt to clarify the genuine expression of ritual propriety that helps to actualize human inner moral and religious approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally responsive evaluation contests that Western-derived evaluation methods represent a universal truth and promotes approaches that reflect the local context. Taking this approach, we examine how the method of contribution analysis may be modified to reflect a different worldview. We reframe contribution analysis using a Confucian lens as Confucianism represents a value system that is still integral to the way societies operate in several East and Southeast Asian countries today. First, we unpack the theory behind contribution analysis and how it is applied by Western evaluators then compare this with aspects of Confucianism. We then examine how the application of contribution analysis might be modified to take into account a Confucian worldview. Finally, we discuss how, in a world of globalized, complex societies, this approach could be used by evaluators to adapt evaluation methods to be congruent with the worldviews in the local context where an evaluation is occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese civilization, despite having experienced many historical shocks, shows consistency in its sociocultural institutions and adherence to traditional values which were formed in ancient times. Many experts claim the Chinese people's deep knowledge and respect for their history is one of the reasons for China's cultural consistency. The worship of antiquity is one of the important characteristics traced in many spheres of Chinese history. In this paper, we will elaborate on the issue of the basis for the emergence of this worship. The studied phenomenon arose during the Zhou period and was strengthened by Confucius and his disciples. Since then, antiquity worship hasn't been revised by society. The formation of antiquity worship in traditional China went gradually, and a total reshaping of Ancient China's spiritual life was needed for that. In this research, we will try to find out how this worship came to be. Such analysis is not only interesting for the studies of Chinese civilization but also for the research of the specifics of the Middle Kingdom's spiritual culture. The analysis of cultural specifics of China must help uncover the mechanisms of this civilization's consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confucius and Aristotle both put a primacy on the task of ethical self-cultivation. Unlike Aristotle, who emphasizes the instrumental value of legal punishment for cultivation's sake, Confucius raises worries about the practice of punishment. Punishment, and the threat of punishment, Confucius suggests, actually threatens to warp human motivation and impede our ethical development. In this paper, I examine Confucius' worries about legal punishment, and consider how a dialogue on punishment between Confucius and Aristotle might proceed. I explore how far apart these thinkers actually stand, and examine the possibilities for a rapprochement between them. Doing so brings to light the self-cultivation perspective's range of resources for thinking about punishment's justification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]