Search Results (44)

This paper examines how early Confucianism reinterpreted sacrificial rites and reconstructed the relationship between humans and spirits through the lens of qing (情, sentiment). Traditional scholarship often views the Confucian reinterpretation of sacrifice as a shift from religious belief to a human-centered framework of rationality, morality, and humanism—emphasizing its role in moral education and social governance and thereby marginalizing or even denying the existence of guishen (鬼神, spirits and deities) and the transcendent realm they represent. Although some scholars have emphasized the religious dimensions of Confucianism, few have addressed how Confucians managed to affirm the existence of spirits while simultaneously endowing sacrificial rites with moral and humanistic meaning—that is, how they navigated the inherent tension between the human and the divine realms. Against this background, this study argues that early Confucians neither denied the existence of spirits nor reduced sacrifice to a purely ethical or political instrument. By contrast, they regarded human sentiment as the universal foundation of sacrificial practice and, through a profound and creative transformation, redirected the meaning of sacrifice toward the human world (rendao 人道), thereby establishing a new model of human–divine relations—one that affirms human agency and dignity while preserving the sanctity of the spiritual. Drawing on close readings of classical Confucian texts such as The Analects, The Book of Rites, and Xunzi, this paper identifies three core dimensions of sacrificial sentiment: remembrance, gratitude, and reverence and awe. Together, these sentiments form a relational structure between humans and guishen that enables communication and interaction while maintaining clear boundaries. In this way, Confucian sacrificial rites become a space for emotional expression without degenerating into a “carnival of emotions” or transgressing the proper separation between the human and the divine. Confucian sacrificial thought thus affirms human dignity and moral agency while upholding the transcendence of the sacred. Full article

Peking opera The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan reinterprets Shakespeare’s Hamlet by integrating supernatural elements and traditional rituals from Chinese folk religion. The religious transformation is revealed through the reworking of lines, incorporation of ritual traditions, and portrayal of supernatural figures. The divine entity that is invoked in Hamlet’s prayers (2.2.169, 5.2.316) and Claudius’s repentance (3.3.36–72) is translated as tian 天 (Heaven) in Revenge, thus introducing the concepts of the worship of tian and tianming 天命 (Mandate of Heaven). Revenge also adapts Claudius’s command of “give me some light” (3.2.261) by associating it with ancient exorcisms, thereby dramatizing his attempts to conceal the guilt for regicide. Ophelia’s “maimed rites” (5.1.208) are depicted as a deviation from Confucian funeral rites in Revenge, reflected in the simplified funeral banners and Hamlet’s transgressive mourning. The “sulphurous and tormenting flames” (1.5.3) and the morning cock’s crow (1.2.217) are reinterpreted through the introduction of the judicial system of the underworld. These changes are not merely transitions in performing conventions but reflect the deep connection between folk religion and traditional Chinese theater through these prayers, rituals, and supernatural elements, thus creating a specific theatrical “field” in which Chinese folk religion interacts with Western classics. Full article

Lion Grove was established in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty and is one of the four most famous classical gardens in China. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Although Lion Grove is now regarded as a private garden representing the culture of Confucian scholars, it was originally a Chan Buddhist garden during its inception in the Yuan Dynasty. This study examines the natural landscapes of Lion Grove at its inception, focusing on four main aspects: the philosophy of nature, planning intent, creators, and the philosophical ideas they represent. Key findings include the following: Firstly, Lion Grove’s attitude towards nature is rooted in China’s indigenous culture, making it both a physical expression of Chan philosophy and a space reflecting the scholar–bureaucrats’ vision of an ideal landscape. Secondly, from the perspective of landscape planning, the Lion Grove of the Yuan Dynasty placed greater emphasis on natural elements compared to its modern counterpart, with rock landscapes serving as the core element throughout the garden. Thirdly, hermitic philosophy emerged as a significant cultural theme alongside Chan Buddhism during the Yuan Dynasty. Fourthly, the landscape elements of Lion Grove symbolize Chan Buddhist wisdom and the hermit’s idealism, with poetry playing a key role in conveying these cultural ideals, preserving the site’s early philosophical significance. Full article

Walter Henry Medhurst’s translation of The Shoo King (尚書/書經) represents the first complete English rendering of this classic Chinese text. However, limited attention has been given to how Medhurst navigated the tension between Confucian thought in The Shoo King and his own religious beliefs, as well as his treatment of this tension in comparison to James Legge, Joseph de Prémare, Walter Gorn Old, and his interpretation in contrast to Cai Shen’s annotated edition of The Shoo King. This study adopts a “history of the book” approach to examine how Medhurst, as a Protestant missionary, translated key Confucian anthropocentric concepts, including “Ren” (仁), the Doctrine of Mind-Nature, people-centered governance, and religious ideas related to the divine. Through extensive textual analysis and comparison with other scholars’ translations, this study finds that Medhurst adhered to the principle of textual fidelity, striving to minimize the interference of his religious stance with the original meaning of Confucian philosophy. His translation of terms varied according to the context, especially reflecting the shift in The Shoo King from the idea of “Heaven’s mandate is inviolable” to “Heaven is not trustworthy.” Additionally, he enhanced the communication of the original text’s meanings through paratextual elements such as illustrations and footnotes, while retaining Cai Shen’s historical background interpretations and significantly reducing the philological commentary, presenting a “concise and focused” annotation approach. These findings highlight Medhurst’s unique contribution to the cross-cultural transmission of the Confucian canonical text. Full article

This study explores the contemporary relevance of Confucian educational thought in the context of Vietnam’s ongoing educational reform. It examines how foundational Confucian principles—particularly those related to moral cultivation, pedagogical methods, and the role of the learner—can be adapted to align with modern educational objectives. Employing a qualitative, comparative methodology, the research analyzes classical Confucian texts, historical records, and current Vietnamese education policy documents, alongside Humboldtian liberal ideals. The findings demonstrate that Confucian values such as benevolence (ren), ritual propriety (li), and exemplary moral conduct continue to offer meaningful frameworks for promoting ethical development and civic responsibility. Pedagogical techniques, including heuristic questioning, modeling, and situational teaching, remain relevant to modern goals like critical thinking and learner autonomy. While some critiques highlight limitations in Confucianism’s hierarchical structure or insufficient scientific orientation, this study also incorporates existing research showing that Confucian education—particularly across East Asia—has been positively associated with fostering students’ creativity and critical thinking. This paper distinguishes itself by proposing a hybrid model that critically adapts Confucian pedagogy in conjunction with Humboldtian liberalism to enhance both moral grounding and cognitive autonomy in Vietnamese education. The research concludes that a critically integrative approach can support Vietnam in building a culturally grounded, morally resilient, and globally competitive education system. Full article

This article explores the Confucian Classics as foundational texts of rhetorical theory and literary practice (wen ben yu jing 文本于經) in East Asia, arguing that their scriptural authority derives not only from their moral or philosophical content but also from their exemplary literary form. It addresses a scholarly gap concerning the rhetorical dimensions of these texts, especially as interpreted by premodern intellectuals across China, Korea, and Japan. Drawing on case studies of six influential scholars—Liu Xie and Han Yu from Liang and Tang China, Jeong Dojeon and Seong Hyeon from Joseon Korea, and Fujiwara Seika and Ogyū Sorai from Edō Japan—this study examines how each conceptualized and applied rhetorical principles rooted in the Confucian canon. Methodologically, it combines historical, philological, and comparative analysis of primary sources to trace both shared ideals and divergent approaches in their engagement with the Classics. Findings reveal that while these thinkers uniformly upheld the sacred literary status of the Confucian texts, they varied in rhetorical application, corpus selection, and the social and ethical aims of writing. This study concludes that these transnational rhetorical practices constitute a distinct intellectual trend within the Sinographic Cosmopolis, challenging disciplinary boundaries and reaffirming the central role of literary form in the articulation and transmission of Confucian thought. Full article

Very few people know that there is not even one character of zhen 真 in the Thirteen Classics revered by Confucians. Among the three axiological categories, Confucianism attaches importance to shan 善 (goodness) and mei 美 (beauty), while Daoism highlights zhen. It was Daoism that first put forward zhen as a philosophical concept and discussed it extensively. However, the existing research about it is still insufficient and mingled with misunderstandings. In this article, I will explore its innermost connotations. I will mainly employ methods such as a literature analysis and comparative research in this inquiry. Zhen indicates the existential authenticity of each individual and the whole world. Daoists believe that one will deviate from zhen once he/she yields to su 俗. Su not only refers to sensual desires but includes Confucian moral regulations as well. Only when one has transcended these secular values will it be possible for him/her to become a true person (zhenren 真人). What Confucians are concerned with is shan, and they even want to repress zhen with shan. This is the fundamental reason that they are unwilling to mention zhen. Full article

Private gardens during the Song Dynasty are an important component of classical Chinese garden design. However, existing research predominantly focuses on architectural forms and construction techniques, with insufficient systematic exploration of the overall spatial layout, the typological evolution of garden architecture, and the underlying driving forces behind these changes. Based on the 400 private garden records from the Complete Collection of Song, Song-era notes, poems, and paintings, this study employs methods from cliometrics and iconology to quantitatively analyse historical materials to systematically trace the evolution of spatial layouts, architectural types, architectural construction, and interior furnishings in Song private gardens while delving into the causes of these changes. The findings reveal a significant increase in the application of “elevated and terraced layouts” in Southern Song private gardens. The rise of unique architectural types, such as boat-shaped buildings, academies, and high buildings with a collection of books, is closely tied to the scholar-official culture, advancements in printing technology, the influence of Neo-Confucianism, and government support for private education. Southern Song architectural techniques saw significant advancements in response to climatic changes, featuring diversified roof forms, upturned eaves, detachable doors and windows, and elevated platforms. The invention of modular furniture, such as the Yanji table, exemplifies the ingenuity of Song designers in adapting to shrinking living spaces. This paper is the first to systematically reveal the evolution of private garden architecture in the Song Dynasty, particularly the emergence of unique architectural types. It offers a new perspective for understanding the influences of society, culture, and environment on landscape architecture in the Song Dynasty, providing valuable historical insights for the study of Ming–Qing garden architecture and contemporary landscape design practices. Full article

Although Wang Fuzhi is considered an important summarizer of Song–Ming Neo-Confucianism, his criticism of the traditional relationship between Heaven and human (tian ren guan xi 天人关系), especially the ensuing religious implications, has not been thoroughly examined. This essay aims to illustrate his reconstruction of Confucianism’s Heaven–human relationship and its ideal this-worldly religious way of life. He believed that Confucianism’s theory of human nature was based on the vision of man and that it was wrong to establish a static theory of human nature with the perspective of Heaven. The Heaven–human relationship is similar to that between father and son, which is different in form and separate in essence (xing yi zhi li 形异质离) and can only be balanced in a dynamic relationship. In addition, he pointed out that the traditional static relationship would lead to hypocrisy and asserted that this tendency might destroy this-worldly life of Confucianism. He attempted to integrate the different degrees of understanding of the Heaven–human relationship into a holistic and historical way of life through the Confucian classics. This-worldly life is continually aware of its own ephemerality through the feeling of the Heaven–human relationship as well as the transmission of experience. The historical life of a particular this-worldly religion is thus established. Full article

Cicero’s seminal treatise, De Divinatione, demonstrates a nuanced approach that concurrently affirms and questions the significance and suitableness of divinatory practices. This dialectical perspective finds a parallel when looking at two ancient Confucian scholars, Dong Zhongshu and Xunzi, each of them offering a version of the conundrum highlighted by Cicero’s treatise. A comparative examination of Stoic philosophy, as expounded by Cicero, and of Dong Zhongshu’s The Interactions between Heaven and Humankind underscores the fact that both traditions assert that some form of interconnection between natural and supranatural phenomena is to be found. In parallel the comparison between Cicero and Xunzi (both exponents of classical rationalism) reveals their shared rejection of divinatory speculations, albeit with an acknowledgment of the political and cultural necessity of maintaining and supporting the associated ritualistic practices. Our dual comparison reveals the complex tension that was at play between speculative constructs and practical rationality in the ancient Chinese and Greco-Latin intellectual traditions. Full article

This study focuses on Xizi-belief (惜字信仰) and provides a comparative analysis of the religious philosophies of Tianming (天命) and Tianli (天理), using the Hunan region as a case study. Through anthropological methods and fieldwork, this study explores how Classical Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism shape and guide word-cherishing behaviors based on the conceptual philosophies of Tianming and Tianli. The Tianming conception views characters as revelations of heavenly destiny. Through religious rituals, people cherish words to honor heaven and seek to change their destinies through heavenly forces, reflecting worldly desires and spiritual pursuits and emphasizing heaven with personhood. In contrast, the Tianli conception sees words as carriers of moral and natural laws. Guided by Confucian ethics and the concept of karma and retribution, it influences people’s moral norms and behavioral practices, reflecting the metaphysical moral law of a just and righteous heaven. Both conceptions not only involve the worship and protection of words but also profoundly embody a deep understanding and pursuit of the order of the universe, moral norms, the ethics of life, and the meaning of life. This study reveals three modes of influence: the religious philosophy integration model, the ritual practice model, and the architectural embodiment model. These models emphasize the positive impact of Xizi-belief on ethics and social life, prompting people to demonstrate positive guidance in human behavior through reverence for Tianming (mandate of heaven), adherence to Tianli (principle of heaven), and respect for nature. Under the guidance of classical religious ethical principles, the spread of Xizi-belief and the practice of Xizi religious ceremonies promote the harmonious development of individual virtues and social order, achieving harmony between humans and the universe. Full article

Just war theory, significantly shaped by Christian moral theology, has provided a prominent ethical framework for discussions on the justice of war. Numerous works have been published on classical Chinese counterparts, including passages from the Mengzi, Mozi, Xunzi, and Huangdi Sijing. Although the Zhuangzi frequently discusses warfare, it has been largely overlooked in this field of research because its war ethics do not revolve around any concept similar to that of justice. Based on Zhuangzian critiques of Confucian and Mohist views on justice, this paper tentatively reconstructs Zhuangzian war ethics. This reconstruction reveals a perspective that the concept of just war or justified war is inherently problematic, and promoting such ideas can be perilous and even morally questionable. The belief that just war theory can help us identify a “just side” to morally condemn or legally restrain aggressors is a dangerous illusion. In practice, this approach fails to prevent wars and often exacerbates conflict. According to the Zhuangzian perspective, during wars, states do not operate as traditional political entities with universal jurisdiction and centralized authority. Instead, they resemble rivers and lakes with indistinct boundaries, rendering the concepts of justice and punishment largely irrelevant. A practical peace strategy, therefore, must abandon the pursuit of administering justice and punishing wrongdoers. Instead, it should focus on strategies that facilitate the involved parties to “forget” their grudges and start their peaceful relationship anew. Full article

By examining the evolution of pre-Qin Confucian thought on the Heaven–human relationship, and a new interpretive perspective can be applied to understanding ethical relations within pre-Qin Confucianism. In the pre-Classical period, the absence of scientific explanations for human origins shrouded these origins in mysticism, leading to practices such as totem worship, ancestor worship, and the worship of Heaven. However, through continuous exploration of the Heaven–human relationship, pre-Qin Confucians began to liberate human rights from divine authority, highlighting a profound sense of humanism. In light of this transformation, this paper aims to address three key questions: first, what distinctions did pre-Qin Confucians draw between humans and animals, and how did they emphasize individual human value? Second, how did pre-Qin Confucians transform ancestor worship through the traditions of Li and Yue? Third, how did the focus of pre-Qin Confucians shift from Heaven back to humanity? These three research areas are crucial for analyzing how the ethical relations of pre-Qin Confucianism closely integrated with political order. This exploration not only illuminates the philosophical evolution of the period but also offers a deeper understanding of how early Confucianism laid the groundwork for the interplay between personal value and societal responsibilities. Full article

From the late 17th to the early 18th century, Europe witnessed various intellectual debates, and it undeniably received help from places outside Europe such as China. When Chinese history, culture and thought, especially the Confucian classics translated into Latin, were introduced to Europe, they provided resources for comparison and reference for Europe’s ideological crisis. Confucius ou la Science des Princes, the Confucian classic translated by François Bernier, is a typical example. From the perspective of the cross-cultural history of ideas, after carefully analyzing the terminology used in Bernier’s translation and his understanding of Confucius’s thought, this paper will show that Bernier accepted, through the Jesuit translation, the non-religious dimension of politics and ethics in Confucianism, but unlike the Jesuits, he did not see Confucianism as needing Christianity; on the contrary, he believed that politics and ethics could be based on a purely secular philosophy. Based on his secular understanding of Confucius’s thought, Bernier reconstructed Confucius’s texts as a manual to teach European princes, regarding the prince’s virtue, reason and benevolence as the foundation of a country’s good government. Full article

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. Full article