Rhetorical Hermeneutics: A Structural Analysis of Confucian and Mencian Ethics: A Structural Analysis of Confucian and Mencian Ethics

Author: Li Youyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Distinguishing between Ren Xue (Ren Studies) and Confucianism allows us to separate Confucius's thought from China's two thousand years of Confucian political history. A direct benefit is that traditional Ren Xue and modern "anti-feudalism movements" can coexist compatibly. On one hand, only Ren Xue, not the entirety of traditional Confucianism, has the potential to further engage in China's modernization and global ethics dialogue. On the other hand, in today's world of endless religious conflicts, only non-religious Ren Xue ethics can serve as a "neutral" foundation for dialogue acceptable to all religious traditions. This book contrasts Ren Xue and Confucianism, using the term "Ren Xue" specifically to refer to the ethics of Confucius and Mencius, distinguishing it from ancient Confucian textual studies and Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism. Based on modern theoretical concepts, the book offers entirely new interpretations of the structure, meaning, and function of Ren Xue, aiming to overcome the historically partial understanding of Confucius and Mencius studies, thereby more accurately revealing the texture of original Ren Xue and its historical and modern implications.
Drawing on over 40 years of experience in researching Chinese and Western philosophy and modern Western theory, the author presents an ethical stance in this book that differs epistemologically from the following mainstream Western positions: radical relativism, nihilism, metaphysics, and transcendental belief. The author argues that the experiential rationalism tradition of Ren Xue, formed in Chinese history, has the potential to become one of the universal ethical paradigms for modern humanity after being interpreted through hermeneutic and semiotic methodologies.