Chinese ethics study

Author: Chai Wenhua, Sun Chao, et al
Author Country: China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The term "ren lun" (human ethics) in this book specifically refers to "philosophy of man" or "moral philosophy." Chinese moral philosophy originated during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, developed through the Spring and Autumn period to the Tang Dynasty, and reached its zenith in the Song and Ming dynasties, forming a complete system. This book argues from this perspective, systematically analyzing the entire Chinese theory of human ethics. It also employs many modern philosophical concepts, offering insightful perspectives.
Author's Preface: The term "ren lun" in this book specifically refers to "philosophy of man" and "moral philosophy." "Man" is a mystery, a string of unresolved questions. Because the world of humans is both fascinating and frustrating. The world of humans is both a factual realm and a realm of values and emotions. The factual realm is a quantifiable world, while the value realm and the emotional realm cannot be fully translated into a computer's symbolic system. Therefore, even though we have reached the level of understanding the human genome, "what we have known is but a small fraction of what remains unknown." The non-omnipotence of human cognitive ability does not hinder its progress. Although humans are confused by themselves, they are also deeply interested in themselves, leading to the long-standing study of humanology or anthropology. "Humanology," by its very name, is the theory or doctrine about humans. However, due to differences in perspective and research objects, humanology can be divided into categories. The author attempts to categorize it into two major types: one is "human science," also known as "scientific anthropology" or "concrete anthropology," which emphasizes empirical methods to quantitatively study the material world of humans, including archaeological anthropology, ethnological anthropology, biological anthropology, economic anthropology, psychological anthropology, urban anthropology, physical anthropology, medical anthropology, and so on. The other is "philosophy of man" (a concept the author frequently uses in recent years, as seen in works such as "On Chai Wenhua's Theory of Human Ethics" in the Journal of the History of Chinese Philosophy (2001, Issue 2) and "On Liang Shuming's Philosophy of Man" in the Philosophical Researches (2001, Issue 10)). It is a concept of the same level as "philosophical anthropology" in contemporary Western philosophy, sharing similar or interchangeable meanings. It focuses on using a combination of empirical and speculative methods to engage in pure thought about the metaphysical aspects of humans, forming a conceptual system that reflects and constructs the ontological structure of humans. The objects encompassed by philosophy of man are multifaceted, such as: the factual ontology of existence, which highlights the essential characteristics of humans in the "distinction between humans and animals"; the value ontology of existence, which presents the ideal state of existence from the perspective of "ought," referred to by ancient Chinese as "ren ji" (the highest standard of being human); and the paths to achieving this ideal state, which may be external, internal, or a combination of both, and so on. It should be noted that factual ontology and value ontology are difficult to completely separate, and their logical distinction does not hinder their harmonious integration. Chinese philosophy is primarily a traditional humanistic philosophy ("humanism" has specific connotations in certain contexts, but its meaning can be converted. Generally speaking, humanism refers to a doctrine system centered on humans. Western humanism from the Renaissance to existentialism emphasizes the individual, based on an individualistic foundation; Chinese humanism from the pre-Qin to the Ming and Qing dynasties emphasizes the collective, based on a collectivistic foundation). It takes humans as the starting point, multi-dimensional relationships radiating from humans as its specific object, human morality and the way of life as its purpose, and heaven and the way of heaven as its means. It has proposed various types of theories of humanology or philosophical anthropology, such as moral anthropology, free anthropology, theological anthropology, natural anthropology, and so on. "Lun" refers to "human ethics," meaning the behavioral norms of people. Duan Yucai's annotation on the Shuowen Jiezi states: "Lun is the way and the principle. Broadly speaking, it is the way; specifically, it is the principle." In the Mencius·Kongzi (Book of Filial Piety, Part 1): "Let Qi be the Minister of Education and teach human ethics: father and son should have affection, ruler and subject should have righteousness, husband and wife should have distinction, the young and the old should have order, and friends should have trustworthiness." Therefore, "lun" is closely related to moral philosophy. Moral philosophy and ethics are interchangeable concepts, referring to the doctrine system concerning moral issues. It encompasses a wide range of content, including commonly recognized moral principles, moral norms, moral education, and moral cultivation. It must be acknowledged that one of the characteristics of traditional Chinese thought and culture is its "practical rationality." Although elements similar to Western "pure philosophy" have not been fully developed, it possesses a rich moral philosophy or ethical heritage. As the earliest recorded moral philosophy in China originated during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it developed through the Spring and Autumn period to the Tang Dynasty, reaching its full glory in the Song and Ming dynasties, forming a complete system with a dynamic interplay between the center and the periphery, orthodoxy and heterodoxy (such as moral self-awareness and moral self-motivation, rationalism and sentimentalism, collectivism and individualism, coexistence and harmony). This system provides important moral philosophical resources for the construction of our contemporary thought and culture. Despite the historical and theoretical limitations of Chinese human ethics, as long as we can "immerse ourselves within it" while also "stepping outside of it," and engage in thorough refinement, we may be able to savor the richness of aged wine and gain nourishment beneficial to life.