"Continuation of the Interpretation of Classics Today. Issue 23 of Chinese Philosophy"

Author: Editorial Department of Chinese Philosophy
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: The nineteen articles collected in this book offer new interpretations and explanations of traditional Confucian classics from different perspectives; particularly, they provide a systematic overview of the development and evolution of the study of Confucian classics. The book provides detailed elaborations on the orientation and research methods of interpreting Confucian classics.
Regarding the research on the history of Confucian thought in China, no predecessors have undertaken this work. To do it well, it is first necessary to achieve ideological convergence within the research collective. This process of convergence took one or two years, transforming simplistic and emotionally charged perceptions since the "May Fourth Movement" into a more historical and rational understanding. We no longer, like scholars since the "May Fourth Movement," simply label Confucian classics as "feudal dogma" or "feudal dross," but rather view them as a concentrated expression of traditional Chinese values.
Confucian classics played a dominant role in ancient intellectual circles, and it is inconceivable that two thousand years of Chinese civilization could have been led by a negative force. Every nation faces the question of how to understand itself. Where did our nation come from? What is the fundamental spirit of its culture, and what is its future direction? The "Contemporary Interpretations of Confucian Classics" series aims to answer such questions.
Through our research, we have come to recognize that the Six Classics of Confucianism are the source of Chinese culture, reflecting the thoughts of ancient Chinese people on major human concerns such as nature, society, and life. They possess originality in multiple aspects, forming the way the Chinese nation perceives and grasps the world. The history of Chinese thought unfolds through the continuous reinterpretation of original texts. Interpretations of classics in different eras often reveal the institutional and existential anxieties of people as they navigate between the new and the old, the living and the dead. The history of classic interpretation reflects the cultural and intellectual "reform through antiquity" and the process of renewal within a social community.
The editors have laid the foundation for this new discipline of the history of Confucian thought in China. After months of effort and the collaborative work of dozens of Confucian scholars, "Contemporary Interpretations of Confucian Classics" has emerged. This is undoubtedly a new-level history of Confucian classics, avoiding trivial details while providing a clear outline and addressing key issues. This work holds significant meaning for the study of the entire history of Chinese scholarship.