Ricardian Hermeneutics (Analysis of the Structure of Confucian and Mencian Ethics)

Author: Li Youzhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Distinguishing benevolence from Confucianism allows us to separate Confucius's thought from two thousand years of Confucian political history in China. A direct benefit is that traditional benevolence and modern "anti-feudalism movements" can coexist compatibly. On one hand, only benevolence, not the entirety of traditional Confucianism, has the potential to further participate in China's modernization and global ethics dialogue. On the other hand, in today's world of constant religious strife, only non-religious benevolent ethics can serve as a "neutral" foundation for dialogue that all belief traditions might accept. This book contrasts benevolence with Confucianism, using the term "benevolence" 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 a fresh interpretation of the structure, meaning, and function of benevolence, aiming to overcome the one-sided understanding of Confucius and Mencius studies and more accurately reveal the texture of original benevolence 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 benevolence formed in Chinese history, after being interpreted through hermeneutic and semiotic methodologies, has the potential to become one of the universal ethical paradigms for modern humanity.