Chinese Philosophy in an Era of Globalization

Trenchju

Description

This book treats Chinese philosophy today as a global project, presenting the work of both Chinese and Western philosophers. Providing contemporary considerations of the Chinese philosophical tradition and bringing Chinese philosophy into conversation with Western philosophy, Chinese Philosophy in an Era of Globalization provides a model for collaborative work. Topics covered include value theory, philosophy of religion, human nature, virtue ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of language.

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Philip J. Ivanhoe

Introduction

Part One: Reflecting on Chinese Philosophical Tradition

Axiology in Pre-Modern Chinese Philosophy by Zhang Dainian
Translated by Eric L. Hutton

On the Idea of Axiology in Pre-Modern Chinese Philosophy by Kwong-loi Shun

The Chinese Path to Polytheism by Zhao Dunhua
Translated by Miranda D. Brown

Monotheism in the Philosophy of Religion: A Response to Professor Zhao, by Stephen T. Davis

The Discussion of Mind and Nature in Zhu Xi's Philosophy by Chen Lai
Translated by Robert W. Foster

What Is Living and What Is Dead in the Confucianism of Zhu Xi? by Bryan W. Van Norden

Part Two: Bringing Chinese Philosophy into the Global Discourse

Contrasting Confucian Virtue Ethics and MacIntyre's Aristotelian Virtue Theory by Wan Junren
Translated by Edward Slingerland

Once More on Confucian and Aristotelian Conceptions of the Virtues: A Response to Professor Wan by Alasdair MacIntyre

The Polished Mirror: Reflections on Natural Knowledge of the Way in Zhuangzi and Alvin Plantinga, by Kelly James Clark and Liu Zongkun

Reflections On "The Polished Mirror," by Alvin Plantinga

Heidegger's View of Language and the Lao-Zhuang View of Dao-Language by Zhang Xianglong
Translated by Stephen C. Angle

Speech from Beyond the Reach of Language: A Response to Zhang Xianglong, by Merold Westphal

Contributors

Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie moderne
• Philosophie moderne
• East Asian religions

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791485507
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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C h i n e s e P h i l o s o p h y I n A n E r a o f G l o b i l i z a t i o n

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture Roger T. Ames, editor

C h i n e s e P h i l o s o p h y I n A n E r a o f G l o b i l i z a t i o n

Edited by

R o b i n R . W a n g

S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f N e w Y o r k P r e s s

Published by S U N Y P T A T E N I V E R S I T Y O F E W O R K R E S S A LBANY

© 2004 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other- wise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production, Kelli Williams Marketing Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chinese philosophy in an era of globalization / Robin R. Wang, editor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6005-3 — ISBN 0-7914-6006-1 (pbk.) 1. Philosophy, Chinese. 2. Philosophy, Modern—20th century. I. Wang, Robin R.

B5231.C5134 2004 181'.11—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2004043379

Acknowledgments Foreword by Philip J. Ivanhoe Introduction

Contents

Part One: Reflecting on Chinese Philosophical Tradition Axiology in Pre-Modern Chinese Philosophyby Zhang Dainian Translated by Eric L. Hutton On the Idea of Axiology in Pre-Modern Chinese Philosophyby Kwong-loi Shun The Chinese Path to Polytheismby Zhao Dunhua Translated by Miranda D. Brown Monotheism in the Philosophy of Religion: A Response to Professor Zhao,by Stephen T. Davis The Discussion of Mind and Nature in Zhu Xi’s Philosophyby Chen Lai Translated by Robert W. Foster What Is Living and What Is Dead in the Confucianism of Zhu Xi?by Bryan W. Van Norden

Part Two: Bringing Chinese Philosophy into the Global Discourse Contrasting Confucian Virtue Ethics and MacIntyre’s Aristotelian Virtue Theoryby Wan Junren Translated by Edward Slingerland Once More on Confucian and Aristotelian Conceptions of the Virtues: A Response to Professor Wanby Alasdair MacIntyre

vii xi 1

1

3

37 45

6

9

75

9

9

123

151

v i

C o n t e n t s

The Polished Mirror: Reflections on Natural Knowledge of the Way in Zhuangzi and Alvin Plantinga, by Kelly James Clark and Liu Zongkun Reflections On “The Polished Mirror,”by Alvin Plantinga Heidegger’s View of Language and the Lao-Zhuang View ofDao-Languageby Zhang Xianglong Translated by Stephen C. Angle Speech from Beyond the Reach of Language: A Response to Zhang Xianglong,by Merold Westphal

Contributors Index

163 185

195

215

231 237

C o n t e n t s

Acknowledgments

“The stones from another mountain may provide the best whetstones for polishing one’s own gems.” —The Book of Poetry

vii

This project has been a long and complex journey. It was inspired by the changes that I witnessed in the field of Chinese philosophy during my annual travels to China since 1992. The initial thought was rooted in a few Sino-American philo- sophical conferences held in Peking University. However, bringing that idea to fruition required a very kind collaboration among many friends and colleagues. I particularly wish to thank Stephen Davis, Philip J. Ivanhoe, and Bryan Van Norden, who helped me refine my primary inspiration and offered me many valuable suggestions on the book’s basic dialogical structure and format. The faculty and graduate students at Peking University were also great resources to me; they especially identified representative essays. I am grateful to the Chinese scholars, Zhao Dunhua, Wan Junren, Zhang Xianglong, and Chen Lai, for their enthusiastic participations. Many thanks are also due to Roger Ames for his invaluable support and Paul R. Goldin for his assistance in inviting good trans- lators for the project. Anita Fisher and Nick Pinto have my gratitude for a careful reading of the manuscript. I was also supported by Loyola Marymount University 2000 summer research grant. Special thanks to Dennis McCann for his editorial effort. Finally, I am deeply indebted to all the contributors of this project. Their intellectual sagacity and generous support will always have a spe- cial place in my mind and heart. R.R.W

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Foreword

Whenever we attempt to understand another, we engage in interpretation. When the others we are attempting to understand are expressing complex and subtle philo- sophical ideas, the process of interpretation can be difficult and daunting; when they are speaking or writing in another language and out of a different and only dimly understood tradition, the challenges grow, but so too can the rewards. The epigram for this volume recalls another line from theBook of Poetry, which was quoted by one of Kongzi’s disciples to describe his ongoing struggle to understand and embody the teachings of his own tradition, “Like cutting, like filing; Like grinding, like polishing.” (Analects,1.15) In both passages, the idea is that something beautiful and enduring—the gems that result from the process of dressing jade or other precious stones—requires hard and steady work by well- trained hands. These stones don’t yield their beauty easily; preparing them is a demanding art. The same is true in the case of cross-cultural philosophy. It is a task that requires the hard and steady work of those skilled in the art of philo- sophical interpretation. It presents imposing challenges but can also yield re- markable and distinctive gems of its own. The present volume is an exercise in “cutting, filing, grinding, and polish- ing.” These essays and responses, by prominent representatives of the Chinese and Western philosophical traditions, offer a wealth of insight into important aspects of their respective traditions and into the different styles in which philosophy is pursued in each. These writings also show that there is much more “cutting, filing, grinding, and polishing” to be done before these two traditions can fully benefit from one another. We need much thicker and more nuanced understandings of one another before we can truly appreciate the full richness and subtlety of each other’s views and engage cooperatively in the ongoing task of self-understanding. This volume makes an important contribu- tion toward realizing these worthy goals and illustrates the unique benefits that such work can bring to both East and West. P HILIP J. I VANHOE