Dao-a Journal of Comparative Philosophy, Jul 6, 2020
The thought of K ang Youwei 康有為, who is revered as one of the most important Confucian politician... more The thought of K ang Youwei 康有為, who is revered as one of the most important Confucian politicians of modern China, has received considerable attention in recent decades. While many studies are devoted to Kang’s theory of Confucianism and his political visions underlying the theory, what is generally overlooked is that, to a large extent, his arguments are built upon his understanding of Mohism. This article argues that K ang Youwei employs the Mozi 墨子 and early narratives about Mozi and Mohism to support his claims that Kongzi 孔子 authored the New-Text versions of the Five Classics , that he was a reformer of political institutions, and that he was a religious leader. By shedding light on K ang Youwei’s discussions of Mohism, this article offers a reconstruction of his argument and an alternative perspective for investigating his New-Text interpretation of Confucianism.
Abstract Classical Chinese philosophy has been viewed as a crucial case study concerning the cult... more Abstract Classical Chinese philosophy has been viewed as a crucial case study concerning the cultural relativity of the norm of rationality. As classical Chinese philosophical texts, especially the Zhuangzi, are traditionally interpreted as being full of contradictions or indifferent to propositional coherence, some scholars come to accept the theory that ancient Chinese thinkers did not have rationality or that Chinese philosophy reveals an alternative paradigm of rationality. This chapter, however, argues that the arguments proposed for this theory so far are not methodologically defensible: they depend on the traditional interpretations that attribute contradictions to the Zhuangzi (or other classical philosophical texts) without giving nonquestion-begging justification.
Inspired by Confucianism and contemporary Chinese Confucian culture, Daniel A. Bell and Wang Pei ... more Inspired by Confucianism and contemporary Chinese Confucian culture, Daniel A. Bell and Wang Pei argue that an age-based hierarchy between intimates, meritocracy-based hierarchies between governments and citizens, and reciprocity-based international hierarchies are morally desirable. Without intending to challenge the normative implications of these theses, this article disputes Bell and Wang's Confucian groundwork. First, I argue that their interpretation of Confucian filial piety is problematic and leads to an invalid argument for age-based hierarchies within families. Next, by showing that their ' Confucian arguments' for just hierarchies in domestic and international political organizations resonate with Mohism, I argue that Mohism is a better normative theory for grounding their arguments than Confucianism. Thus, Bell and Wang may want to reconsider whether their arguments are 'Confucian' and whether Confucianism is the only or the most reliable source of traditional Chinese insights for addressing contemporary social-political issues in Chinese terms.
The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist mor... more The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family-oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist e...
The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist mor... more The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family‑oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist passages.
Dao-a Journal of Comparative Philosophy, Jul 6, 2020
The thought of K ang Youwei 康有為, who is revered as one of the most important Confucian politician... more The thought of K ang Youwei 康有為, who is revered as one of the most important Confucian politicians of modern China, has received considerable attention in recent decades. While many studies are devoted to Kang’s theory of Confucianism and his political visions underlying the theory, what is generally overlooked is that, to a large extent, his arguments are built upon his understanding of Mohism. This article argues that K ang Youwei employs the Mozi 墨子 and early narratives about Mozi and Mohism to support his claims that Kongzi 孔子 authored the New-Text versions of the Five Classics , that he was a reformer of political institutions, and that he was a religious leader. By shedding light on K ang Youwei’s discussions of Mohism, this article offers a reconstruction of his argument and an alternative perspective for investigating his New-Text interpretation of Confucianism.
Abstract Classical Chinese philosophy has been viewed as a crucial case study concerning the cult... more Abstract Classical Chinese philosophy has been viewed as a crucial case study concerning the cultural relativity of the norm of rationality. As classical Chinese philosophical texts, especially the Zhuangzi, are traditionally interpreted as being full of contradictions or indifferent to propositional coherence, some scholars come to accept the theory that ancient Chinese thinkers did not have rationality or that Chinese philosophy reveals an alternative paradigm of rationality. This chapter, however, argues that the arguments proposed for this theory so far are not methodologically defensible: they depend on the traditional interpretations that attribute contradictions to the Zhuangzi (or other classical philosophical texts) without giving nonquestion-begging justification.
Inspired by Confucianism and contemporary Chinese Confucian culture, Daniel A. Bell and Wang Pei ... more Inspired by Confucianism and contemporary Chinese Confucian culture, Daniel A. Bell and Wang Pei argue that an age-based hierarchy between intimates, meritocracy-based hierarchies between governments and citizens, and reciprocity-based international hierarchies are morally desirable. Without intending to challenge the normative implications of these theses, this article disputes Bell and Wang's Confucian groundwork. First, I argue that their interpretation of Confucian filial piety is problematic and leads to an invalid argument for age-based hierarchies within families. Next, by showing that their ' Confucian arguments' for just hierarchies in domestic and international political organizations resonate with Mohism, I argue that Mohism is a better normative theory for grounding their arguments than Confucianism. Thus, Bell and Wang may want to reconsider whether their arguments are 'Confucian' and whether Confucianism is the only or the most reliable source of traditional Chinese insights for addressing contemporary social-political issues in Chinese terms.
The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist mor... more The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family-oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist e...
The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist mor... more The popular interpretation holds that Mengzi was strongly critical of Mozi because the Mohist moral theory was antithetical to Confucian relational ethics. According to this interpretation, Mohism promotes the norm of “impartiality” or “impartial care”, which violates the Confucian norms of “filial piety” and “graded love”. Accordingly, Mengzi thought that the Confucian ideal would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family‑oriented values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist passages.
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would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this
dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family‑oriented
values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented
Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing
that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the
relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference
between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist
passages.
would not be realized if Mohism continued to prevail. Scholars have tried to nuance and revise this
dominant interpretation. For example, some have pointed out the importance of family‑oriented
values in Mohist ethical theory, arguing that Mengzi likely misunderstood or purposefully mispresented
Mohism. This article is an initial attempt to modify the popular interpretation by arguing
that the debate between Mengzi and Mohist regarding relational ethics is predominantly about the
relations between states rather than individuals. This interpretation sheds light on a core difference
between Confucian and Mohist ethical theories and can help make better sense of some later Mohist
passages.