Chinese Intellectual History

Presentation on theme: "Chinese Intellectual History"— Presentation transcript:

1 Chinese Intellectual History
Seminar on Chinese Intellectual History 7. Han Confucianism: Dong Zhongshu and the Remoulding of Confucianism Chun-chieh Huang National Chair Professor National Taiwan University Research Fellow, Academia Sinica

2 I. Lecture Notes:

3 Introduction: Dong Zhongshu 董仲舒 (179-104 B.C.) in historical context
1:1. Dong's Philosophy: "Interaction between Heaven and Man" is the central theme of Han Confucianism — "cosmo-centric philosophy."  Remoulder of Confucianism in Han 1:2. Dong was responsible for the Han Wu-di's decision for exalting Confucianism as state orthodoxy.  He answered the historic question

4 Dong Zhongshu Han Wudi

5 2. Confucianism as Articulated by Dong Zhongshu:
2:1. Dong Zhongshu incorporated the thought of Yin-Yang (陰陽) and Five Agents (Phases) (五 行) into Confucianism, and lay the foundation of Yin-Yang "cosmo-centric philosophy" for Han Confucians.

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8 3. Dong Zhongshu 's Confucianism in Context:
3:1. In Historical Context: ‧The rise of imperial power ‧"double-edged sword" － to uphold the sovereignty "王" － to check the power — "cosmic legitimation"

9 3:2. In Philosophical Context:
Dong spoke of "the correspondence of man and the Numerical categories of Heaven."

10 "In his real character man has both humanity (ren) and greed
"In his real character man has both humanity (ren) and greed. The material forces responsible for both humanity and greed are found in his person. What is called the person is received from Heaven (Tian, Nature). Heaven has its dual operation of yin and yang (passive and active cosmic forces), and the person also has his dual nature of humanity and greed."

11 誠有貪有仁，仁貪之氣兩在於身。身之名取諸天，天兩有陰陽之施，身亦兩有貪仁之性。（《春秋繁露》‧〈深察名號〉第三十五）

12 thesis — ren (benevolence) Yang
 antithesis — greed Ying Realm of "to be" vs. Realm of "ought to be"

13 Way of Heaven becomes a metaphysical law or
empirical fact. It has nothing to do with the problem of value. Man corresponds to Heaven — subject (人應天) | the determined

14 4. Conclusion 4:1. The central issue of Confucian philosophy:
how is morality possible? a) Transformation of self as the basis of transformation of the world b) “psycho-centric” philosophy → “Cosmo- centric” philosophy * Dong Zhongshu’s place in Chinese intellectual history 4:2 The place of man in Han Confucianism

15 II. Assignments:

16 ．Chan, Chapter 14, pp ．陳榮捷，上冊，十四章，頁 ．勞思光，第二冊，第一章（壹、貳、伍）， 頁15-21, 33-41

17 Discussion Questions:
III. Discussion Questions:

18 *1. What are the questions that Han Confucians
encountered in the political context of Han Empire? In what way did Dong Zhongshu resolve it? *2. Was Dong Zhongshu a Confucian? In what sense? And Why?

19 IV. 討論問題

20 董仲舒如何解釋人性（看：陳榮捷，頁367-371）。董仲舒的人性論與告子和孟子有何異同？
董仲舒的「天人相感」「人副天數」（頁 ）思想與先秦儒家孔、孟、荀之天人關係論有何異同？

21 V. 延伸閱讀

22 徐復觀：《兩漢思想史》（臺北：臺灣學生書局，1974）。
日原利國：《漢代思想の硏究》 （東京：研文出版社，1986）。 金谷治：《秦漢思想史研究》 （東京：平樂寺書店，1992年10月再版）。

23 田中麻紗巳：《両漢思想の硏究》（東京：研文出版社，1986）。
金春峰：〈漢代經學與經學哲學確立及其歷史意義〉，收入陳弱水編：《中國史新論：思想史分冊》，頁 。

24 Keyword: “cosmo-centric philosophy” “Man receives mandate from Heaven”

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