An Introduction to
Chinese Philosophy
中国哲学智慧
温海明
Prof. WEN Haiming
Associate Professor, School of Philosophy
Renmin University of China
中国人民大学哲学院副教授
Ph.D. University of Hawaii
夏威夷大学哲学博士
Continuity of heaven (nature) and
human beings 天人合一
Book of Changes (Yijing 易经)
 Ceaseless
movement of the world:
 Chinese starting point is not “cause,”
“creation” or “cosmos”, but that which
exists now 世界，宇宙
 shengsheng生生不已-unceasingly change
 Confucius: “Doesn’t time pass by just like
this, never ceasing day or night!’”
 Laozi-Dao=water
Chinese Metaphysics
Concepts
Qi – life force, life energy (“ultimate”)
 Dao – the “way” of the cosmos, of nature
 Tian - Heaven and Earth (di)
 Yin-Yang – harmony of opposites

 Yin = passive state of energy
 Yang = active state of energy
Four Books
 Confucian
Analects
 The Book of Mencius
 The Great Learning
 Doctrine of the Mean
 Confucianism
is not a religion
 Philosophy and Religion have different
meanings for different people
 Reflective thinking; life as an object
“think our thinking”
We are in the midst of what we talk about
Speak about knowledge, the speaking is
knowledge
 Religion
is philosophy
+ Superstructure
superstitions, dogmas. Rituals, and institutions
Philosophy ≠ Taoism Religion
 Buddhist Philosophy ≠ Buddhist Religion
 Taoism
 Ethics
(mainly Confucian) more important
than religious ideas and activities in China
 Morel, Super Moral|Values
Love of man
Love of God
 Problems
for Western students
Language
Translation is interpretation
Style of expression
Few words: Larger meaning
Aphorisms, Apothegms, allusions, and illustrations
Suggestiveness, not articulateness
Words are for holding ideas, after grasping the idea
words are no longer necessary
 Need
to read the original
 Suggestive writings
Not easily translated
 The
not
original is suggestive, the transition is
Economic Background of
the Chinese people
 Agrarian
society
 Social classes
Land lords/ scholars
Farmers
Artisans
Merchants
 Good
harvest = Good fortune
Value of Agriculture
 Farmers:
childlike and innocent = unselfish
 Farmers can not leave the country when in
danger
Loyal
 Merchants
can and will leave the country
when in danger
Treacherous
This-worldliness and
Other-worldliness
 Confucianism:
philosophy of social
organization and daily life
 Confucius:
names and denoting relationships
This-worldly
 Lao
Tzu:
spontaneity or naturalness
Other worldly
The methodology of
Chinese Philosophy
 Concept
by intuition:
Immediately apprehended
 Concept
by postulation:
Deductive theory
 Being
and limited: distinct
 Non-being and unlimited: indistinct
Mind-self
 Self-cultivation:
Self-other
 Confucianism: mind-intention-family-state
 Daoism: no self, self-so-ing
 Chinese mind: continuity: heaven-human,
mind-world, self-other
 Sense, intuition, enlightenment, bodyknowing
2016/3/16
Prof. Haiming Wen, School of
Philosophy, Renmin University of
16
2016/3/16
Prof. Haiming Wen, School of
Philosophy, Renmin University of
17