The debate at the spring of heaven : Neo-Confucian epistemology and some forgotten foundations of Chinese humanism

Rošker, Jana S. (author)

Qian Dehong (1496–1574) and Wang Ji (1498–1583), the two best known disciples of Wang Yangming's (1472–1529) School of Heart-Mind, represent two fundamental currents in the later Neo-Confucian epistemology. The present article follows the well-known assumption that two similar currents could also be observed in the parallel development of the Chan—Buddhist theories of perception or, theosophically speaking, in their teachings of salvation. This similarity is not accidental, for it is known that the teachings of the School of Heart-Mind—at least in part—were based on certain crucial paradigms of Buddhist philosophy, especially with regard to their theories of perception. However, these elements were integrated in a very latent and indirect way into the Neo-Confucian teachings, because the main focus of Qian and Wang's efforts was to establish a new view of man and their methods of gaining knowledge. These theoretical endeavors can be seen as a shift in the late Neo-Confucian perception of humanity, which could have led to more autochthonous forms of a specifically Chinese enlightenment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Neo-Confucian epistemeology, Chinese humanism, School of the Heart-Mind, innate knowledge, exploration of things
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Author Accepted Manuscript
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 455–466
• Numbering: Vol. 7, iss. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-124691
• UDC: 1
• ISSN on article: 2197-4241
• DOI: 10.1007/s40636-020-00203-z
• COBISS.SI-ID: 38260995
• Publication date in RUL: 10.02.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International communication of Chinese culture
• Shortened title: Int. commun. Chin. cult.
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 2197-4241
• COBISS.SI-ID: 58159458

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: neokonfucijanstvo, epistemologija, kitajski humanizem, šola srčne zavesti, praznanje, raziskovanje stvari

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P6-0243
• Name: Azijski jeziki in kulture

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: N6-0161
• Name: Humanizem v medkulturni perspektivi: Evropa in Kitajska