Confucian humanism and the importance of female education : the controversial role of Ban Zhao

Rošker, Jana S. (author)

The problem of the relation between the female gender and Confucian humanism is far more complex than it seems to be on the first glance. Especially if we consider the many misogynistic phenomena we can encounter in the course of Chinese history, such as foot-binding or the concubinage, we might be inclined to think that female philosophy was impossible in traditional China. This paper aims to challenge the standard views on this problem. It aims to shed some light on the fact that in this context we have to differentiate between classical teachings that were relatively egalitarian in nature, and later ideologies that more or less openly promoted the inferior position of women in society. The paper will analyse the work of the female Han dynasty scholar Ban Zhao (45–117 CE), who was the first well-known female thinker in the history of Chinese philosophy. Through this analysis, the author also aims to expose the contradiction between dominant conventions on the one hand, and latent, often hidden criticism of gender relations in female writings of traditional China on the other. In this way, the paper aims to promote a more culturally sensitive approach to the historical and conceptual study of gender discourses in China by connecting textual analyses with actual and comprehensive knowledge of the historical and social contexts in which they were placed.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Chinese gender studies, Chinese philosophy, Chinese history, Ban Zhao, women in Chinese history, Confucian humanism, female philosophy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 13-29
• Numbering: Vol. 9 (25), no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-124699
• UDC: 1(510)
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2021.9.1.13-29
• COBISS.SI-ID: 46461443
• Publication date in RUL: 10.02.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.
• Licensing start date: 08.01.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Konfucijanski humanizem in pomen izobraževanja žensk : kontroverzna vloga Ban Zhao

Abstract

Problem odnosa med ženskim spolom in konfucijanskim humanizmom je veliko kompleksnejši, kot se zdi na prvi pogled. Če upoštevamo številne ženskomrzne pojave, s katerimi nas sooča kitajska zgodovina in h katerim sodita, denimo, povezovanje stopal ali konkubinat, bi lahko dobili vtis, da ženska filozofija v kitajski tradiciji ni mogla obstajati. Pričujoči članek prevprašuje takšno uveljavljeno stališče. Opozarja, da je treba tudi v tem pogledu razlikovati med egalitarnostjo izvornega konfucijanskega nauka in poznejšimi konfucianističnimi ideologijami, ki so odkrito zagovarjale manjvrednost žensk. Avtorica analizira delo učenjakinje Ban Zhao (45–117 n. št.) iz obdobja dinastije Han, ki je znana kot prva mislica v zgodovini kitajske filozofije. S to analizo želi med drugim opozoriti na protislovje med prevladujočimi konvencijami na eni strani ter na latentne in pogosto prikrite kritike spolnih razmerij pri ženskih delih na drugi. Namen članka je spodbujanje kulturno bolj rahločutnih pristopov k zgodovinskim in vsebinskim študijam spolnih diskurzov na Kitajskem s pomočjo besedilne analize ter aktualnih in celovitih znanj in družbenih kontekstov, v katere so ti umeščeni.

• Keywords: kitajska filozofija, kitajska zgodovina, kitajske študije spolov, Ban Zhao, ženske v kitajski zgodovini, konfucijanski humanizem, ženska filozofija