Vital breath and the order of existence : sublating the Chinese binary category of Li and Qi

Rošker, Jana S. (author)

This chapter explores the concept of breath (Qi 氣) in Chinese philosophy, emphasizing its intrinsic link to the relational order of the cosmos (Li 理). In this context, breath serves as a metaphor for the vital force Qi, the energy that animates all living beings. The concept of Qi transcends the physical act of breathing, representing an invisible yet pervasive energy that flows through all existence and connects individuals to the universe. The rhythmic pulsation of Qi, embodying both breath and vital energy, mirrors the natural cycles of existence— day and night, the seasons, and the interplay of life and death. However, Qi does not exist in isolation but is intimately tied to Li, the structural principle that governs and patterns the universe. In ancient Chinese philosophy, Qi initially referred to a standalone concept, denoting vapor, air, and the universal breath that sustains and permeates all forms of organic existence. Over time, it gradually became part of a binary conceptual pair as Chinese thought deepened its focus on the dynamic interaction between breath and body, substantiality and pattern, energy and structure. This shift affirmed that the vitality of breath (Qi) and cosmic order (Li) are mutually dependent and inseparable in the continuous unfolding of existence. 2 J. S. Rošker Just as human breath cannot manifest without the lungs to give it form and direction, Qi requires Li to shape its flow and coherence. By applying the so-called method of (post)comparative philosophical sublation, this chapter will illuminate the dialectical model of correlative complementarity, which underlies the integration of both concepts, revealing their tight interconnection and mutual interdependence.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Vital breath, Structure of existence, Cosmic pattern, Li, Qi, Sublation
• Typology: 1.16 - Independent Scientific Component Part or a Chapter in a Monograph
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Author Accepted Manuscript
• Publication date: 07.01.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 1-19
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177965
• UDC: 1
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-75780-8_43-1
• COBISS.SI-ID: 264663299
• Publication date in RUL: 14.01.2026

Record is a part of a monograph

• Title: Handbook of critical respiratory studies : breath and air in humanities and social sciences
• Editors: Magdalena Górska, Lenart Škof
• Place of publishing: [S. l.]
• Publisher: Springer Cham
• ISBN: 978-3-031-75780-8
• COBISS.SI-ID: 264320003
• Collection title: Handbooks in philosophy (Online)
• Collection ISSN: 2524-437X

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: vitalni dih, struktura bivanja, kozmični vzorec, Li, Qi, sublacija

Projects

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

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J6-50208
• Name: Novi teoretski pristopi k primerjalni transkulturni filozofiji in metoda sublacije