The Confucian Conception of Self : Collectivist or Relational?

Moore, Thomas (author)

In this paper, I clarify the Confucian conception of self by distinguishing it from com­mon misrepresentations, most notably its conflation with collectivism, as critiqued by Jana Rošker. These distortions, arguably rooted in the application of inappropriate West­ern frameworks, portray the Confucian self as self-effacing and subordinate to society. Drawing on key sinological and philosophical work, including that of David Hall, Roger Ames, and Jana Rošker, I argue instead that the Confucian self is relational and proces­sual: constituted through one’s roles and relationships, not erased by them. I develop this interpretation in two stages. First, I show through conceptual analysis how the Confucian self integrates individuality and interdependence by situating personhood in a shared awareness of social roles. Second, I analyse the Analects and Mencius to show how the ideal of ren (仁) embodies ethical self-cultivation as a dynamic, ongoing process. I con­clude that the Confucian self is best seen as a shared or social self-consciousness of roles and relations.

• Language: English
• Keywords: comparative philosophy, Confucianism, relational self, Ren (仁), self-cultivation
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 09.01.2026
• Number of pages: Str. 89-102
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178328
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• eISSN: 2350-4226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2026.14.1.89-102
• Publication date in RUL: 23.01.2026

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.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Konfucijansko pojmovanje sebstva : kolektivistično ali relacijsko?

Abstract

V tem članku pojasnjujem konfucijansko pojmovanje sebstva, tako da ga ločujem od pogostih napačnih predstav, predvsem od njegove povezave s kolektivizmom, kot ga kritizira Jana Rošker. Te izkrivljene predstave, ki verjetno izhajajo iz uporabe neus-treznih zahodnih okvirov, konfucijanski jaz prikazujejo kot skromnega in podrejenega družbi. Na podlagi ključnih sinoloških in filozofskih del, med drugim Davida Halla, Rog-erja Amesa in Jane Rošker, trdim, da je konfucijsko sebstvo relacijsko ter procesno: ob-likujejo ga človekova vloga in odnosi, ne pa da bi ga ti izbrisali. To interpretacijo razvi-jam v dveh stopnjah. Najprej s konceptualno analizo pokažem, kako konfucijsko sebstvo združuje individualnost in medsebojno odvisnost, tako da osebnost umesti v skupno zav-est o družbenih vlogah. Nato analiziram deli Analekti in Mencij, da pokažem, kako ideal ren (仁) uteleša etično samokultivacijo kot dinamičen, neprekinjen proces. Sklepam, da je konfucijsko sebstvo najbolje razumeti kot skupno ali družbeno samozavest vlog in odnosov.

• Keywords: primerjalna filozofija, konfucijanstvo, relacijsko sebstvo, ren (仁), samokultivacija