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
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 89-102
• Numbering: Vol. 14 (30), 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-187381
• UDC: 1
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2026.14.1.89-102
• COBISS.SI-ID: 290705155
• Publication date in RUL: 10.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies = Azijske študije
• Publisher: 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

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 neustreznih zahodnih okvirov, konfucijanski jaz prikazujejo kot skromnega in podrejenega družbi. Na podlagi ključnih sinoloških in filozofskih del, med drugim Davida Halla, Rogerja Amesa in Jane Rošker, trdim, da je konfucijsko sebstvo relacijsko ter procesno: oblikujejo ga človekova vloga in odnosi, ne pa da bi ga ti izbrisali. To interpretacijo razvijam v dveh stopnjah. Najprej s konceptualno analizo pokažem, kako konfucijansko sebstvo združuje individualnost in medsebojno odvisnost, tako da osebnost umesti v skupno zavest 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 konfucijansko sebstvo najbolje razumeti kot skupno ali družbeno samozavest vlog in odnosov.

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