Modernization of Chinese philosophical methodology : Zhang Dainianʼs innovation and the challenges of neo-materialism

Rošker, Jana S. (author)

The present paper aims to shed light on certain methodological challenges that Chinese intellectuals faced in the process of coming to terms with Marxist thought. Even at the beginning of these processes, i.e., in the first decades of the 20th century, Chinese theorists faced several difficulties regarding the issue of cross-cultural philosophical syntheses. Thus, in their endeavours to adapt Marxism to the specifically Chinese worldview, they sought suitable adaptations of traditional philosophical methodologies that would enable them to fruitfully integrate classical Chinese and modern Marxist discourses. Zhang Dainian 張岱年 (1909–2004) has played a particularly prominent role in this process. Therefore, this paper aims to shed light on his contribution to the establishment of new Chinese and cross-cultural philosophical methodologies. In terms of exploring general philosophical issues, Zhang established a unique philosophical system known as “neo-materialism” in which he attempted to integrate Marxist materialism with some basic approaches of traditional Chinese philosophy. The crucial features that defined this philosophical system were based on his innovative methodology, which is critically presented in this paper.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Zhang Dainian, modernization of Chinese philosophical methodology, Chinese modernization, modern Chinese philosophy, Chinese and intercultural philosophy, modernization of Chinese thought, methodology of Chinese 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. 121-141
• Numbering: Vol. 9 (25), no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-126911
• UDC: 1(510)
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2021.9.2.121-141
• COBISS.SI-ID: 62491651
• Publication date in RUL: 10.05.2021

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: 07.05.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Modernizacija kitajske filozofske metodologije : Zhang Dainianova inovacija in izzivi neomaterializma

Abstract

Pričujoči članek je nastal s ciljem osvetlitve metodoloških izzivov, s katerimi so bili soočeni kitajski izobraženci in izobraženke v procesu sprejemanja marksistične miselnosti. Že na samem začetku teh procesov, tj. v prvih desetletjih 20. stoletja, so bile kitajske teoretičarke in njihovi moški kolegi prisiljeni ukvarjati se z reševanjem problemov v zvezi z medkulturnimi filozofskimi sintezami. Tako so v prizadevanjih po prilagoditvi marksizma specifično kitajskemu videnju sveta iskali primerne načine prilagoditev tradicionalnih filozofskih metodologij, ki bi jim omogočili plodno integracijo klasičnih kitajskih in sodobnih marksističnih diskurzov. Zhang Dainian 張岱年 (1909–2004) je v teh procesih igral še posebej pomembno vlogo. Zaradi tega želi pričujoči sestavek osvetliti njegov prispevek k vzpostavitvi novih kitajskih in medkulturnih filozofskih metodologij. Za reševanje splošnih filozofskih problemov pa je Zhang poleg tega ustvaril enkraten filozofski sistem z imenom »neomaterializem«, s pomočjo katerega je želel marksistični tip materializma povezati z določenimi temeljnimi pristopi tradicionalne kitajske filozofije. Ključne značilnosti, ki so opredeljevale ta filozofski sistem, so temeljile na njegovi inovativni metodologiji, ki jo avtorica v tem prispevku kritično predstavi.

• Keywords: Zhang Dainian, modernizacija filozofske metodologije, modernizacija Kitajske, moderna kitajska filozofija, kitajska in medkulturna filozofija, modernizacija kitajske miselnosti, metodologija kitajske filozofije