China as Method: Methodological Implications of François Jullien’s Philosophical Detour through China

Abstract

François Jullien’s theoretical construction of China as a “philosophical tool” signifies an important methodology, namely presenting China not as an object of study, but as a method of reflection. By advocating a strategy of “detour and access,” he proposes to (re)interrogate the European culture and tradition from China, perceived as the “outside,” to unveil the “unthought-of” of Europe. In this sense, Jullien’s approach has pushed China studies out of a marginalized field to the foreground of more general philosophical debates, and yields methodological implications for not only studying China but also theoretical inquiries in general. From an “object” to a “method,” this shifted role of China suggests reversing the Eurocentric theoretical and epistemological framework, leading to the construction of a transcultural research paradigm based upon cultural pluralism and communicability, in which China becomes a nexus of East-West dialogue and a method to understand the world.