Feng Youlan’s Interpretation of Western Philosophy:A Critical Examination from the Perspective of Metaphysical Methodology

Derong Chen

doi:10.16995/ane.139

Abstract

The paper aims to display a limited observation of Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy through the window of metaphysical methodology. This paper concentrates on Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy from the perspective of metaphysical methodology and aims to display a limited observation of Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy through the window of metaphysical methodology. Based on a brief review the recent studies of Feng Youlan and Western philosophy, this paper analyzes the progress and insufficient aspects in current studies on this issue and particularly clarifies what are the metaphysics and metaphysical methods in the context of Feng Youlan’s philosophy. In clarifying Feng’s interpretation of Western philosophy from the perspective of methodology, this paper further critically analyzes the Feng’s positive metaphysical methods and negative metaphysical methods, and assumes that Feng’s negative metaphysical methods essentially is a kind of attitudes towards metaphysics but neither a kind of metaphysics nor a kind of metaphysical methods. Instead of characterizing metaphysical methods as positive and negative as Feng did, this paper suggests an alternative division of metaphysical methods: direct and indirect methods of dealing with metaphysical issues.

Highlights

Based on a brief review of the recent studies of Feng Youlan and Western philosophy, this paper analyzes the progress and insufficient aspects in current studies on this issue and clarifies what are the metaphysics and metaphysical methods in the context of Feng Youlan’s philosophy
His research concentrated on three aspects: a comparative study of Chinese and Western philosophies of human life, which is represented by his book A Comparative Study of Life Ideals; a critical examination of the metaphysical methods in Western philosophy, represented in his work New Treatise on the Methodology of Metaphysics; and his original efforts in employing Western philosophical methods and ideas to construct a new philosophical doctrine of Li, which can be seen across a variety of his writings, especially his New Metaphysics of Li (New Lixue)
7 4 | Fe n g You l a n ’ s In t e rpretat i on of We st e rn Philos oph y section of this paper briefly reviews the recent studies of Feng Youlan and Western philosophy in order to demonstrate that the topic has not yet been sufficiently studied

Summary

Introduction

Based on a brief review of the recent studies of Feng Youlan and Western philosophy, this paper analyzes the progress and insufficient aspects in current studies on this issue and clarifies what are the metaphysics and metaphysical methods in the context of Feng Youlan’s philosophy. Li’s work provided a wider background for the study of Feng and Western philosophy, including the study of Feng’s views on metaphysical methods that this paper deals with.

Results

Conclusion