From Humanized Nature to Naturalized Humans―Li Zehou’s Transformation of the Classical Chinese “ Tianren Heyi ” Paradigm Through the Lens of Kant and Early Marx

Abstract

Li Zehou belongs among the ranks of the most important Chinese philosophers of the 20 th and 21 st centuries. In his complex theoretical system, he aimed to reconcile the Chinese cultural heritage with the demands of the contemporary world. Besides elaborating on traditional Chinese philosophy, Li launched many innovative views based on his understanding of specific developments in pre-modern and modern Western philosophy. His philosophy could be described as the search for a synthesis between Western and traditional Chinese thought and a specifically Chinese modernization. In order to provide a basic insight into Li’s specific methods of combining Kant, early Marx and classical Chinese philosophy, the present article investigates his elaboration of the traditional Chinese paradigm of “the unity of nature and man” ( tianren heyi 天人合一) through the lens of ideas about humanized nature ( renhua de ziran 人 化的自然) and naturalized humans ( ziranhua de ren 自然化的人).