From Jiao You Lun to Qiu You Pian: Jesuits’ Discussion on Friendship and A Comparative Study with Traditional Chinese Theories

Abstract

This article makes an analysis of Matteo Ricci’s Jiao You Lun (On Friendship) and Martino Martini’s Qiu You Pian (On Making Friends) starting from the theory of the interaction and communication framework of contact between cultures. The analysis shows that Ricci’s text has a characteristic of convergence and integration of Sino-West traditions which paves the way for culture creation; while Martini introduces the concept of “love” --- the core concept of the Christian doctrines, makes a distinction between Confucian and Christian treatment on disputes, and clarifies the strategy of complementing Confucianism with Christianity. Their introduction of the western theories on friendship is a catalyst which accelerates the modernization of the concept of human relationships among the Chinese literati in late Ming early Qing China.