Ancient Chinese Thought Research Articles

The Reference and Enlightenment of the Ancient Chinese Thought of “Caring for Children” on Contemporary Criminal Policies for Minors

The Reference and Enlightenment of the Ancient Chinese Thought of “Caring for Children” on Contemporary Criminal Policies for Minors

The Nature of Social Humanistic Thought in Ancient China

Abstract Geographical reality and diverse historical conditions left a significant impact on Chinese agricultural life since its beginning and throughout its later stages of growth. In light of it, intellectual structures were formed in ancient China over many centuries. Led by Confucianism and Daoism, various schools of ancient Chinese thoughts succeeded in forming intellectual foundations in social, humanistic and political dimensions. These thoughts came to express the achievements of Chinese humanistic development, which adheres to the customs, traditions, and virtuous family and community moral principles. Their effects are still evident today in modern Chinese humanistic thought.

From the Castrated Subject to the Human Way: A Lacanian Reinterpretation of Ancient Chinese Thought

Lacan studied ancient Chinese classics assiduously, including Daodejing and Mencius during 1969–73 when his own thought was reaching maturity. Lacan's idiosyncratic interpretation of Mencius is often regarded as a simple misreading. This essay defends Lacan's reading of Mencius by treating it as a psychoanalytic reading. It further develops a reinterpretation of ancient Chinese thought by revisiting primarily two major disputes – Mencius versus Xunzi, Confucianism versus Daoism – through a Lacanian interpretative method. The research findings reveal the possible latent side of ancient Chinese thought that has substantially formed what Lacan called ‘the Chinese unconscious’.

2. Achieving Harmony Through Music: A Comparison Between Ancient Greek and Chinese Thought

Abstract Ancient Greek and Chinese philosophers held music as a fundamental component of education and deemed it effective in guiding students at gaining harmony within themselves and with one another. A quality music education was thus considered relevant in the Bildung of individuals, the preservation of the state, and the maintenance of harmony between heaven and earth. This study makes a comparison between the thought of Plato and his Greek predecessors on one side, and the one of Confucianism on the other, identifying fascinating similarities which offer a source of inspiration to modern educators.

Towards a morally defensible concept of toleration: Insights from ancient Chinese thinking

The diversification of the world has given us the opportunity to live with different people. This kind of diversification brings not only adventure and excitements but also interaction with people and their habits that we do not agree with. In response, toleration has become the common sense of people in modern society. However, what is the meaning of the word toleration? What moral emotions underlie the practice of toleration? This article puts forward a morally defensible concept of toleration inspired by ancient Chinese thinking. I first discuss the etymology of the word toleration from Anglophone and Chinese perspectives, and then analyse three problematical emotional attitudes towards others (disgust, indifference and hunting for novelty) and critique the spirit of exclusion in the dominant Anglophone understanding of toleration. Finally, I analyse a morally defensible concept of toleration based on the ‘the dao of zhong and shu’ (忠恕之道) that also served as the ideal underpinning political unity and appreciation for cultural diversity in ancient China.

To Rejuvenate, China Must Continue Opening Up

New Perspectives QuarterlyVolume 35, Issue 4 p. 17-20 Original Article To Rejuvenate, China Must Continue Opening Up YAN XUETONG, YAN XUETONG Dean of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University and author of “Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power.” This article is a translated adaptation of an essay in the “Quarterly Journal of International Politics.”Search for more papers by this author YAN XUETONG, YAN XUETONG Dean of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University and author of “Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power.” This article is a translated adaptation of an essay in the “Quarterly Journal of International Politics.”Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 November 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/npqu.12170AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume35, Issue4October 2018Pages 17-20 RelatedInformation

China’s Troubled Waters: Maritime Disputes in Theoretical Perspective, by Steve Chan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 250 pp. US$99.99 (cloth).

<i>China’s Troubled Waters: Maritime Disputes in Theoretical Perspective</i>, by Steve Chan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 250 pp. US$99.99 (cloth).

Ancient Chinese Thoughts in Environment

Ancient Chinese Thoughts in Environment

The Formation and Changes of GuoJia(國家, state &amp; country) Idea in Ancient Chinese Political Thought

The Formation and Changes of GuoJia(國家, state &amp; country) Idea in Ancient Chinese Political Thought

Sustainability from a Chinese cultural perspective: the implications of harmonious development in environmental management

Sustainable development has broad consensus in environmental science and policy discourse, but its implications differ in specific cultural contexts. This article articulates sustainable development from a Chinese cultural perspective by tracing ideas from Chinese traditional culture and exploring China’s concept of harmonious development with emphasis on environmental management. Ideas that resemble sustainable development are not new to Chinese culture, but have roots in ancient Chinese thoughts, which in turn influence current governance and policies. Notably, Chinese traditional philosophies such as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and Yin–Yang contain philosophies fundamental to sustainable development. As a distinct local discourse, such concepts were well interpreted and understood in the ancient meaning of harmony, giving China unique sustainability perspectives with institutional implications for policies of harmonious development and environmental management. Currently, China is driven to create a new national identity of harmonious development that involves Chinese traditional philosophies and values in its modern administration. The slogans “harmonious society” and “Chinese dream” reflect this new way of responding to the world with the aspiration to achieve cleaner growth, personal prosperity, and social stability. The Chinese and Western roots of sustainable development are conceptually, ideologically, and historically different, and this paper articulates how the convergence of the two underlies contemporary international debates.

How Ancient Chinese Thought Applies Today

How Ancient Chinese Thought Applies Today

Book Review: Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power

Book Review: <i>Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power</i>

Ancient Chinese Thought of Character Formation &amp; Modern Logo Design

The pictograph is the core of ancient Chinese characters. In recent years, Chinese characters, especially the ancient oracle-bone inscriptions and seal characters, are often adopted in logo design in China. This article analyzes the concise thought adopted in ancient character-creating, such as “highlighting characteristics”, “simplifying”, and “less for more”, and probes into the application of such ancient thought with modern design cases, in an attempt to establish evaluation standards for the integration of culture and art.

Chinese Strategic Culture and the Use of Force: moral and political perspectives

This article reviews and explains Chinese attitudes towards the use of force in international affairs, especially from the perspective of strategic culture. The author traces back the traditional values which originated from ancient Chinese thoughts and also researches Mao Zedong's perception of war, which symbolizes the contemporary Chinese military strategic theory, and Deng Xiaoping and Hu Jintao's discourse on war thereafter, which represents the beliefs of the Chinese government after adopting the opening-up and reform policy. The case studies of the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the two Iraq Wars further explore the principles which dominate the diplomatic decision-making processes. The article concludes that China, in the predictable future, will still firmly adhere to the principles of state sovereignty, non-interference and non-use of force principles, while at the same time China will not hesitate to participate in the multilateral operations which are ratified with UN Security Council authorization and contribute increasingly to improving humanitarian situations due to its moral and political understanding of the use of force in international relations.=

Study on Ancient Chinese Ecological Thought and Practice

This paper points out the significance of study on ancient ecological thought and practice to rebuilt Chinese ecological civilization in the age of New Urbanization by exploring and analyzing ancient Chinese ecological thought and practice from five aspects, including the origin, core, and development of ecological thought, Feng Shui theory in constructions of urban-rural, and Yu Heng system in protections of environment.

My Yale Students’ Turn: Sunzi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi as Solutions to Today's Financial Crisis

A year ago my Yale colleague Harold Bloom, in his op-ed in The New York Times (entitled “Out of Panic, Self- Reliance”) pointed out the striking similarities between the financial crashes of 1837 and 1929, and also 2008. He noted that in 1837 the great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson was so “electrified” by the financial storms that he proposed “self-reliance” as the solution to the American people at the time. Emerson felt that his generation was “bankrupt of principles and hope, as of property” and so he hoped that all Americans would use the chance to recover their traditional value of self-reliance. Seeing a recurrence of the great depression in 2008, Bloom strongly urged today's new American president to find a similar solution to the economic crisis.My Yale students, however, do not believe that Emerson, the 19th century Concord philosopher, has the solution for our financial crisis in today's global age. Instead, my students look to the Eastern civilization for guidance, thinking that it is time for the West to learn from the intuitive mind of the East.In my course on Sunzi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi last semester, our main topic of discussion naturally focused on the applicability of these ancient Chinese thoughts to modern issues. Coincidentally the students in my class fall into 3 groups: (1) those who apply Sunzi's pragmatic military advice to today's economic issues, (2) those who believe in Zhuangzi's idealistic Daoism and prefer a solution that is beyond the immediate, and (3) those who mediate between the first two positions, while drawing their ideas largely from Laozi.It is the purpose of this paper to sum up how my Yale students, in these three different (but complementary) groups, applied the ancient Chinese philosophers and their texts to a diverse range of contemporary issues--especially as a response to today's financial crisis.

Study on Ancient Chinese Ecological Thoughts in Traditional Festivals and Festival Systems

This paper states six ecological thoughts and concepts in ancient China by exploring and analyzing Chinese traditional festivals and festival systems from three aspects, including the relevance between festival systems and traditional agriculture (human and nature,Natural Ecology); the relationship between the people embodied in the ancient traditional festival (interpersonal harmony,Humanistic Ecology); and the Chinese religions involved with conventional ceremonial ritual (Harmony-Integration). This article reveals that a close study of ancient Chinese ecological thoughts has vital significance to construct a harmonious society in China and solve the present ecological crisis.

Building Castles in the Sand: A Review of Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power

This article reviews Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power (Princeton University Press, 2011). The key concept argued in the volume is ‘humane authority’ or moral authority (wang dao), as opposed to hegemony (ba dao).1 Daniel Bell suggests in the introduction that Yan Xuetong, the main author, is a political realist because his analysis is about ‘the way the political world actually works, not just an ideal’.2 Nevertheless, ‘A Note on the Translation’ highlights that the term ‘wang’ in ‘wang dao’ represents ‘the political ideal of pre-Qin [classical3] thinkers’.4 Indeed, as the book title suggests, Yan’s analysis relies on ‘ancient Chinese thought’ rather than ancient Chinese history. Without solid grounding in history, the analysis of ‘humane authority’ largely falls into the realm of the ideal. This article first analyzes the disjuncture between ancient Chinese thought and ancient Chinese history. It then reviews the analysis of effective governance that is central to the establishment of moral authority. It also examines the volume’s efforts to draw lessons from ‘ancient Chinese thought’ for ‘contemporary International Relations (IR) theory’ and ‘modern Chinese power.’ Because the understanding of ‘ancient Chinese thought’ is unhistorical and that of IR theory is untheoretical, the authors’ attempts to develop new theoretical insights and policy recommendations are no more fruitful than building castles in the sand. While this volume should be applauded for introducing ‘ancient Chinese thought’ to the IR discipline, it falls short in delivering the promises.

Book Review: Other Areas: Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power

Book Review: Other Areas: Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power

Yan Xuetong. Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power. Edited by Daniel A. Bell &amp; Sun Zhe. Translated by Edmund Ryden. Princeton &amp; Oxford: Princeton University Press. 2011.

Yan Xuetong. Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power. Edited by Daniel A. Bell &amp; Sun Zhe. Translated by Edmund Ryden. Princeton &amp; Oxford: Princeton University Press. 2011.