Immunomodulatory effect of traditional Chinese medicine in infectious diseases.

“Properness, correctness and uprightness” (zheng 正) refers to a common and significant concept in Chinese philosophy. In Chinese philosophical discourse, zheng embodies moral ideals. To date, scholarly attention has focused on compound concepts incorporating zheng, such as “central and zheng” (zhongzheng 中正), “the position of zheng” (zhengwei 正位), and “make the family in accordance with zheng” (zhengjia 正家), as their research objects. However, the independent philosophical meaning of zheng in the Yijing 易經 remains underexplored. Through etymological research and textual analysis, this study reveals three philosophical dimensions of the Yijing. First, it distinguishes zheng from “in correspondence to” (dang 當). It shows that dang refers to a judgment about physical alignment with time and position in theoretical situations, lacking strong moral force. Second, it argues that zheng in the Yijing originates from a metaphysical concept of a perfect ideal, broadly referring to the ideal perfect way (zheng dao 正道). The Yijing emphasizes the metaphysical level of zheng (in accordance with the perfect way), and possesses zheng as a strong moral binding force for continuing self-improvement. However, zheng does not directly function as the presupposed rationale for moral judgments and choices. Third, it examines the way of cultivating zheng (yang zheng zhi dao 養正之道) as a theory of moral cultivation (gongfu 工夫). This practical path, articulated through the hexagrams Meng 蒙 and Yi 頤, is interpreted as a form of purifying the heart/mind (xin 心) to align with the cosmic heart/mind. The study demonstrates that the moral source and moral cultivation process in the Yijing refers to a theory of “cultivating one’s heart/mind (xin 心) through practice”. It provides a perspective for understanding the moral perfectness, heart/mind and morality in the Yijing.

ABSTRACT The fifth and final volume of Liu Zhi’s Tianfang Xingli adopts a different perspective from the first four volumes, returning to fundamental questions concerning God’s relation to the world. This essay explores the reasons for this change of approach, showing how it draws on concepts in Chinese philosophy, such as the Buddhist notion of ‘realm’ (jing 境), to nuance the preceding argument and bring it in line with Sufi ideas like tanzīh-tashbīh, manifestation, and the Holiest Emanation. It closes with a brief comparison of Liu Zhi’s thought with Arabo-Persian Sufism regarding the first emanation and the rise of multiplicity from the One.

Wang Yangming, a Chinese philosopher of the Ming Dynasty, synthesized the philosophical traditions of ancient Confucianism and Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism to establish The Philosophy of Mind (Xinxue), a system with a history exceeding five hundred years. Its theories and practical applications have profoundly influenced social philosophy in East Asian nations such as China, Japan, and Korea, and it is even credited with indirectly contributing to Japan’s Meiji Restoration. While scholars worldwide have continuously researched and discussed Xinxue theoretical foundations, a comprehensive and systematic investigation of remains lacking. Employing a systems-based approach, this paper integrates the core tenets of Xinxue with global philosophical, and constructs a universal, logical, and complete systemic framework for Xinxue through analysis, synthesis, and conceptual expansion. This framework is articulated as the “Tao as One, Morals as Two, and Practice as Three.” philosophical system, corresponding to the Tao Layer “Mind is Principle” (Xin Ji Li), the Morals Layer “Extending Innate Conscience” (Zhi liangzhi), and the Practice Layer “Unity of Knowledge and Action” (Zhixing Heyi). Meanwhile, it is deduced according to Xinxue logic that the “Mind” is the determining factor for artificial products (including both artificial materials and spiritual wealth).

Although the term ‘intellectual tradition’ is frequently used, it is rarely clearly defined, leaving a vast and largely unknown space for multidimensional inquiry. This article explores how to find tacit intellectual traditions by drawing upon cross-cultural philosophical resources and proposing possible methodological directions for educational research. The main argument is that intellectual traditions can be tacit at both epistemological and ontological levels. Three Western theorists—Edward Shils, Michael Polanyi, and Michael Oakeshott—critically reflect on anti-traditionalism and objectivism since the Enlightenment. They contend that intellectual traditions, including the tradition of science, as tacit knowledge, play an important role in human knowing and action. Chinese philosophy also attaches great importance to the tacit dimensions of intellectual tradition particularly at the ontological level, as exemplified by the core concept of ‘Dao’. As a foundational assumption underlying the worldview in ancient China, Dao generated different ways of knowing in Confucianism, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism. Even today, it continues to shape how Chinese people interpret and transmit traditions. The philosophical comparison between East and West reveals the complexities inherent in intellectual traditions, which bring new opportunities for educational research. Incorporating diverse tacit intellectual traditions can help researchers better understand cross-cultural educational issues in teaching, learning, and research. For this purpose, we propose ethnoepistemology, ontography, and hermeneutics as potential methodological tools.

The paper responds to the review of the Polish edition of Rogacz’s “Chinese Philosophy of History” made by Katarzyna Pejda. The response extensively demonstrates that the review is not only simplistic and superficial but also directly at odds with the book’s central claims and its use of the source material.

This article presents the results of a comprehensive analysis of research on Orthodoxy in Russia conducted by Chinese academic research centers and scholarly publications. The study establishes that the priority research direction of academic centers at Shanghai International Studies University and Heilongjiang University is the systematic examination of Russian Orthodox culture, state-confessional relations, and contemporary trends in Russian society’s national development. Analysis of academic publication patterns demonstrates that since the late 1990s, fundamental analytical, review, and comparative studies of Orthodoxy in Russia have been con-ducted. This circumstance determined the research objective – to identify the specificity of national approaches to studying Orthodoxy in Russia by Chinese philosophers. The scientific novelty lies in the primary systematiza-tion and conceptualization of research directions regarding Orthodoxy in Russia, based on analysis of thematic orientations in PRC academic departments. It has been established that at the beginning of the 21st century, China is implementing systematic research of Orthodox culture and the institutional activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. The study concludes that for Chinese scientific centers and academic publications, the inves-tigation of Orthodoxy in Russia serves as an instrument for comprehending national policy and state-confessional relations in the Russian Federation.

The relevance of this study stems from the growing trend of integrating cultural elements into the design of sporting events and products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to cover the methods and elements of cultural adaptation in the design of sports paraphernalia and events in China. This study employed the systemic method, analysis, comparison, synthesis, deduction, and classification, which enabled a comprehensive consideration of the problem under study. The paper presents the findings of research of various aspects of design in the context of the Chinese sporting community, which helped to identify the following formative elements of Chinese design: Chinese philosophy and traditional concept of harmony and balance, symbolism, respect for history and tradition. The study covered the use of traditional Chinese symbols, colours, and visual elements, and demonstrated examples of their use in sports team logos and architectural objects, which helped in identifying key cultural features that have a substantial impact on design perceptions within sporting events and attributes. The study revealed the key role of design in the visual component of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; the findings suggested that design has become the language through which sport in China communicates with the public. Furthermore, design was identified as a way to shape China’s unique image in the world, a means of expressing cultural heritage, technological achievements, and national pride. The study substantiated that the significance of design in the context of sport in China lies in its ability to aesthetically beautify and emotionally enrich public perception and expand audience engagement with sport, i.e., to shape its recognisability and attractiveness. The materials of this study can be used in the development of training programmes for specialists in the field of design and marketing.

The preservation of traditional culture presents a significant challenge in the era of digital media. Traditional Chinese philosophical thought, characterized by its relatively high cognitive threshold, faces practical issues including insufficient integration with emerging media contexts and interpretive barriers in contemporary mass communication. Grounded in multimodal discourse analysis theory, this study examines the integration of traditional Chinese philosophy with game narratology in the AAA title Black Myth: Wukong, exploring how the game employs multimodal coordination strategies-encompassing language, imagery, and sound-to construct and disseminate philosophical concepts. The findings reveal that the game reconstructs traditional precepts through dialogic devices such as "Reverse-Parodying the Eight Precepts," evokes cultivation imagery through the suspended sculptures of the Little Western Paradise, and blends electronic sound effects with traditional instruments to articulate philosophical propositions. This multimodal coordination mechanism creates an immersive cultural space that transforms abstract doctrines into perceptible, interactive experiences. The study concludes that embodied communication mechanisms within game narratives effectively lower cognitive barriers to understanding traditional Chinese philosophy, demonstrating an innovative dissemination pathway for integrating traditional culture with popular media.

China’s 5,000-year civilization is replete with profound economic philosophies that have historically guided its socioeconomic evolution. This study systematically examines seven economic laws and seven governance strategies inherent to China’s traditional economic paradigm—a body of wisdom accumulated through empirical practices over history, providing trans-generational insights for socioeconomic governance. By identifying five synergistic policy mechanisms that elucidate complex policy interactions, this study applies the Four Dimensions-Nine Domains framework from Guanzi to construct a novel economic paradigm. This analytical framework proposes a governance model that moves beyond conventional reductionist analytical frameworks, embodying the integration of theoretical principles and pragmatic applications. It thereby provides a methodological innovation pathway for cultural economy studies under the purview of traditional Chinese economic philosophy.

This paper explores how the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonreworks the traditional stages of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. It analyzes how the monomyth is adapted through wuxia conventions and Chinese philosophical values, particularly Confucian ideas of duty and responsibility to others, as well as Daoist and Buddhist notions of spiritual transcendence. Although the Hero’s Journey is frequently adapted in film, its linear progression, emphasis on heroic mastery, and promise of triumphant return are culturally specific rather than universally applicable. We employ qualitative textual and narrative analysis to critically engage with the widely circulated but contested Hero’s Journey, using it as a heuristic lens to identify and distinguish heroic elements within the film’s main characters, particularly Jen Yu and Li Mu Bai. The analysis shows that heroic elements such as departure, trials, and transformations are distributed among many characters of the film and are framed as processes of moral and spiritual growth rather than victory or redemption, as emphasized in the Hero’s Journey. The film reflects on restraint and moral growth, the values grounded in wuxia and Chinese philosophy, rather than focusing on control or a definitive heroic closure in the Hero’s Journey. Gender plays a key role in this shift, as Jen Yu’s open-ended path challenges male-centered ideas of heroic change without simply reversing gender roles. The paper further elaborates that the film affirms the Hero’s Journey functions while also criticizing its adaptation. This case study contributes to comparative narrative and film theory by demonstrating how universalist heroic paradigms are both adapted and fundamentally constrained when reframed through culturally specific ethical and philosophical traditions.

The Analects (Lun Y), as a classic work of ancient Chinese Confucian philosophy, enjoys a high reputation both in China and abroad. The translation of The Analects can better promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. In cross-lingual presentation, the coherence of topics can reduce the misunderstanding of targeted readers, make the whole text coherent and cohesive, and contributes to the transmission of Chinese culture. Therefore, based on Halliday and Hasans Cohesion theory, the present study contrasts the usage of the coherence of James Legges and Ku Hung-mings renditions of The Analects. The study finds that Legges version is more coherent and cohesive, while in Kus version the coherence of li is to some degree affected by the fact that one Chinese word li is translated into various English words.

In this study, the classic work of Chinese philosopher and military strategist Sun Tzu, "The Art of War", which has been a fundamental reference for military leadership, strategy and tactics throughout history, is evaluated from the perspective of management and organization. Specifically, Sun Tzu's strategic principles are systematically associated with the sensing, seizing and reconfiguring processes of the dynamic capabilities approach. Relating Sun Tzu’s strategic principles to the processes of dynamic capabilities allows the identification of several micro-foundational capacities, including intelligence-gathering capability, speed-and-surprise capability, terrain-adaptive capability, strategic deception capability, and moral cohesion capability. Furthermore, Sun Tzu's emphasis on uncertainty management, environmental reading, rapid positioning, and tactical adaptation provides a rich conceptual resource for expanding the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities. As a result, this study emphasizes that "The Art of War" is an important resource in improving the perspectives of leaders and managers, increasing their effectiveness and contributing to their success.

In the context of globalization and cultural diversity, educational philosophy, as a key core carrier of cultural inheritance and value construction, has always been deeply integrated and constrained by the internal logical context of cultural identity in its historical evolution and contemporary transformation process. This article takes cultural identity as the starting point, systematically sorts out the historical context of Chinese and Western educational philosophy, analyzes the differences and integration trajectories of the two in cultural genes, value orientations, and practical paths, and reveals their implications for contemporary education in cultural inheritance, value integration, and model innovation. Research has shown that Chinese educational philosophy has undergone paradigm shifts from Confucian ethics, Western fusion, to modern reconstruction, while Western educational philosophy has shown a spiral upward trend of rationalism, empiricism, and criticism; The two complement each other in the tension of cultural identity, providing historical insights and theoretical support for the construction of a Chinese characteristic educational philosophy system.

Kreutz explicitly categorises the debates about political normativity into two questions: the distinctness question (Q1), which asks whether there is distinctively political normativity, and the priority question (Q2), which asks which form of normativity should have priority in complete justification. I refine these distinctions and argue that some moralists who reject instrumental interpretations of political normativity appear to be disputing realists on Q1, but their objections ultimately presuppose an answer to Q2. I reconstruct a Korsgaard-style argument – which moralists might employ to defend moral priority – and show that it is question-begging. By contrast, I develop a heart-based conception of normativity – understood as a state of reflective and psychological stability – drawing on insights from Chinese philosophy and situating this view within Williams’s internal reasons tradition. This heart-based conception of normativity enables realists to argue that, in some cases, non-moral political normativity may have priority over moral normativity. It also suggests modest implications for realist methodology and political practice, including how heart-based normativity can shed light on genealogical inquiry and help us think about political disagreement. My aim is modest: to clarify the terrain of Q2 and sketch a realist-friendly answer.

Zhuangzi, a seminal figure in ancient Chinese philosophy, offers profound insights into emotional well-being through his Qi-emotion theory. This paper examines Zhuangzi’s approach to emotional well-being by exploring the interplay between Qi (vital energy), atmosphere, and emotions. By drawing comparative perspectives from Neo-Phenomenology’s concept of atmosphere and the Chinese classical concept of Qi-feeling, the study challenges traditional views that emotions are solely internal phenomena. Instead, it proposes that emotions are field-like, arising from dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments. Through an in-depth analysis of Zhuangzi’s philosophy, particularly his methods of self-cultivation such as “fasting the mind” (xin zhai 心齋) and non-action (wu wei 無爲), this paper illustrates how aligning oneself with the Dao (the Way 道) and harmonizing Qi can lead to emotional balance and spiritual freedom. The study integrates Eastern and Western philosophical traditions, highlighting the significance of enlightened mind, embodiment, and atmospheric resonance in achieving emotional well-being. The findings suggest that Zhuangzi’s Qi-emotion theory provides valuable insights for contemporary philosophical practice and therapy by emphasizing the unity of mind, body, and environment. By fostering harmony with the natural world and transcending personal attachments, individuals can attain a state of inner peace and holistic well-being.

Background and Aims: Tantou woodblock New Year paintings, as an intangible cultural heritage of Shaoyang, China, encapsulate a rich blend of agricultural civilization, Chu witch culture, Meishan traditions, and classical Chinese philosophy. Under the challenge of modernization and cultural loss, this study aims to reveal the deeper symbolic logic and cultural mythologies embedded in Tantou paintings through Roland Barthes' semiotic theory, breaking through the limitations of traditional folk-art analysis. Methodology: This study adopts a semiotic framework, combining literature review, formal image analysis, and Barthes’ dual-layer symbol system—extension (language level) and connotation (myth level). By analyzing key motifs such as "Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong" and "The Mouse’s Wedding", the research decodes their image structures, symbolic composition, and ideological significance. Results: Findings demonstrate that Tantou paintings operate on multiple symbolic levels. At the extension layer, figures, animals, colors, and patterns form a coherent visual language system. At the connotation level, these elements metaphorically convey cultural values such as prosperity, fertility, humility, and divine authority. At the mythological level, they construct a worldview shaped by folk beliefs, survival ethics, and historical moral narratives, naturalizing ideologies within visual culture. Conclusion: Tantou New Year paintings are not only expressions of folk aesthetics but also symbolic carriers of regional belief systems and ethical values. Through semiotic deconstruction, this study establishes a new interpretive paradigm for folk art and demonstrates how image language bridges tradition and modernity, art and ideology, through layered meaning systems.

Yue Opera is a traditional Chinese through-sung storytelling style that conveys Chinese cultural ideologies and historical depth. In this context, Augmented Reality (AR) has been adopted in cultural venues to break the passive watching experience, turning the audience into active participants. In this article, we present an exploratory case study of LanternOperAR, a hybrid cultural gift to promote Yue Opera with the Chinese philosophy of Yangmingism. We incorporate the tangible interface and virtual content to create an interactive cultural experience. Specifically, we conducted a fieldwork study to investigate the promises and challenges of promoting Yue Opera. Based on expert interviews and an online survey with the public, we derived a set of design goals to guide the design and development process. Our approach incorporates the application of AI image processing, generative AI, information visualization, and gamification with AR technology to generate and visualize cultural knowledge in AR-based narratives and interactions. We evaluated LanternOperAR with 20 participants and acquired some positive feedback on system usability and overall experience, as well as some suggestions for further improvements. Our findings provide insights into the design of cultural products and cultural applications as guidance for cultural researchers and practitioners.

Pre-Qin philosophy is foundational to Chinese intellectual history, but its terminology features polysemy, contextuality, and school-specific variation, posing challenges to manual dictionary compilation. This study proposes an automatic lexicon construction method using large language models. A semantic framework is established, consisting of four core tasks: term identification, school classification, definition generation, and context translation. Corpora are sourced from Chinese Text Project and Guoxue Dashi, with structured term data based on the Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy. Training employs the LLaMA Factory with LoRA-based tuning on DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen, Qwen3, and Llama3 models, using continued pretraining and few-shot fine-tuning. During inference, task-specific few-shot prompts guide the model in semantic generation for each task. Results show Qwen3 outperforms DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen and Llama3 in semantic alignment and disambiguation. A structured term database and interactive Streamlit-based interface support an end-to-end workflow from corpus acquisition to dictionary display, highlighting the potential of large language models in automating lexicographic work on classical Chinese philosophy.

This study explores the philosophical development of the Heart of Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (心经) within Chinese Buddhism, focusing on its transmission during the Tang dynasty and its integration into Daoist and Confucian thought. Using both textual and historical-philosophical analysis, it compares Xuanzang’s accurate translation with earlier versions by Kumārajīva and interprets the key doctrine “form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” The study emphasizes how Chinese scholars like Sengzhao reinterpreted śūnyatā (emptiness) through Daoist wu (non-being) and Confucian ethics, turning it into an epistemic and moral framework. The findings indicate that Chinese Buddhism saw emptiness not as nihilism but as a dynamic relational ontology that influences cognition, ethics, and spiritual practice, thereby enhancing cross-cultural philosophical understanding.