Confucian Classics Research Articles

The propagation paths of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity in the Ming and Qing dynasties

According to historical analysis and textual interpretation, the propagation of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity in the Ming and Qing dynasties was closely related to Matteo Ricci. When entering China, Ricci put forward the ‘Theory of Buddhist-Daoist Plagiarism’, asserting that Buddhism and Taoism had plagiarised the Catholic doctrine on the triune God. As for Confucianism, he pointed out that the ancient Confucian classics did not contain the doctrine of the Trinity, which he attributed to various facters, leading to what may be termed the ‘Confucian Absence Theory’. Matteo Ricci’s interpretations and propositions regarding the Chinese Trinity paved the way for the ‘Yi-Fo School’, the ‘Bu-Ru School’ and the Figurism, which emerged during the dissemination of the Trinity in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ‘Yi-Fo School’ advocated replacing the Buddhist Trinity with the Catholic Trinity to complement the perceived absence in Confucianism, thus forming the ‘Bu-Ru School’. In contrast, Figurism advocated for use of Chinese characters and texts as clues to uncover the missing Trinity in Confucian classics. Regarding Matteo Ricci’s viewpoints and the above three paths, Buddhism of that era believed that Catholicism had plagiarised the Buddhist doctrine of the Trinity, and modern Chinese scholars also argued that the views of the Figurism were overly far-fetched. These paths placed the Trinitarian doctrines of Catholicism, Buddhism and Daoism in a cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparative framework, underscoring the methodological significance of exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations.Contribution: This article examines the nexus between Matteo Ricci and the propagation of the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It also investigates the evolution of three distinct pathway for this doctrinal propagation and assesses the Chinese Populace’s reactions, as well as the interplay of their discourses.

The Christian interpretations on the nature of heaven’s mandate in late Ming and early Qing dynasties

This paper aims to examine in detail the Christian interpretations on the Confucian concept of the nature of the heaven’s mandate [天命之性] during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from historical and textual perspective. Neo-Confucians of the Song Dynasty interpret the nature of the heaven’s mandate as human nature, believing that heaven endowed humans with reason, known as the heavenly principle [天理]. In the late Ming period, Christian missionaries such as Jesuits in China used Confucian classics to convey Christian thoughts, interpreting the heaven’s mandate as God’s mandate and the nature of the heaven’s mandate as the spirituality bestowed by God, which is equated with the soul. They also used the nature of the heaven’s mandate as a criterion for determining the authenticity of a teaching (religion[教]), asserting that Christianity is the true teaching (religion). Thus, Christianity in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties provides a new interpretation on the nature of the heaven’s mandate and promotes the integration of Christian and Confucian thoughts through this interpretation.Contribution: The paper provides a detailed review of the history of Christian interpretations on the nature of the heaven’s mandate during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Currently, there is limited scholarly research on the theological thoughts of Christianity during this period. This study not only enhances the understanding of the new interpretations by Christianity but also aids in comprehending the theological ideas of Christianity during the late Ming and early Qing periods. By reinterpreting Confucian classics, Christianity endowed them with new meanings, offering valuable references for the localisation of Christian theology and the study of cross-cultural exchange.

Retranslation of The Analects of Confucius and the Causes for Retranslation

The Analects of Confucius is a representative work of Confucian classics in China, and it has been translated into various languages. However, due to the differences in subjective consciousness, historical culture, translation purposes, life experiences, and other aspects, the interpretations of The Analects in each translation are entirely different. This paper primarily analyzes the retranslation and the causes behind the retranslation of The Analects of Confucius, aiming to further deepen the understanding of The Analects in different countries and expand its circulation range.

Judges’ reformulations in judicial interpretation in Chinese judgments

Abstract In hybrid legal contexts in China, judges’ speech acts of reformulating rules serve to demonstrate their ideological and linguistic preferences in law enforcement. A comparative analysis of judges’ reformulations in judgments in the traditional (imperial) and contemporary periods in this study discloses a disparity in their speech style over time. Though judges in the two periods both navigate between the ethical discourse and the legal discourse in the negotiation of meaning in law, traditional judges are found to have reformulated rules from various sources, particularly those of Confucian classics, acting as more of a constructive legal interpreter. In contrast, contemporary judges tend to reformulate rules of the codified law in a more monologic style, thereby displaying greater respect for the autonomy of law in their reformulations. These differences are interpreted from a socio-cultural standpoint.

Ch’Ŏnhado, A Traditional Korean Map Of The World: A Debate On Whether It Is A Product Of Western Cultural Influence

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to understand the origin of the traditional Korean Ch’ŏnhado map by comparing and critiquing previous scholarship on the map’s origins and by explaining the map’s origins through a geomentality lens. Scholars have argued whether Ch’ŏnhado was to embrace the geographical information from Western nations, a Korean interpretation of this information, or an expression of anti-Western sentiment. This paper argues that: (1) Ch’ŏnhado’s design is evidence that it was likely designed by an educated Korean intellectual in Confucian classics (sŏnbi); (2) it is not a Korean-style interpretation of a Western map and was not designed to embrace new geographical information gained from Western nations; and (3) although the oldest remaining copy of Ch’ŏnhado only dates back to the seventeenth century, the map may have originated much earlier. This research provides evidence to support the argument that Ch’ŏnhado was independently developed by Koreans to reflect traditional Korean ways of understanding of the world.

Confucian principles, Reason and Conscience: Three “Imitating the Heaven” Judicial Paths of Ancient Confucian Judge

When Confucian officials hearing case in ancient China, they should not only consider the written provisions of the law, but also consider the higher norms outside the law, the Confucian principles, Reason and Conscience are the main manifestations of these norms. The Confucian classics are the words of the sages, which are considered the truth of the Heven. Judicial decision according to the “Confucian Principles” means trying cases according to the way of heaven. “Reason” is the fusion of “human feelings” and “heavenly principles”, and “human feelings” are the embodiment of “heavenly principles” in social life. The Original Heart” or Conscience is the manifestation of the “heavenly principle” in the hearts of the people, and the judge hears the lawsuit according to the “Original Heart”, which is to follow the “heavenly principle” to judge the cases. All these are the “Imitating the Heaven” ways in judicial field, which has made up for the shortcomings of the written law to a considerable extent. This has also corrected the possible injustice of the written law, reflecting the Confucian officials’ pursuit of “natural law” and judicial “justice”.

Rites for/of Power: Research on the Harmony of Three Teachings in Vietnam during the Former LL (LL SB) Dynasty (1428—1527)

This article studies the harmony of Three Teachings in Dai Viet during the period of the Former Lê dynasty (Lê Sơ period) (1428–1527). Most of the previous studies have suggested that Lê Sơ was the period advocating for the monopoly of Confucianism and rejecting Buddhism and Taoism. However, this article will prove that the Lê Sơ dynasty was thoroughly using Confucian classics under the Song dynasty, applying the model of Confucian state of the Great Ming dynasty, while still developing management policies on Taoism and Buddhism. The “The Convergence of Three Teachings” was a dynastic policy, in which Confucianism played a major role in ideological, political and cultural activities, while Buddhism and Taoism played a supporting role in ritual and religious activities of the dynasty and folklore. The results show that the “The Convergence of Three Teachings” is a constant of Vietnamese history from the Lý – Trần dynasties onward. The Lê Sơ royal court both developed Confucian cultural institutions and managed Buddhist and Taoist monasteries, temples and rituals. This can also be considered the foundation for the Three Teachings to come together in the later stages.

성호 이익의 경학의 변형과 경세론 ‒ 『대학질서』격물설을 중심으로‒

성호 이익의 경학의 변형과 경세론 ‒ 『대학질서』격물설을 중심으로‒

『대학』의 8조목과 팔선녀 관계에 대한 연구

This thesis seeks to examine how the characters in ‘Guunmong’ such as the main character, who is both Sung-Jin and So-Yu and his counterpart, who are both the 8 celestial women and the 8 wives in the current life, form a relationship with the 8 articles, and how they may be compared and symbolized in terms of literature. In other words, the thesis aims to analyze how the 8 articles of ‘Daehak’ can be interpreted through their substitution as the 8 celestial women.
 The author views that ‘Guunmong’ symbolically illustrates the 8 articles of ‘Daehak’ through the chain of process of Yang, So-Yu and the 8 celestial women forging a relationship. Through this, the author seeks to examine how the study of Confucian classics and literature study were substituted through comparison and symbolism and had the role of a detailed report. and whether they can be interpreted abundantly.
 Kim, Man-jung is a typical Confucian scholar who grew up in a Confucian family environment. In the East, literature and thought are complementary or integral relations rather than individual relationships. Since this is the case, this kind of idea could be expressed by whatever means in his novel ‘Guunmong’.
 If we were to look from this sort of meaning, the 8 people are chosen and intended as the 8 people by Kim, Man-Jung as the 8 articles, and the 8 articles that he sought to express are projected onto the specific individual personality. This thesis sees that this is intentionally expressed as the symbols of the 8 articles of ‘Daehak’ and attempts to trace and analyze this theory.
 Most likely, there must be a message for the Confucian scholar Kim, Man-jung, who has been equipped with the knowledge of Confucian classics, to convey through ‘Guunmong’ which is the work of literature that illustrated three religions, which are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. In this way, by comparing the 8 celestial women of ‘Guunmong’ with the 8 articles of ‘Daehak’, I hope to propose a new research direction about ‘Guunmong’ and Kim, Man-jung, and the combining of Kim, Man-jung’s literature and Confucian classics.

The journey from unrealistic to realistic optimism: Ancient Confucian wisdom in modern business practice

The notion of “realistic optimism” seems paradoxical, intertwining the contradictory elements of objective judgment and a positive outlook. Extant research often falls short in analyzing this dilemma and in capturing the cultural nuances. Given Confucianism’s endeavors to reconcile realism and optimism, this paper explores the cultivation of realistic optimism in Confucian classics. Further, an account of a contemporary Confucian merchant is provided to illustrate the enduring relevance of these ancient principles in the contemporary business world. This paper highlights two Confucian approaches that facilitate the development of realistic optimism. Firstly, from a preventive stance, “desire modesty” enhances realism by lowering cognitive dissonance and fosters optimism by reducing external motivation that often hinders creative solutions. Secondly, from a promotive perspective, “discernment clarity” promotes realism by cultivating a strong need for cognition; “meaningful adversity” mitigates pessimistic feelings by reframing hardships; and “sincere creativity” bolsters optimism by inspiring innovative solutions. Overall, this paper underscores the crucial role of culture in shaping realistic optimism by illuminating the profound influence of Confucian teachings in transforming this seeming paradox into a lived reality.

Interpretation of the First Sentence of “Rituals for the Meeting of the Scholars.”

This thesis compares the differences in content between the excavated and surviving versions of the two documents, further explores the glyph and the interpretations of some of the characters in “The I-YI”, solves the problems related to the confusion of the content of the text of “The I-YI” and the ambiguity of the annotations of the successive generations, and restores the original appearance of the Book of Rites as much as possible. By collating and interpreting the texts, focusing on the identification of forgeries in the contents of the texts, restoring the Confucian classics and reinterpreting Confucian thinking, etc., all of these have certain value. It is also intended to provide a small measure of assistance to scholars who will engage in related research in the future.

On the Supremacy of Confucianism and the Periodization of Confucian Classics Learning in the Han Dynasty

Wang Baoxuan’s 王葆玹 argument that Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty respected the Five Confucian Classics and tolerated non-Confucian schools because the “supremacy of Confucianism” (獨尊儒術) was not implemented until the reign of Emperor Cheng can be disputed. Additionally, Wang’s premise that masters learning (子學) in the Warring States period was the source of classics learning (經學) in the Western Han dynasty, and the extinction of masters learning during the supremacy of Confucianism led to the decline of classics learning, can also be debated. This paper proposes that with regard to the supremacy of Confucianism, the focus was on the second founding of the Han dynasty, not on the relationship between classics learning and masters learning. Both the Qin dynasty and the Western Han dynasty had masters learning as their guiding ideology, but Emperor Wu found that solely relying on masters learning, which was a collection of ideas by important thinkers, was not sustainable. Instead, the Han dynasty needed to be based on classics learning, which represented the traditional Chinese civilization that was inherited from the three ancient and sacred Chinese dynasties of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou. The supremacy of Confucianism was thus a means of ensuring the continuity and stability of the Han dynasty that was applied by Dong Zhongshu and Emperor Wu.

The Importance of Cross-Cultural Perspectives Based on the Spread of Christianity in China

The process of spreading Christianity in China is also the process of localizing Christianity in China. According to historical records, there was the first religious and cultural exchange between East and West in the Tang Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, Mark Polo brought China into the European horizon, and Matteo Ricci spread Christianity by studying Confucian classics, which also promoted the development of Western sinology; After centuries of outbreak of contradictions within the Christian church, coupled with the blows of imperialist and capitalist power politics in modern times, Christianity in China has been viewed as a binary opposition, many of which are influenced by political factors. But today, the role of Chinese scholars in academia is increasingly non-negligible, and many examples demonstrate the importance of breaking down stable stereotypes and looking at different cultures from a more open-minded and dynamic cross-cultural perspective.

从文化生态主义来看儒家生命精神与性命合一的境界

The essay pays attention to an argument of cultural ecologism concerning the Neo-Confucian life-spirit and its sustainable horizon of unifying human nature and mandate, especially focusing upon Zhang-zai's model of qi doctrine. The keyword is “cultural ecologism” in which the principle of life and the value of morality are integrated in the grand stream of the life spirit of universe. Stemming from a reciprocal unity of ecology and culture, it can be characteristic of a conceptual framework as the organic structure of culture circumstances. For Neo-Confucianists, the reality of world is in the steam of myriad things under heaven and on earth. It is a coherent whole with a certain origin and unitary processes in the ecological circle of Nature. The process of maintaining the sustainability of culture within this world view can be approached from the holistic unity of “one force and its multiple manifestations.” It works implicitly as the basis for positing a unified total system to share a common way of thinking within the Neo-Confucian culture. Zhang-zai presents the doctrine of qi ontology as “one vital force and its many manifestations” to identically unify the Heavenly and the Humane. All the things of the world naturally form types with each other according to their apportionment of one yin and one yang. In their concrete manifestations, according to the thinking way of bentilun, things may have multiple distinctions and perform many different roles, but the principle remains unitary in that their differences are reciprocally related within a unifying system. This world view is closely associated with the process of sustainably cultivating the human virtue in operations of Confucian cultural ecologism. He incessantly seeks to institutionalize the moral canon of classical Confucianism on the triple line, namely, an identification of yiwuliangti, a succession of minbaowuyu, and an extension of xingmingheyi, which make a unity of coherence, interconnectedness and wholeness. As cultural beings with beliefs and values, human beings live their lives in complicated social networks. Consequently, the ecologismic concept of culture preserves as an open horizon of coexistence and cooperation for newly emergent order within an integral relationship of person and community.

Four Books and Five Classics as Key References in International Journal Communication: A Scopus-Based Visualization (1998-2023)

Using CiteSpace 6.1.R6 and Arcgis, this paper examines the publications on Confucian classics represented by the Four Books and Five Classics in the Scopus database from 1990 to February 2023. Grasping the overall situation of research on Four Books and Five Classics and the hot issues in detail, the study aims to understand the field’s status and cutting-edge topics. The results revealed that the main contributors are Chinese and Chinese-American scholars, and the publications are mostly disseminated by American publishers and influenced by the economy. Research on Four Books and Five Classics has gained more attention over the years, but the topics and methods are becoming more homogeneous. The paper suggests that more efforts are needed to promote the dissemination of Confucian classics and attract more scholars to join the frontier dialogue in this field. Academic journals can serve as a medium to promote the dissemination of classics to the world.

The Pre-qin Confucian View of Dignity and its Contemporary Value

Pre-Qin Confucian scholars and their classics attach great importance to the concept of human dignity, which is an important embodiment of Confucian humanitarian spirit. How to maintain dignity in the “sense of shame”, how Confucius creatively transformed rituals to improve human dignity, and the realization of human dignity under relative equality will be the main issues discussed in this paper. The concept of dignity advocated by the pre-Qin Confucians fundamentally affirmed the value of human beings, which was highly praised by later scholars and intellectuals. In the new era, it is necessary to carry out a deeper discussion and research on the Confucian concept of dignity that highlights the people's right to life and personality to a large extent. How to trace back to the source and correctly interpret the Confucian concept of dignity, the most fundamental thing is to return to the discussion and discussion of this proposition by Confucian scholars and their classics. This article focuses on the Confucian classics, and tries to analyze the concept of dignity in pre-Qin Confucianism.

– THE CULTURAL AND LITERARY VALUES OF ANCIENT VIETNAMESE INSCRIBED PLAQUES

Inscribed plaques are a special genre of Vietnamese traditional literature and culture, expressing traditional values and wishes to keep and pass them on to future generations. Inscribed plaques are written in ancient Chinese and Vietnamese and can be found in traditional architectural spaces such as communal houses, pagodas, streets, and ancient houses. Currently, despite the fact that the number of people learning Chinese is increasing, most of these students learn modern Chinese. Therefore, it is often difficult for them to understand the traditional cultural and literary values embedded in inscribed plaques. The article reports the results of a qualitative study that collected 680 inscribed plaques, mainly dating from the Nguyen Dynasty in the Northern Delta. The study results show that the ancient inscribed plaques of Vietnam often use three or four words that are often quoted or condensed from idioms and classics in Confucian classics, poetry, and ancient Chinese literature. The content of these inscribed plaques possessesprofound cultural and literary connotations, which can be considered a rich resource for learners and researchers. The study concludes that inscribed plaques play a vital role in the inheritanceand promotion of traditional Vietnamese ethical and cultural values in the new era.

格物致知章의 구성에 대한 조선 후기 학자들의 입장

Gewuzhizhi chapter is very important in the understanding of the text 『The Great Learning(大學)』. Ju-hee said that the Gewuzhizhi chapter was disappeared, and he created it himself and transferred it to 『The Great Learning(大學)』. Many people questioned that the contents of the Confucian classics were created by individuals. Donggye Jo Gwi-myeong also argues that the Gewuzhizhi chapter did not disappear in the first place, and that the contents can be restored by correcting the mixed order.
 This paper is the result of introducing the contents and considering the meaning of <Daehak Seol(大學說)>, a new material containing Donggye Jo Gwi-myong's arguments. The writings of Jo Gwi-myeong and Lee Heon-kyung, which were used as data in this paper, have not yet been mentioned in academia. Jo Gwi-myeong widely reviewed the previous data and insisted on his new theory. There are not many similar cases in the history of the study of Confucian classics in Joseon dynasty, and the contents are also very original. Donggye's <Daehak Seol> is a work that coincides with Donggye's original work in terms of sentences, and it is considered to be an important material to be studied and remembered.

Women, Rituals, and the Domestic-Political Distinction in the Confucian Classics

In this article, I show that women are depicted in the early Confucian texts not primarily as undertaking household duties or nurturing children but rather as partaking in rituals of mourning and ancestor worship. To make the argument, I analyze, besides the more philosophical texts like the Analects and the Mencius, texts known as the “Five Classics,” which describe women in their social roles in much more detail than the former. What women’s participation in rituals reveals, I contend, is that the domestic-political distinction does little to illuminate the philosophical vision offered by the early Confucian texts. Relatedly, while women’s involvement in communal religious rituals has also been noted about early Greece, the political import of such participation is even more pronounced in the Confucian case. Specifically, I show that, by embodying intergenerational continuity, the mourning and ancestor rituals that women partake in are foundational to the Confucian state.

韓國詩話中的唐詩解釋學

Koreans have adopted a variety of methods in the interpretation of Tang poetry, among which the five aspects of interpretaion of poetry by Chinese classics(以經解詩), Neo-Confucianism(以理解詩), other Tang poetry(以唐解唐), dialect slang and customs(以方言风俗解詩), and personal experience are the most distinctive. The interpretation of poetry by Chinese classics shows the role of Confucian classics such as the Book of Poetry in regulating and restraining poetry, highlighting the complex and insoluble relationship between scripture and literature. Some neo-Confucianism had a hostile attitude towards literature, believing that literature was harmful, such as Er-Cheng(二程), and some neo-Confucianism had a tolerant attitude towards literature, such as Zhu Xi(朱熹). This had also created some characteristics of Koreans in understanding poetry. Interpreting poetry in dialect slang and customs brought Tang poetry into the Korean context, and tried to interpret Tang poetry regionally with its own social customs and linguistic environment, which could indeed increase and expand the ways and methods of interpretation, but it also made some misunderstandings because it was separated from the specific environment created by Tang poetry. On the contrary, the interpretation of poetry by experiencing it was somewhat in the spirit of textual research in Qing Dynasty, and the interpreter only felt some emotions and even facts in Tang poetry after experiencing certain scenes or events personally, so as to better experience the charm of Tang poetry, which can be said to be a step further in the hermeneutics of Tang poetry. There are also some foreseeable problems in the methods used by Koreans in interpreting Tang poetry, such as curious interpretation, overinterpretation, etc., which existed in Chinese poetics, and also existed in Korean poetics. If it can be rooted in the local environment of Chinese poetics, combined with the interpretive experience of Koreans, and reasonable speculation and deduction within the limits of interpretation, Korean Tang poetry hermeneutics still has important academic historical value, especially as an exotic eye, Korean poetics criticism of China should attract the attention of Chinese scholars.