Transformations Of The Confucian Way

265 Pages·1998·4.518 MB·English

by  John H. Berthrong

Transformations of
the Confucian Way

EXPLORATIONS
Contemporary Perspectives on Religion
Lynn Davidman, Gillian Lindt, Charles H. Long, John P. Reeder Jr.,
Ninian Smart, John F. Wilson, and Robert Wuthnow, Advisory Board
Transformations of the Confucian Way, John H. Berthrong
The Culture of Religious Pluralism, Richard E. Wentz
Recognizing the Latino Resurgence in U.S. Religion:
The Emmaus Paradigm, Ana Maria Diaz-Stevens
and Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
New Religions as Global Cultures: Making the Human Sacred,
Irving Hexham and Karla Foewe
Church, Book, and Bishop: Conflict and Authority
in Early Latin Christianity, Feter Iver Kaufman
Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture, and
Strategic Choices, Robert Booth Fowler and Allen D. Hertzke
Birth of a Worldview: Early Christianity in Its Jewish
and Pagan Context, Robert Doran

Transformations
o f the
Confucian Way
John H. Berthrong
Boston University
School of Theology
Explorations: Contemporary Perspectives on Religion
First published 1998 by Westview Press
Published 2018 by Routledge
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ISBN 13: 978-0-8133-2804-1 (pbk)
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Contents
Acknowledgments IX
A Note on Conventions XI
Dynastic Chart
Xlll
Introduction: Transformations and Variations
on Confucian History 1
Primary Focus, 3
Regional Issues and Variations, 4
Defining the Confucian Way, 5
The Six Epochs of the Confucian Tradition, 7
Enduring Themes in the Confucian Way, 10
1 The Classical Tradition from Confucius to Hsün Tzu 13
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.): The Way of Virtue
and Tradition, 15
Challenges to the Confucian Way and Mencius’ Defense, 23
Hsün Tzu and the Rational Defense of Ritual, 27
2 The Comments of the Han: The Confucian Canon Defined 35
Philosophical Bases of Han Thought, 37
The Pursuit of the Classics: Annotating the Tradition, 46
3 The Defense of the Faith from the Wei-Chin (220-420) to
the T’ang (618-907): The Challenge of Taoism and Buddhism 61
The Question of Influence: Neo-Taoism and Buddhism, 62
Neo-Taoism and Hsüan-hsüeh/The Dark Learning, 66
T’ang Confucianism, 74
4 The Renaissance of the Sung: The Second Golden Age 86
The Diversity and Richness of the Neo-Confucian Revival, 88
The Philosophers of the Tao School, 97
vii
viii Contents
5 The Flourishing of the Yüan and Ming 115
The Turn Toward the Mind, 116
The Ming Transition, 118
Wang Yang-ming, 123
6 Korean and Japanese Confucianism and the
Ch’ing School of Evidential Research 144
The Rise of Korean Confucianism, 144
Japanese Confucianism: The Tokugawa Achievement, 151
New Directions for the Ch’ing Summation of the Tradition, 161
The School of Evidential Research, 167
7 Confucianism in the Modern World 174
The Chaos of First Impressions and Reactions, 178
The Transition to Modern China and East Asia, 179
The New Confucians, 185
Further Readings and Contentious Issues 201
Wade-Giles to Finyin Conversion Table 207
Glossary 213
Bibliography 215
Index 239
Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank the long line of Asian and Western scholars who have
provided the scholarship upon which this study is constructed. As a young
graduate student I had the privilege of hearing T’ang Chün-i lecture at
Taiwan National University at the end of his career. I also had the oppor-
tunity to spend an enlightening afternoon in Hong Kong talking about Chu
Hsi with Mou Tsung-san, one of the most learned scholars I have ever en-
countered. His grasp of Chinese, Buddhist, and Western philosophy was
truly phenomenal. His kindness to a young graduate student was a model
of Confucian graciousness; I hope that I have picked up some of the corners
of learning that Mou lifted for me that afternoon.
As I continued my studies of the Confucian tradition, I was fortunate to
meet many other scholars who have enriched my understanding of the va-
riety of the tradition. Wing-tsit Chan and Wm. Theodore de Bary stand out
as representing the doyens of modern Confucian studies. I have also been
able to discuss these matters with Tu Wei-ming, Cheng Chung-ying, Liu
Shu-hsien, Julia Ching, Will Oxtoby, and, of blessed memory, Edward
Ch’ien. The list needs to be expanded to include another international gen-
eration of Confucian scholars scattered around the globe: Mary Evelyn
Tucker, Dean Rodney Taylor, John Chaffee, Thomas Lee, Lisa Raphals,
Conrad Schriokauer, Lionel Jensen, Thomas Wilson, Hoyt Tillman,
Thomas Metzger, Kim Heup Young, Peter Lee, Mathew Levey, Kim Sung
Hae, Roger Ames, David Hall, Chen Lai, Anne Birdwhistell, and Zheng
Jiadong.
Second, I want to thank my friends at Boston University, beginning with
Dean Robert Cummings Neville for his unfailing friendship and support—
support encouraged by Chancellor John Silber, President Jon Westling, and
Provost Dennis Berkey. Peter Berger has always provided a wonderfully
irenic and ironic check on my flights of fancy. Joseph Fewsmith, David Eckel,
Merle Goldman (who never ceases to marvel that I can actually like the Neo-
Confucians), Chung Chai-sik, Robert Weller, and Harry Gelber share in wor-
rying about how to teach Asian studies effectively in a large urban research
university. At various stages of the production and editing of the manuscript,
Dorothy Rogers and Tracy Deveau provided superb assistance.
IX