Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Chinese culture

183 Pages·1991·10 MB·English

by  Tang, Yijie

THECOUNCILFOR RESEARCHINVALUESANDPHILOSOPHY
CULTURALHERITAGE ANDCONTEMPORARY LIFE
SERIESin. ASIA,VOL. 3
GeneralEditor
GeorgeF.McLean
CONFUCIANISM, BUDDHISM,
DAOISM, CHRISTIANITY
AND CHINESE CULTURE
TANGYI-JIE
THEUNIVERSITYOFPEKING
THECOUNCIL FOR RESEARCHINVALUESANDPHILOSOPHY
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Copyright^ 1991 by
The Council for Research inValues andPhilosophy
P.O. Box261
CardinalStation
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All rights reserved
Printed inthe United StatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication
Tang, I-chieh.
Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Chinese culture /
Tang Yi-Jie.
—
p. cm. (Culturalheritageandcontemporarychange. Series III, Asia;
vol. III.3)
Includesbibliographical referencesand index.
—
1. Philosophy, Chinese. 2. China Religion. 3. China—Civilization. I.
Title. II. Series:Cultural heritageandcontemporarychange. Series III,
Asia;vol. 3.
B5231.T36 1991
181-dc20 91-58115
CIP
ISBN 1-56518-035-6
ISBN 1-56518-034-8(pbk.)
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THE COUNCIL FOR
RESEARCH IN VALUES AND PHILOSOPHY
S.Aveniri, Israel S. Lokuang,Taipei, China
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M. Kente,Tanzania Tang Yi-jie, BeijingChina
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Theauthorandeditorwishto expresstheirsincereappreciationto
the translators whose assiduous work has made it possible to bring this
volume out in English, and thereby to share some of the philosophical
thinkingofChina withphilosophersinotherpartsofthe world.
Theywish tothankaswell:ChineseStudiesinPhilosophyforper-
mission to reprint Chapters I, III, IV and IX from the Winter issue of
1983-84;TheSocialScience Publication House forpermissionto reprint
chapter II from the 1982 volume of Social Sciences in China; Dialogue
PublishingCo.forpermissiontoreprintChapterXfromVol. XV(1988)
ofTheJournalofChinesePhilosophy;and Hong KongChinese Univer-
sityPressforpermissiontoreprintChapterVfromHarmonyandStrug-
gle. The crucial chapters on Daoism (Taoism) (VI-VIII) and on Chris-
tianity (XI), as well as the four appendices, have not previously been
published.
Appreciation is extended to Profs. Yang Fenggang and Fang
Neng-yuandtoJuanHefortheirpainstakingwork inassuringprecision
and consistency in philosophical terms, to Mrs. Bonnie Kennedy, Miss
EuniceA. Riceand Mrs. LindaPerezwhoprepared themanuscript,and
totheJamesA. McLeansfortheirsupportinthisextensionofthepubli-
cationprojectofTheCouncilforResearchinValuesandPhilosophy.
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Contents V
Preface Vl•l•
Introduction 1
PartI.TheStructureandStudyofChinesePhilosophy
1.ProspectsfortheStudyoftheHistoryofChinese 5
Philosophy,andtheIssueoftheTrue, theGood
andtheBeautiful inChina'sTraditional Philosophy
2.QuestionsConcerningtheCategorical System of 17
TraditionalChinese Philosophy
3.NewProgress intheStudyoftheHistoryof 39
Chinese Philosophy
Part II. ConfucianPhilosophy
4. AnInquiry intothe PossibilityofaThird-phase 51
DevelopmentofConfucianism
5.TheProblem ofHarmoniousCommunities in AncientChina 55
PartIII.DaoistPhilosophy
6.On theDaoDeJing(TaoTeChing) 61
7.TheOriginandCharacteristicsofDaoism(Taoism) 67
8.The Daoist Religion ofChina 8]
PartIV.Buddhistand ChristianPhilosophiesandChineseCulture
Q The Introduction ofIndian Buddhism intoChina? &9
A Perspective on the MeaningofStudies
in Comparative Philosophy and Comparative Religion
10.Relationships BetweenTraditional and Imported 139
ThoughtandCultureinChina:theImportation
of Buddhism
11.TheAttemptofMatteo Riccito LinkChineseand 147
WesternCultures
Appendices
A. CharacteristicsofTraditionalChinesePhilosophy: 161
An Outline
B.TheoriesofLifeandDeath inConfucianism, 165
Buddhism, and Daoism(Taoism): An Outline
C.TheEntryofIndianBuddhism intoChina: 169
the MergerofTwo Cultures: An Outline
D.Trends in the DevelopmentofContemporary 173
Chinese Philosophy: An Outline
Vocabulary 177
Index 181
Copyri
PREFACE
It is both an honor and a challenge to draft the Preface for this
volumeoftheEnglishlanguagewritingsofProf.TangYi-jie.The honor
derivesfrom the prestige oftheauthor; the challenge lies inadequately
expressing the importanceofhisworkat thisjuncture inthe historyof
Chines thoughtand life.
Prof. Tang Yi-jie was born on Jan. 15, 1927, in Tranjing to a
scholarlyfamilyofgreatdistinction.His lifehasbeen deeplymarked by
thegreatchangesinhiscountry, fromthetimeoftheentryoftheJapa-
nesearmies, throughthe great revolution,tothestrugglesofthecontin-
uing revolution,and more recentlythoseofthe lastdecade.
His personal dramaduring these years is graphically described in
the book by his wife, Yue Daiyun, Tothe Storm, written with Carolyn
Wakemen (Berkeley: Univ. ofCalifornia Press, 1985). Here Ishall focus
ratheron thesteps inthescholarly workof ProfessorTang, recognizing
thattheyhave beenoriented bythe needsofhis people.
In 1951 Tang Yi-jie graduated from the FacultyofPhilosophyof
Peking University, where he is now a professor of philosophy. In 1956
hetookup thestudyofcomparativemetaphysicsintheWei-Jinperiods,
layingfirmground-workinsuchbasicthemesassubstanceandfunction.
The deep learning of his Father, the foremost scholar in the field of
Buddhist studies, provided unique professional access to the Buddhist
scriptures.Withafewotherstudents,togethertheyexploredthe"myste-
rious learning."
Later, in 1978, Prof. Tang renewed these studies in a direction
which was to be the continuing theme of his subsequent work. In its
search formodernizationChina needed to assimilate ideas from abroad,
andthisneededtobedone inawaythatpromotedratherthandestroyed
thepeople. IntheChineseexperience onemajorexampleofthis wasthe
1000year long processofassimilating Buddhism. He set aboutstudying
this in detail with a view to discovering the conditions for effective
culturalassimilation ingeneral, and forConfucianculture in particular.
During the mid eighties this was complemented by studies in Daoism
(Taoism).
With these three components of Chinese culture: Confucianism,
Buddhism and Daoism (Taoism) in hand, Prof. Tang has turned more
recentlytotheway inwhichWestern thoughtcan makeapropercontri-
bution.ThisdirectedhisattentiontotheworkofMatteoRicciandother
scholarsofthatperiod.They pointed out the greatachievementofChi-
nese culture regarding the inner moral life of the person, both within
himorherselfandinrelationtoothersin thefamily,provinceornation.
But they note that the modern sense of the person depends upon an
additional horizon, namely, an outer transcendent in whose image all is
created. This gives firm grounds for human freedom, for this basis of
personalidentityisbeyondanythingmancangrantorremove.Furtheris
constitutes a dynamic combination of appreciation ofcreation and lack
offullsatisfactionwithwhateverhasbeenachievedthusfar:thisinturn
generates thedrivetoexplorenewavenues incooperation withothers.
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viii Preface
MatteoRiccisaw thisvisionasanecessarycomplementtoChinese
culture, and delineated a mutually complementary relation between
Confucianism and the Christian cultures of the West. This responds to
urgentpresentneeds.
The chapters of the present work reflect in a structured manner
thispatternoftheresearchofProf.Tang. In the introductorysection he
treatsthecategorialstructuresofChinesephilosophyandthemethodfor
its study. Next he studies the root Confucian and Daoist dimensions of
Chineseculture.
The introduction of Buddhism into China is then given special
attention inorder to bringout the waysinwhich it provedcomplemen-
taryand henceabletobeassimilated.The finalpaperisthemost recent;
ittreatstheworkofMatteo Ricciand hissuggestions fortherolewhich
Christianinsightscouldplay.
These chapters are, of course, but a reflection of the extended
Chinese writingsofProf. Tang.These includeGuo Xiang andtheMys-
terious Learning of the Wei-Jin Period, 1983; Daoism (Taoism) in the
Wei-JinPeriod, 1988;Confucianism,Daoism(Taoism) andBuddhismin
TraditionalChineseCulture, 1988;andoverahundredarticles.
Beyondallthis Prof.Tanghasfounded theInternationalAcademy
ofChinese Culture to playingthe essential role oflooking atonce back
into therootsofChinese identityand forward to the ways inwhich this
canlivemorefullyinnewtimes.Forhiscentralcontributiontobridging
thepastand the future, Prof.Tang was awardedan honorarydegree by
MacMastersUniversity in 1990.
It is particularly fitting thenthat his workshould be published as
partof the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy series: Cul-
tural HeritageandContemporary Life in EastAsia.Othervolumescon-
cern"Manand Nature,"and"The foundationofMoral Education in the
ChineseTradition." Othervolumesare in preparationand parallel series
in Eastern Europe, Africa, etc. For in a real senseall face an analogous
problemcharacteristicofthe humanconditioninourdays, namely, how
to move with dignity into the future. This volume reflects Prof. Tang's
lifeofrichresearchand hisdeepconcern to respondto thatquestion.
GeorgeF.McLean
Secretary,Councilfor
Researchin ValuesandPhilosophy
Washington,D.C. 20064
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INTRODUCTION
Though I had never dreamed of publishing a collection of my
papers in English this volume, entitled ChineseCulture and Confucian-
ism,Buddhism,Daoism(Taoism)andChristianity, isnowreadytogoto
press.Thepapersreflectthecurrenttrendtorelatethedifferentcultures
ofeach nationality, countryand region within abroader global culture.
In such a situation an understanding of Chinese culture becomes espe-
ciallyimportant.Thusfar,however,becauseitiswritteninChinesevery
few works on Chinese culture by scholars from mainland China have
beengenerallyavailable.Itismyhope thatbymakingsomeofthatwork
available in English this book can enable people outsideChina to know
both the workdone byChinese scholarsandspecificaspects ofChinese
culture.
The book isacollection ofsome of mypaperspublished inChina
between 1982and 1988andsomelecturesdeliveredoutsideChinaduring
the same period. It consists of four parts: Part I reflects my general
viewsregardingthestructure ofChinesephilosophyintermsofitscate-
goriesandtreatmentofthetrue,thegoodand thebeautiful,aswellasits
recentprogressand future prospects.PartIIismyevaluationofConfu-
cianism.Thearticleentitled"AnInquiryintothePossibilityoftheThird
Phase Development of Confucianism" was originally a lecture at The
Seventeenth World Congress of Philosophy, on the whole it represents
my viewpointofrecent years toward traditional Chinese philosophy. In
"The Problem of Harmonious Communities in Ancient China" I try to
sort out the positive and negative influence of Confucian philosophy
upon Chinese society and to indicate that the ideal of an harmonious
society can always heighten the spiritual level of people. Part IIIcon-
cerns thenative religionofChina, Daoism(Taoism),thestudyofwhich
helps highlight certain characteristics of Chinese culture. Part IVcon-
cernstheintroductionofBuddhismandChristianityintoChina.Thetwo
paperson the introduction ofBuddhism attempt to describe the impact
and dynamics ofthe introductionofa foreignculture. "The Attemptof
MatteoRicci to LinkChinese and Western Culture" concernsthe intro-
ductionofWesternculture intoChina.AsChina isstill facingproblem-
atictensionsbetweenforeignandtraditionalculturesthesestudiesofthe
introduction of Buddhismand Christianity into China may hold special
interest. The Appendices are outlines oftalks at the University of Ore-
gon.
In sum,all my research isaimedatexploring the problemofcul-
tural developmentata time when traditionalChinese culture is moving
towards modernization.
Because the papers and talks in this collection were written at in
differenttimesand translated into English bydifferentpeople thereare
inevitable variations in style and expression. Nevertheless, the text
promises toconvey well myoriginal ideas.
I am extremely grateful to all the friends and colleagues who
helped in the translation. My particular gratitude goes to Prof. George
McLeanwho tookthetroubletoeditthe book withattention to English
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2 Introduction
expression. I met Prof. McLean in August, 1984, at the Conference on
Asian and Comparative Philosophy in Hawaii. In Winter, 1986, Prof.
McLeanvisitedPekingUniversitywhereweplannedaJointColloquium
on"ManandNature" which washeld in Beijing in theSummerof 1987.
ThissuccessfulsymposiumhasbeenpublishedinbothChineseandEng-
lish versions (Beijing: Peking University Press, 1990; Washington, D.C.:
The Councilfor Research in Valuesand Philosophyand The University
Press of America, 1989). Further colloquia: on "Man and Society" with
the University ofPeking; on "Traditional Attitudesand Modernization"
with the Institute of Philosophy of the Shanghai Academy of Social
Sciences; and on "Confucianism and Christianity" with the Academyof
Chinese Culture are projected for the coming year and will constitute
future volumes intheseries. I wishalloftheseeffortsgreatsuccess.
Tang Yijie
StanfordUniversity
June20. 1990
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PART
I
THE STRUCTURE AND STUDY OF
CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
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