Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 425-437 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Philosophy Compass |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 27 Mar 2013 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Jian ai and the Mohist attack of early Confucianism. / CHIU, Wai Wai.
In: Philosophy Compass, Vol. 8, No. 5, 05.2013, p. 425-437.Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed)
TY - JOUR
T1 - Jian ai and the Mohist attack of early Confucianism
AU - CHIU, Wai Wai
PY - 2013/5
Y1 - 2013/5
N2 - In Chinese pre-Qin period, Mohism was the first school that challenged Confucianism. A common view is that Mohists attacked Confucianism by proposingjian ai, often translated as “universal love,” that opposes Confucian “graded love”. The Confucian-Mohist debate on ethics is often regarded as a debate between Mohist “universal love,” on the one hand; and Confucian emphasis on family and kinship, on the other. However, it is misleading to translate jian aias “universal love,” as it distorts our understanding of the debate. The word jian in classical Chinese means “inclusive,” not “impartial”. The Jian Ai chapters in the Mozi do not object to the idea that our moral practices ought to vary according to our relationship with others and their social positions. Furthermore, Mohist jian ai was not proposed in the first instance to refute Confucian ideas. The Confucian-Mohist debate should not be understood as a battle between nepotism and excessive insistence on impartiality, because both of them advocate that we should care for people in general and that we should maintain close relational ties.
AB - In Chinese pre-Qin period, Mohism was the first school that challenged Confucianism. A common view is that Mohists attacked Confucianism by proposingjian ai, often translated as “universal love,” that opposes Confucian “graded love”. The Confucian-Mohist debate on ethics is often regarded as a debate between Mohist “universal love,” on the one hand; and Confucian emphasis on family and kinship, on the other. However, it is misleading to translate jian aias “universal love,” as it distorts our understanding of the debate. The word jian in classical Chinese means “inclusive,” not “impartial”. The Jian Ai chapters in the Mozi do not object to the idea that our moral practices ought to vary according to our relationship with others and their social positions. Furthermore, Mohist jian ai was not proposed in the first instance to refute Confucian ideas. The Confucian-Mohist debate should not be understood as a battle between nepotism and excessive insistence on impartiality, because both of them advocate that we should care for people in general and that we should maintain close relational ties.
UR - http://commons.ln.edu.hk/sw_master/2200
U2 - 10.1111/phc3.12031
DO - 10.1111/phc3.12031
M3 - Journal Article (refereed)
VL - 8
SP - 425
EP - 437
JO - Philosophy Compass
JF - Philosophy Compass
SN - 1747-9991
IS - 5
ER -