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Art, Labor, and Ecology in Han Song’s “Regenerated Bricks” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2023-02-10 Ban Wang
Revisiting the romantic and ecological insights into artistic labor and Homo faber of embodied practice, this essay examines Han Song’s 2010 novella “Regenerated Bricks” (“Zaisheng zhuan”). The narrative depicts how the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake, guided by an architect, produce a brick by using the debris, straw, and corpses. Regenerating lives and hopes of the victims and furnishing material
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Discourses of Disease Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2023-02-10 Carlos Rojas
Through a discussion of several recent novels by Hu Fayun, Bi Shumin, and Yan Lianke—including Hu’s 2005 novel Such Is This World@SARS.come ( Ruyan@SARS.come); Bi’s 2003 novel Saving the Breast (Zhengjiu rufang) and her 2012 novel Coronavirus (Huaguan bingdu); and Yan’s 1998 novel Streams of Time (Riguang liunian), his 2004 novel Lenin’s Kisses (Shouhuo), and his 2006 novel Dream of Ding Village (Dingzhuang
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A Sickman’s Diary Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2023-02-10 Jane Yang
A hilarious parody of Lu Xun’s modern 1918 classic “A Madman’s Diary,” this short story is a political allegory that satirizes surveillance monitoring under the veil of surgical masks. Readers may also enjoy hearing what happened to the protagonist afterward: Having experienced the first lockdown in City W two years ago, Mr. C. went to Cities X and S, where he was again quarantined each time. Recently
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Love in the Time of Coronavirus Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2023-02-10 Ho Fuk Yan Translated by, Teresa Shen
These five poems have been selected from Ho Fuk Yan’s 2021 poetry anthology Love in the Time of Coronavirus. They were written in 2020, along with the development of the pandemic that started to affect everyone in the world. It is noteworthy that the poet does not simply want to record the current events, but rather aims to achieve a balance between what happens in reality and what happens in our consciousness
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Four Poems from the Year of Calamity Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2023-02-10 Mi Jialu Translated by, Steve Bradbury
These four poems by Mi Jialu were written during the heyday of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 as the virus swept around the world. They document the human condition of suffering, vulnerability, and helplessness while also expressing the irresistible longing for freedom, hope, and healing. Through meditating on samsara and nirvana, these poems seek to evoke a more spiritual aura of awakening and illumination
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“Such Great Sights” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2022-10-03 Virginia L. Conn
By considering the aesthetic absence of labor in Ye Yonglie’s Little Smarty Travels to the Future, this essay considers the ways in which Ye’s illustrated children’s book calls readers to help create a utopian post-scarcity society that both patronizes physical labor as beneath the dignity of utopian citizens while also being founded on other classes of labor that it renders invisible. In particular
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Eight Poems Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2022-10-03 Translated by Zhang Zhihao, Yuemin He
With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in spring, the first four poems are perfect for the occasion. They express the poet’s passionate love for his deceased parents from an erstwhile time and on a rural homestead. The other four poems reflect on what’s unfolding currently—regional dietary choices, Mongolia’s “sheep diplomacy,” returning home after a day’s work, and new year thoughts. Whether reminiscing
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“Affairs” and the Actual World Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2021-10-29 Yang Guorong
Abstract The actual world, which surpasses the original state of being, consists in “affairs” (shi). Affairs can be understood as human activity and its outcomes. From the perspective of an abstract metaphysics, “things” (wu) appear to be independent of affairs and to possess ontological priority. However, through properly understanding the actual world we see that in fact affairs manifest the more
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Humanity: Existing Through “Affairs” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2021-10-29 Yang Guorong
Abstract As human activity in the broad sense, affairs unfold through the entirety of the processes of human being. They are also intrinsic to each aspect of human being. Through affairs, humans create heaven and earth anew and thereby reconstruct being. Affairs are interconnected with action and manifest the essential human powers in which emotional attachments participate. The mark of action and
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On Bertrand Russell’s Enlightening Thought Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2021-06-02 Shan Chun
Abstract Bertrand Russell was a renowned thinker who has exerted great influence over the Western intellectual circles of the 20th century. In particular, his criticism and reflections on Western religious traditions have become important symbols of contemporary Enlightenment. He deepened the past scholars’ accomplishments in sociology, anthropology, and psychology into atheistic views, through which
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A Critical Analysis of Russell's Epistemology Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2021-06-02 Ng Yu-kwan, [Wu Rujun 吳汝鈞]
abstract Mou Zongsan used to say that in Western philosophy there exist three different traditions. The first is the tradition of Plato and Aristoteles, the second is the tradition of Kant and Hegel, and the last is the tradition of Leibniz and Russell. I am afraid, however, that this kind of interpretation is already outdated and incapable of encompassing the rich variegations of Western philosophy
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Why Had Russell Not Written Any Books on Aesthetics? Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2021-06-02 Ding Zijiang, 丁 子江
Abstract Bertrand Russell, the great philosopher, was extremely prolific in various fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, mathematical logic and mathematical philosophy, linguistic philosophy, ethics, epistemology, and social and political philosophy, but left little legacy in aesthetics. Some scholars regretted that “If the 20th-century had seen any polymath, Russell is the one. The only branch
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Seeking Understanding Through Reflection Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Chen Jiaying
Editors’ abstract The first part of Chen’s paper illustrates the fact that reasons contained in common sense serve an explanatory role fairly well for everyday living. The inadequacy of commonsensical explanations for abnormal cases, however, breeds the desire to seek a unified explanation for all cases. Philosopher-scientists, as Chen characterizes them, hold the conviction that such an explanation
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On Dianoesis-Argumentation Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Chen Jiaying
Editors’ Abstract In this paper, Chen aims to elucidate the nature of dianoesis, starting from the basic fact that we already hold a certain belief before we begin to argue for it. It concludes that what dianoesis endeavors to achieve is the understanding of ways-and-patterns of things, so that our scattered understanding gets connected. The author then addresses frequent misconceptions about the nature
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A Philosopher Reigneth Not Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Chen Jiaying
Editors’ Abstract In this article, Chen addresses the political relevance of political philosophy, cautioning against direct application of philosophy in real politics. Rather than bring about good politics, a philosopher-king leads to terrible cultural life, for in such a political setting philosophy cannot but turn into ideology. A better way to understand such relevance is to think from the middle
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The Establishment of the Suburban Sacrifice Rituals During the Western Han1 Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-04-02 Kan Huai-chen
Editor’s Abstract This essay draws on the suburban sacrifice ritual to explicate in detail how Confucianism became the state religion by reforming the ritual system as a justification of the political system holding the Emperor as the central and highest authority.
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The Origins of Zha Changping’s World Relational Aesthetics Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Shi Chenggang
Abstract This paper traces the origins of Zha Changping’s theory of world relational aesthetics to earlier works in which Zha began developing the “world-picture logic” theoretical framework. It takes into consideration Zha’s various identities including his Christian public intellectual and ecclesiastical ones.
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The Logical Framework for Humanist Criticism: The Foundations of the World-Picture Logic Mode of Critique1 Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2020-01-02 Zha Changping
Abstract This paper presents the philosophical and theological underpinnings of the so-called “world-picture logic” mode of critique. It also outlines the arguments—empirical, transcendental and creationist—upon which the aesthetic framework depends that has the world relational picture as its object. By laying out these arguments and inquiring into the nature of what is human, it sketches the relational
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Yang Zhu Research in the Twentieth Century: With a Focus on Guo Moruo, Meng Wentong, Hou Wailu, and Liu Zehua Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Feng Cao
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Yang Zhu in the Eyes of Kang Youwei Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Yixia Wei
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The Emergence and Evolution of Yang Zhu as a “Heretic” Symbol Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Yucheng Li
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From “Beast” to “Philosopher of Rights”: On the Newly Shaped Modern Structure of Yangism Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Aiguo He
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The Thought of Yang Zhu in the History of Laozi’s Thought: Along with a Discussion of the Authenticity of the Liezi Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Gusheng Liu,Haijie Li
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A Secondary Figure in the “World of Classics”: An Analysis of Yang Zhu’s Image Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-10-02 Shaoming Chen
Despite the reputation Yang Zhu seemed to enjoy once upon a time, there is no warranted information or textual source regarding him or his teachings. However, this shadowy figure often appears in c...
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One Movement, Many Voices: May Fourth After One Hundred Years Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Tze-ki Hon
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“Moonlight Reflected on Many Thousands of Rivers”: The Communicative Circuit of May Fourth Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Qing Zhang
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From Nation-State to “New Civilization”: Li Dazhao in the May Fourth Period Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Lian Duan
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Bring Tianxia Back: An Interpretation of May Fourth Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2019-04-03 Zhitian Luo
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Zhu Xi’s Study of the Chuci and the Tradition of Confucian Aesthetics Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Chen Chao-ying
Abstract Zhu Xi regarded the Chuci as highly as the Shijing. The author argues that Zhu’s positive reading of Chuci turned on the author Qu Yuan’s (Confucian) patriotic intent but neglected the cultural background of Chu and alchemical Daoism. Zhu’s didacticism led him to take the non-Confucian cultural imagery as metaphor.
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New Challenge and New Significance for Zhu Xi’s Doctrine of “liyi fenshu” in the Age of Globalization Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Huang Chun-chieh
AbstractZhu’s doctrine of “liyi fenshu” shows the balanced ecological transmission of pattern among phenomena. However, used as an ideology it becomes a tool of the central authority. The author ta...
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Neo-Confucian Shinto Thought in Early Tokugawa Zhu Xi Studies: Comparing the Work of Hayashi Razan and Yamazaki Ansai Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Chang Kun-chiang
AbstractThe author examines some Confucian-trained Tokugawa Japanese scholars who were concerned about the deleterious impact of Buddhism on native Shinto thought and practice. Several leading Conf...
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On the Relationship Between Philosophical Constructions and Interpretations of the Classics with a Focus on Zhu Xi’s Interpretation of the Four Books Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-10-02 Chun-chieh Huang
AbstractThis chapter examines the tension between philosophical construction and classical interpretation. It analyses Zhu Xi’s very specific philosophical interpretations of early classics, such a...
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Confucian Liberalism’s Judgment of “New Confucian Religion” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-04-03 Huang Yushun
Editor’s Abstract In this essay (adapted from a lecture), Huang Yushun rejects what he calls the trend toward “New Confucian Religion” (xin rujiao), emphasizing the ways that Confucianism as a secular, lived philosophy must develop in the modern world. Echoing Li Minghui's claim that Confucianism and liberalism are compatible, Huang advocates “Confucian liberalism” (rujia ziyouzhuyi) and criticizes
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Sinology, Sinologism, and New Sinology Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-01-02 Ming Dong Gu, Xian Zhou
Abstract Sinologism 汉学主义is a recent cultural theory that focuses on Sinology, China–West studies, and cross-cultural knowledge production. Since its proposition at the turn of the 21st century, it has aroused substantial interest and given rise to discussions and debates both in and outside China. The special issue has selected seven articles in full or excerpted form to offer an initial introduction
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A Critical Review of Sinologism Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2018-01-02 Xifang Zhao
Editors’ Abstract This article reviews the theory of Sinologism as proposed by Zhou Ning and Ming Dong Gu and critically examines its similarities to and differences from Orientalism and Postcolonialism. It applauds the move to replace political and ideological critique with the idea of “cultural unconscious” as more meaningful than simply borrowing ideas and methodologies from early theories. While
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The “Five Teachings” and “Bright Virtue” in Shun Culture” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2017-10-02 Shang Hengyuan
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This article attempts to demonstrate the practical relevance of Shun Culture and the values it embodies for the rejuvenation of China. The author focuses on the social relevance of family relationships through concepts such as justice, loyalty, and filial piety, and the political relevance of ruling virtuously.
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“There Are Four Greats in the Realm”: Looking at the Evolution of the Laozi Text with Respect to Different Orderings of the “Four Greats” Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2017-07-03 Chen Jing
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This paper discusses the two different versions of section 25 of the received Laozi concerning the “four greats in the realm,” one beginning with “the Way is great” and the other with “heaven is great.” While both can be textually supported, this paper argues that the latter is not an error, but rather belongs to an early version of the Laozi. The transmitted edition, however, begins
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A New Explanation of the Order of Parts in the Laozi Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2017-07-03 Liao Mingchun, Li Cheng
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This paper argues that we cannot determine with certainty the sequence of the two parts of the Laozi text: “Way” (Dao) and “Virtue” (De). These two parts (pian) were originally written independently by Lao Zi and in an uncertain chronological order. They originally circulated separately, and were later combined differently by various editors. Thus emerged the two Laozi versions: The
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“I Lost Myself”: A Classical Idea of the Self Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2017-04-03 Chen Shaoming
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This is a reflection on the notion of “self,” primarily on the basis of a story in the Zhuangzi in which the protagonist claims: “I lost myself.” Chen first reiterates the grammatical differences between the uses of 吾 (wu) and 我 (wo), and continues with a reflection on their philosophical meaning. He argues that the notion of “wo” is more spatial, connected to the body, and distinguished
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The Institution of Church and State as One—An Analysis of Rousseau’s Political Philosophy Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2017-01-02 Zhu Xueqin
EDITORS’ ABSTRACT In this article, Zhu Xueqin provides an overall view of Rousseau’s political philosophy as he discusses Rousseau’s notion of the general will, the social contract, and the differences between Rousseau and thinkers such as Hobbes and Locke. Zhu argues that Rousseau’s political philosophy is deeply flawed as it advocates a moralization of politics that seeks to build a heavenly kingdom
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Shang Yang as a Historical Personality and as a Symbol Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2016-04-02 Zeng Zhenyu
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This article gives an overview of Shang Yang portrayals in four stages: from Han Fei’s sympathetic yet balanced assessment, passing over a variety of conflicting Han views, skipping through “the two millennia of vilification” to Zhang Taiyan’s (1869–1936) rediscovery of Shang Yang, and ending up at the Shang Yang fervor of the 1970s. Zeng shows how the figure of Shang Yang keeps popping
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Book of Lord Shang and Elevation of Confucianism in the Han—Including the Discussion of the Conflict Between Shang Yang, His School, and the Confucians Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2016-04-02 Li Cunshan
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This article presents a counterintuitive view that the rise of Confucianism in the Han dynasty is indebted to the Book of Lord Shang. It analyzes chapter 7, “Opening the blocked,” and shows that the chapter can be read as promoting a combination of force and morality. The sophisticated historical view of this chapter solves apparent contradictions between societies based on family
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On the Composition of the “Attracting the People” Chapter of the Book of Lord Shang Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2016-04-02 Tong Weimin
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT This article argues on the basis of internal and external evidence that chapter 15 “Attracting the people” (Lai min) was written by a follower of Shang Yang in the later years of King Zhao of Qin (r. 306–251 BCE). While the idea of attracting immigrants can be traced back to Shang Yang himself, the article dates the chapter seventy-eight years after his death (i.e., after the end
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“New Qing History”: An Example of “New Imperialist” History Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2016-01-02 Li Zhiting
EDITOR’S ABSTRACT Seeing New Qing History as a “malicious attack on a sovereign country” by “Western imperialists,” Li explicitly differentiates between a “wrong” and a “right” perspective on Qing history. In his view, the only legitimate standpoint is one that takes the People’s Republic of China’s territorial reach and “ethnic unity” as a necessary and natural result of history.
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Recent Additions to the New Qing History Debate Chinese Literature and Thought Today (IF 0.1) Pub Date : 2016-01-02 Mario Cams
ABSTRACT This introduction gives a brief overview of the articles included in this issue. It also briefly introduces both the general context of the New Qing History debate and its recent development.