Thinking through Confucian modernity : a study of Mou Zongsan's moral metaphysics / by Sébastien Billioud.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Billioud, Sébastien.

Series:

Modern Chinese philosophy ; v. 5.

Modern Chinese philosophy ; v. 5

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mou, Zongsan.

Metaphysics.

Ethics--China.

Ethics.

China.

Philosophy, Chinese--20th century.

Philosophy, Chinese.

Neo-Confucianism.

Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804.

Kant, Immanuel.

Physical Description:

xii, 255 pages ; 25 cm.

Other Title:

Study of Mou Zongsan's moral metaphysics

Place of Publication:

Leiden [The Netherlands] ; Boston : Brill, [2012]

Summary:

Billioud (Chinese civilization, U. Paris Diderot) presents an intentionally limited study of 20th Century Chinese philosopher Mou Zongsan. Billious limits himself by focusing on the encounter between Confucian and Western philosophical traditions that Zongsan's work represents, but also Zongsan's "moral metaphysics". A major interlocutor for Zongsan is Immanuel Kant, whose "metaphysics as morals" though opposing project for Zongsan. Much of this book is therefore focused on Zongsan's conception of a "moral subject" and understanding the autonomy of that subject as a Confucian rather than Kantian project. Billioud also examines Zongsan's Confucian approach to the thing-in-itself as opposed to Kant's more esoteric "transcendental object X". Other chapters focus on Zongsang's relationship with other more contemporary philosophers, including Heidegger and Levinas. While Zongsan avails himself of Buddhist techniques and conceptual tools, Billioud only deals with these cursorily. The last two chapters focus on the role and importance of moral feelings, otherwise neglected by Kant, and self-cultivation as a practical approach to enlightenment. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction 1

Mou Zongsan's Intellectual Itinerary: A Few Elements 4

Mou Zongsan and Kant 9

Mou Zongsan's Buddhist "Toolkit": "Common Space of Evaluation" and Integration of Teachings 15

Contribution and Limitations of the Current Work 20

Chapter 1 Setting the Ground for a True Autonomy of the Moral Subject 25

Preliminary Remarks on the Moral Subject in Mou Zongsan's Philosophy 26

Subjectivity and the Variety of Confucian Traditions 34

1 The Zhu Xi-Cheng Yi School 36

2 The Lu Xiangshan-Wang Yangming School 38

3 The Zhang Zai-Cheng Hao-Hu Hong-Liu Zongzhou School 41

4 Concluding Remarks About Mou Zongsan's Interpretation of Confucian Orthodoxy 43

Autonomy of the Will in Kantian Philosophy: Mou Zongsan's Critique 45

1 Mou Zongsan's Fundamental Critique of Kant's Approach (Metaphysics of Morals Versus Moral Metaphysics) 49

2 Mou Zongsan's Rejection of Kantian Transcendentalism in the Field of Practical Philosophy 50

3 Further Discussion on the Meaning of the Postulate of Practical Reason 54

The Affirmation of an Autonomous Moral Subject in Confucianism 60

Chapter 2 Appropriating a Pivotal Concept: Intellectual Intuition 69

Intellectual Intuition as the Emblematic Concept of a Revisited Chinese Tradition 70

Ordinary Knowledge and Moral Knowledge: An Ancient Question in Chinese Thought 76

Importance of the Concept of Intellectual Intuition in the History of Western Philosophy and Mou Zongsan's "Deliberate Silence" on the Matter 81

Intellectual Intuition as a Principle of "Ontological Creative Actualization" 89

Chapter 3 Intellectual Intuition and Thing-in-Itself: Preserving the Possibility of a "Transcendent Metaphysics" 93

The Meaning of the Concept of Thing-in-Itself in the Philosophy of Mou Zongsan 96

1 Mou Zongsan's Analysis of the Kantian Thing-in-Itself 96

2 The Sense of Value Ascribed by Mou Zongsan to Thing-in-Itself 99

3 The Different Dimensions of the Concept of Thing-in-Itself 102

The Problematic Transcendental Object X 109

1 Transcendental Object X and Speculative Knowledge: How Mou Zongsan Accepts the Heideggerian Interpretation of Kant's Thought 111

2 Clarification of Kant's Position Regarding Object X, Which Can in No Way Be Grasped Through Intellectual Intuition 113

3 The Divergent Understandings of Transcendental Object X by Mou Zongsan and Heidegger Reveals Fundamental Differences in Their Philosophies 118

Chapter 4 Rethinking Fundamental Ontology 123

Presentation of the Reference to Heidegger in Mou Zongsan's Reflection on Fundamental Ontology 124

Ontology, Transcendental Imagination, and Practical Reason: A Critique of Heidegger 130

Fundamental Ontology as a "Detached Ontology" 139

Fundamental Ontology from a Confucian Perspective 144

"Is Ontology Fundamental?" 155

Chapter 5 Moral Emotions and "Inter-Affectation" 161

Criticizing Kant 161

Reaffirming the Value of Emotions in "Orthodox Confucianism" and Criticizing Zhu Xi 168

Rearticulating the Autonomy and the Unity of the Moral Subject 176

From Moral Feeling to "Inter-Affectation" and "Inter-Subjectivity" 183

Mou Zongsan's Thought on Inter-Affectation and Contemporary Philosophical Discussions: A Few Preliminary Reflections 188

Chapter 6 Self-Cultivation 195

Mou Zongsan's Understanding of Self-Cultivation Traditions: A Presentation 197

1 Two Main Types of Gongfu 198

2 Purity of a Fully Formed Moral Mind 201

3 Mou Zongsan's Central Gongfu: Retrospective Verification (Nijue Tizheng) 205

An Attempt to Describe the Self-Cultivation Process 207

1 The Heart/Mind is Naturally Active 207

2 Retrospective Verification and Self-Consciousness 210

3 Dynamism of the Heart/Mind and the Issue of Integration of Experience 212

4 Nijue, Integration Process, Heaviness of Sensibility 215

The Problem of Rupture in Moral Life: Sudden Awakening and Sudden/Gradual Paradigm in Mou Zongsan's Thought 218

1 Introducing Some Notions: Awareness (Wu) and Sudden Awakening (Dunwu) 218

2 The Problem with Sagehood/Sainthood 228

Concluding Remarks 231.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9789004215535

9004215530

OCLC:

746316028