A Short History of Chinese Philosophy

391 Pages·1948·13.269 MB·English

by  Fung Yu-lan, Derek Bodde

A SHORT
I
I
e
FUING YU-LAN
•
A SHORT HISTORY OF
CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
[The Chinese title by Mrs. Fang Chao-ying]
A SHORT HISTORY
OF CHINESE
PHILOSOP'HY
FUNG YU-LAN
Edited b1f Derk Boddc
TIlE FREE PRESS
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8 9 10
CONTENTS
'EDlTOR'S INTRODUCl'lON Xl
AUTIIOR'S PREFACE xix
CHAPTRR 1: 'l1IE SPIRIT OF CmNESE PIDLOSOPHY
Place of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization. Problem and
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, The Way in which the Chinese
Philosophers Expressed Themselves, The Language Barrier.
16
CHAPTER 2: TIm BACKGROUND OJ.' CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
Geographic Background of the Chinese People. Economic
Background of the Chinese People. Value of Agriculture.
"Reversal Is the Movement of Tao." Idealization of Na
ture. Family System. TIlis-worldIincss and Otllcr-worldliness.
Chinese Art and Poetry. The Methodology of Chinese Philos
ophy. Maritime Countries and Continental Countries. The
Permanent and the Changeable in Chinese Philosophy.
CHAPTER 3: Tim ORIGIN OF TIlE SCHOOLS 30
Ssu-ma T'an and the Six Schools. Liu Hsin and His Theory
of the Beginning of the Schools. A Revision of Liu Hsin's
TIICOry.
CHAPTER 4: CONFUCIUS, 'l1ffi FIRS'!' TEACHER 38
Confucius and the Six Classics. Confucius as an Educator.
The Rectification of Names. Human-heartedness and Right-
eousness. Chung and Shu. Knowing Ming. Coufucius' Spir-
itual Development. Confucins' Position in Chinese History.
5:
CHAPTER MO TZU, THE FIRST OPPONENT OF CONFUCIUS
Social Background of the Mohist School. Mo Tzn's Criticism
of Confucianism. All-embracing Love. TIle Will of God aud
Existence of Spirits. A Seeming Inconsistency. Origin of the
State.
u
CUAPTER 6: TIlE FIRS'!' PHASE OF TAOISM: YANG CliU 60
The Early Taoists and the Recluses. Yang Chll'S Fuuda
-mental Ideas. Illustrations of Yang Chu's Ideas. Yang Chu's
Ideas as Expressed in the Lao-tzu and Chllllllg./;W. Devel·
opment of Taoism.
CUAPTER,7: TIlE IDEAliSTIC WING OF CONFUCIANISM;
MENClUS 68
The Goodness of Human Nature. Fundamental Difference
between Confucianism and Mohism. Political Philosophy.
Mysticism.
CHAPTER 8: THE SCHOOL OF NAMES 80
1'lie School of Names and the "Debaters." Hui Shih's The-
ory of Relativity. Kung-sun Lung's Theory of Universals. Sig-
nificance of the Theories of Hui Shih and Kung-sun Lung.
"
CH,AI'TER 9: TIIE SECOND PHASE OF TAOISM: LAO TZU 93
Lao Tzu the Man and Lao-t:zu the Book. Tao, the Unnam·
able. The Invariable Law of Nature. Human Conduct. Po-
litical Theory.
CHAPTER 10: THE THIRD PHASE OF TAOISM: CHUANG nu 104
Chuang Tzu the Man and Chuang-tw the Book. Way of
Achieving Relalive Happiness. Political ,md Social Philos-
ophy. Emotion and Reason. Way of Achieving Absolute
Happiness. The Finite Point of View. The Higher Point of
View. Knowledge of the Higher Level. Methodology of
Mysticism.
CHAPTER 11; THE LATER MomSTS u8
Discussions on Knowledge and Names. Discussions on Dia·
lectic. Clarification of All-embracing Love. Defense of All
embracing Love. Criticism of Other Schools.
CHAPTER 12: THE Yin-Yang SCHOOL AND EARLY cmNESE
COSMOGONY 129
The Six Classes of Occult Arts. The Five Elements as De-
scnbed in the "Grand Nann." The "Monthly Commands."
TSOl1 Yen. A l)hilosophy of IIislory. The Yilt and Y( fng Prin
ciples as Described in the "Appendices" of the Book of
Clzangc6'.
r
CHAPTER 1 nm REALIS'l1C WING m' CONFUCIANISM: 1{
HSUNTZU
Position of Man.TIlcOlY of Human Nature. Origin of Moral
ity. Theory of Rites and Music. Logical Thcories. Fallacies of
Other Schools.
CHAPTER 14: HAN FEI TZU AND TIlE LEGALIST SCHOOL 15 ~
Social Background of thc Legalists. Han Fci Tzu, the Syn-
thesizer of the Legalist SchooL Legalist Philosophy of His-
tory. Way of Government. Legalism and Taoism. Legalism
and Confucianism.
CHAPTER 15: CONFUCIANIST METAPHYSICS 161:
The Principles of Things. The Tao of the Production of
Things. The Tao of the Transformation of Things. The
Mean and HamJony. The Common and the Ordinary. En
lightenment and Perfection.
CHAPTER 16: WORLD POLITICS AND WORLD PHILOSOPHY 1078
Political Conditions Preceding the Unification by Ch'in.
The Unification of China. Thc Great Leaming. Eclectic
Tendency in the Hsiin-tzu. Eclcctic Tendency in the
Chuang.t~u. Eclccticism of Ssu-ma T'an and Lin Hsin.
CHAPTER 17: THEORIZER OF THE HAN EMPmE: TUNG
CHUNG-SHU
TIle Amalgamation of the Yin.Yang and Confucianist
Schools. Cosmological Theory. Theory of Human Nature.
Social Ethics. Political Philosophy. Philosophy of History.
Interpretation of the Ch'un Ch'iu. Three St~es of Social I
Pro~ess.
CHAPTER 18: THE ASCENDANCY OF CONFUCIANISM AND
REVIVAL OF TAOISM 204
The Unification of 'Ibought. The Position of Confucius in
Han Thought. The Controversy of the Old and New Text
Schools. Yang Hsil.lng and Wang Ch'Ullg. Taoism and
Buddhism. Political and Social llackground.
CHA.PTER 19: NEo-TAOISM: THE RATIONALISTS
The Revival of Interest in the School of Names. A Reinter
pretation of Confucius. Hsiang IIsiu llIld Kuo lhiung. The
Tao is "Nothing." TIle "Self-trnnsfonnution" of 111illg\.
Institutions and Morals. Yu-wei and Wu·wei. Knowledge
and Imitation. The Equality of TIlings. Absolnte Frecdom
and Absolute Happiness.
CHAPTER 20: NEo-TAOISM: THE SENTIMENTALISTS 231
Fang Liu and the Romantic Spirit. "Yang Chu's Garden of
'Pitasure." Living According to Impulse. The Emotional
Factor. The Factor of Sex.
Clt\P'l'Elt 21: TIlE FOUNDATION OF CHINESE llUDDIIISM 241
hrtroduction and Development of Buddhism in China. Cen
eral Concepts of Buddhism. The Theory of Double Truth.
Philosophy of Seng-chao. Philosophy of Tao-shcng.
255
CHAPTER 22: CH' ANlSM, 'fllll PHILOSOPHY Ok' SILENCll
Traditional Account of the Origin of Ch'nnism. The First
Principle is Inexpressible. Method of Cultivation. Sudden
Enlightenment. The Attainment of Non-attainment.
CHAPTER 23: mO-CONFUCIANlSM: TIlE COSMOLOGISTS 266
Han Yn and Li Ao. Cosmology of Chou 1\m-yi. Method of
Spiritual Cultivation. Cosmology of Shao Yung. Law of the
Evolution of Things. Cosmology of Chang Tsai.
JHA.P1'll.R 24: NEO-CONI'UCIANlSM: 'ffIE BEGINNING OF mE
TWO SCHOOLS 281
Ch'eng Hao's Idea of Jen. Origin of the Ch'eng-Chu Idea of
Li. Ch'eng Yi's Concept of Li. Method of Dealing with the
Emotions. The Seareh for Happiness.
C () Nl' E NT S 1:
CIIAP'n:R 25: Nl':O CONi"!ICIANISM: '1111: SCllOOL (lI'
I'LATONIC lDEAS
Position of Chu ITsi in Chinese lIistllfY. Li or Principle.
Tai Chi or the Supreme Ultim:ltc. Ch'j or Maller. N:ltnrc
and Mind. Polilical Philosophy. Mclhod of Spilitnnl Cnlti·
vation.
CHAPTER 26: NEO-CONFUCIANISM: THE SCHOOL 01' UNIVIlR·
SAL MIND
Ln Chiu-yiian's Conception of the Mind. Wang Shon-jen's
Conception of the Univcrse. "The Illustrious Virtue." In
tuitive Knowledge. "TIle Rectification of Affairs." Atten
tiveness of the Mind. Criticism of Buddhism.
CHAPTER 27: THE INTRODUCI10N OF WESTERN PHILOSOPllY 319
Reaction Against Neo·Confucianism. Movement for a Con-
fucian Religion. Introduction of Western Thought. Intro-
duction or Western P1lilosophy.
CHAPTER 28: cmNESE PHILOSOPHY IN THE MODERN WOl\LD 332
The Philosopher and the Historian of Philosophy. Philo-
sophical Production in Wartime. 11lC Nalure of Philosophy.
TI1C Spheres of Living. TIle Methodology of Metaphysics.
DIDLIOGRAPHY 343
INDEX