Hoyt Cleveland Tillman

Zhang Shi’s Philosophical Perspectives on Human Nature, Heart/Mind, Humaneness, and the Supreme Ultimate

Zhang Shi 張栻 (1133–1180; also known by his courtesy names Jingfu 敬夫 or Qinfu 欽夫, as well as his literary name Nanxuan or Nanxian 南軒) was an important Song thinker who continued the philosophical tradition of Cheng Hao and Hu Hong, and maintained significant intellectual exchanges with ZHu Xi for almost two decades. Moreover, Zhang was one of the few twelfth-century philosophers to be included with ZHu Xi in the official 1345 Song History(Song shi 宋史) special category of “learning of the way” (daoxue 道學) Confucians, which had already in 1241 attained special endorsement as orthodoxy by the Southern Song government. A longstanding summary judgment articulated by Quan Zuwang 全祖望 (1705–1775) about Zhang’s ideas still echoes among many China scholars: Zhang Shi was like Cheng Hao, and ZHu Xi was like Cheng Yi (Huang and Quan 1986: 50.1609).

Reassessing Du Fu's Line On Zhuge Liang

杜甫書寫有關諸葛亮的詩文，全都完成於他遊歷四川各地八年間。假使諸葛 亮當時已擁有全國知名英雄的地位，為何杜甫這種深切的情感，僅僅暴露在 他旅居四川八年的時期？杜甫居住在中國其他地區時，為何沒有類似的表現 ？再者，杜甫一方面讚揚諸葛亮的榮譽與普遍性，另一方面悲嘆諸葛亮的廟 社荒蕪失修，又是很明顯的矛盾。筆者並不否認諸葛亮在唐代很出名，但是 據本篇論文的研究結果，宋代以來的學者用杜甫的詩句來證明諸葛亮為唐代 全國的英雄不太切實。

Modernizing Tradition or Restoring Antiquity as Confucian Alternatives: A View from Reading Wedding Rituals in Contemporary China

This article explores the range of stances within the revival of Confucian ritual in China today. Symbols are a touchstone for disagreement among non-state intellectuals who have constructed new Confucian wedding ceremonies. Intellectuals contest each other’s selection of historical sources, especially as indicators of the importance of the family and/or interpretations of Confucianism. Zhang Xianglong and Zhu Jieren or chestrated these rituals as a way to impart their visions of Chinese family values onto their children, whereas Lei Bo and his bride constructed their own wedding based on their Ph.D. studies and activism as new Confucians. Peking University Professor Zhang’s ritual draws upon naturalistic Daoist geomancy and openly invites the sanction of Confucian dignitaries to endorse his formulation of ancient Chinese culture. Lei Bo looks especially to 11th-century philosopher Zhang Zai in his formulation of “Heideggerian Confucianism,” which recognizes the importance of cosmology to achieve true personhood. East China Normal University Press editor Zhu Jieren subordinates aesthetics to ancient text, and only reconstructs an ancient cupping ritual because it is based on ancient texts; his elimination of non-textual elements has the overall effect of recognizing contemporary gender equality in Shanghai in ways that tend to offend other new Confucians. These contemporary intellectuals disagree regarding not only the semiotics of imminent naturalistic elements to reconstruct the historical contexts of wedding ceremonies, but also the degree to which contemporary Confucianism should be a cosmological or social construction.

Ghosts, Gods, and the Ritual Practice of Local Officials during the Song: With a Focus on Zhu Xi in Nankang Prefecture

Research on Song-era scholar-officials’ interactions with ghosts and spirits/gods (guishen 鬼神) has advanced in recent years. Earlier, such leading scholars as Qian Mu and Joseph Needham solidified the mainstream view of how Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130–1200) used the terms “ghosts and spirits” to discuss the contractive (gui) and expansive (shen) forces in the universe, and thus enhanced the comprehensive scope of his natural philosophy and systematic metaphysics.1 Specialists on Chinese religion and society, such as Valerie Hansen, Judith Boltz, Edward Davis, Richard von Glahn, and Liao Hsienhuei, have significantly enhanced our understanding of topics, such as how scholar-officials sought to deal with ghosts who might haunt them or bring

Does Confucianism have a role in East Asian economy, social networks and civil society? Some reflections from the perspective of the song era and the 20th century∗

We might reflect on a possible role for Confucianism in the development of East Asian economy, social networks and civil society today from an overview of the cultural developments during the Song (960-1279) era and the 20th century because of what we might learn from reflecting on some general parallels in the challenges encountered. For instance, along with the unprecedented growth in the market economy during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, China experienced an enhanced degree of intellectual, cultural and religious diversity. While older traditions of Daoist religions continued, new sects such as Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism emerged, eagerly synthesizing diverse Chinese ideas and values in an effort to preserve as much as possible of Chinese cultural values and traditions. Buddhism continued to be a major influence among intellectuals, especially a syncretic literati-oriented development within Chan (wenzi Chan). For the first time in about a thousand years, Chinese scholar-officials in significant numbers identified themselves primarily with traditions and texts associated with Kongzi, Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.), to such a degree that many scholars have focused on this renaissance of Confucianism as the most compelling and distinctive development of the era. Even within Confucianism, however, there was

The Cultivation of Sagehood as a Religious Goal in Neo-Confucianism: A Study of Selected Writings of Kao P'an-lung, 1562-1626

This study comes with a double agenda. First, it makes available in English translation a modest selection of Kaos writings and introduces them to the reader in the context of his life and work. The cultivation of sagehood in Kaos life guides the selection of materials considered. This descriptive purpose is served well. Kao, for some time the director of the Tung-lin Academy, is clearly no heavy-weight in the Chinese philosophical tradition. Be that as it may, this study places Kao in context, both philosophically and politically. This, together with the short texts translated, provides one more handy and accessible reference point for tracking the transmission and development of the neo-Confucian tradition during the late Ming.