The examination of human nature has long been a pivot of Chinese philosophies, with diversified arguments being in contention on human nature is good, evil, neutral, or mixed with good and evil. As a representative of contemporary new Confucianism, Tang Junyi 唐君毅 holds the view inherited from the tradition of Mencius that human nature is good. The current academia has intensely researched his moral philosophies, but personally, his good human nature theory requires some more consolidation. This thesis adopts a four-step (...) model: metaphysical ground, arguments on why human nature is good, reconciliation of evilness, and cultivation practice. I hope this thesis could provide a satisfactory analysis of Tang’s human nature theory and supplements the current research by answering some questions. Goodness has an essential value in Tang’s entire philosophy in that it grounds on the cosmological truth and a metaphysical noumenon of mind. Tang adopts moral feelings under self-reflection as an intermediary in between to make the hanging value touchable. Speculatively, Tang argues for the naturalness and immediacy of moral feelings to strengthen the link to human nature. He interprets amorality and evilness in the way of goodness and appeals that they initially serve goodness. Practically, Tang admits the limitation of language and advocates cultivation as a necessary prescription to assist the understanding of good human nature. Furthermore, three significant attributes may enhance our understanding of Tang’s theory. Transcendence, the particular Tang type, is an innovative explanation of goodness that enlarges the purview of goodness, making the theory down to earth, but also exposes the danger of overtolerance of immorality. Interaction allows the transformation of moral feelings from near to far and further contributes to the manifestation of the noumenon of mind. The unity of knowing and doing makes cultivation a significant component of good human nature theory, without which one could only stop at the level of empty talk. (shrink)

The principal-principal problem is a salient corporate governance issue for emerging market firms. Extant literature on the P-P perspective discussed the unilateral expropriation from the controlling to the minority shareholders. In this study, we describe and test the consequence of a different form of P-P problem caused by the coordination and bargaining between the blockholders, which is likely to emerge in firms where multiple large shareholders coexist. We argue that the coordination and bargaining among MLS impair shareholder monitoring and make (...) the top executive the “tertius gaudens” who benefits from the contention between shareholders. Based on data of Chinese listed firms that are embedded in an emerging economy, we propose and find that the balance of ownership among large shareholders substantially increases CEO excess pay. The effect is more salient in firms with higher R&D intensity and whose CEO holds more outside directorship. Moreover, our findings reveal that internal governance mechanisms including incentive alignment and outside director monitoring are not effective in mitigating the managerial expropriation entailed by MLS. Whereas external governance from the media coverage appears more conducive. We further discuss the contribution of the current study to corporate governance research. Keywords: Multiple large shareholders; Principal-principal problem; CEO compensation; Emerging market; Agency theory. (shrink)

In this dissertation, I investigate individuals’ image-construction behaviors in diverse teams. Going beyond existing diversity research that treats different social categories as equivalent, I focus on the stereotype content of various social categories. Drawing on social identity theory, stereotype content model, and the self-regulation literature, I examine the stereotype management process as an approach to constructing a desirable image on diverse teams. Specifically, I identify a dual-path self-regulation process—self-monitoring for competence and self-monitoring for warmth—and propose a joint effect among demographic (...) dissimilarity, demographic characteristics, and perceived upward mobility related to self-monitoring behaviors. Through these mechanisms, individuals portray desirable images that contribute to their group identification, respect, and individual performance ratings from others. I tested my dissertation model with multi-wave survey design. The results from a sample of 1,211 kindergarten teachers in 173 groups from 57 kindergartens supported the dual-path self-monitoring process as a mode of constructing desirable self-images. I also discuss the implications of this study for team diversity and relational demography research. Keywords: Team diversity; social identity; stereotype content; self-monitoring. (shrink)

As one of the greatest thinkers in ancient China, Zhu Xi was renowned for his philosophy but his achievements in historiography occupied an important position in traditional China as well. However, Zhu Xi’s historiography were only implied, but has not been discussed enough yet in comparison to his various works on philosophy. This thesis would like to focus on Zhu Xi’s historiography as a core topic to certify that Zhu Xi’s achievement on this field not only played an irreplaceable role (...) among the grand system of his philosophy, but also on behalf of a special and significant historiographical sample in Chinese historiography that can be called “Neo-Confucian philosophy of history”. To achieve this aim, the thesis is divided into three parts. Their titles are “The Substance of Zhu Xi’s Historiography”, “The Functions of Zhu Xi’s Historiography ” and “The Functions of Zhu Xi’s Historiography ”. Zhu Xi’s historiography inherited “Three generations” and Confucius’ classics, and formed his philosophy on history, so it is the substance. Zhu Xi’s historiography also has many functions and expressions such as elucidate the way of running the state, establish the system and views on talents, which make his conception on history comes true, and really have positive effects on the society, so there are called the functions. More importantly, Zhu Xi’s great insight on history can be directly expressed via his writings and discussions, all of which were embodied in his works and discourses of historiography. In these three parts, the contents and spirits of Zhu Xi’s historiography can be described deeply and entirely, also seem to be more methodic. (shrink)

Zhuangzi has been regarded as a Taoist philosopher since the Han dynasty. However, he had never explicitly referred himself as a Taoist. In the past decade, the argument of a “Confucian Zhuangzi” has become a heated topic in the academia; more research studies on this topic have been done. Taiwan scholar Yang Rur-bin puts forward a view of “Zhuangzi in the Confucian field”. Some scholars even claimed that Zhuangzi was a true follower of Confucius. To review the argument, this thesis (...) analyzes the “Confucian Elements” shown in the Zhuangzi, mainly the image of Confucius portrayed in the book and rites, a significant concept in Confucius’ philosophy. Through textual analysis of the Zhuangzi, this thesis shows the portrayal of Confucius is complicated, even contradictory in different chapters of the book. Though sometimes appears as a wise teacher to preach important Taoist concepts, sometimes Confucius appears to be “unenlightened”. With these different faces of Confucius, I argue that it is difficult to solely agree with Yang’s comment of a “basically positive” Confucius in the Zhuangzi. The meaning and interpretation of rites in the view of Confucius and Zhuangzi are also investigated in this thesis. While Confucius values both the inner spirit and external practices of rites as a guideline of behaviour to harmonize the society; Zhuangzi focuses mainly on the inner spirit, i.e. to harmonize with the Way. The distinctive feature of Zhuangzi’s “Qi” can also be shown in his view and use of language. The last chapter highlights his use of “goblet words” to illustrate how Zhuangzi realizes the limitations of language. This thesis points out, the unique language style and Zhuangzi’s valuation of “Qi” can distinguish Zhuangzi’s philosophy with Confucius’, and this uniqueness allows Zhuangzi to stand out from other philosophers and establish his own philosophy. (shrink)

Zhang Junmai was a famous politician and philosopher of 20 th -century China. For his advocacy of reviving Confucianism from 1923 to his death, he has normally been considered one of the great contributors to the promotion of traditional culture and creation of a contemporary neo-Confucian philosophy. However, though Zhang Junmai has never disappeared from scholarship, a detailed exploration of his neo-Confucian philosophy has been lacking. This thesis is devoted to addressing this gap in the research and attempts to elaborate (...) various spheres of Zhang Junmai’s neo-Confucian philosophy: metaphysics, moral philosophy, the issue of knowledge, and political philosophy. As part of an overall evaluation of his philosophy, this thesis identifies as important two qualities of Zhang’s philosophical achievements and takes issue with the criticism that Zhang’s thought is pan-moralistic. We argue that what he inherited from traditional Confucianism was the belief that moral values have priority over other values, which does not entail the intrusion of morality on other cultural spheres. This is also the common ground he shared with other contemporary neo-Confucianists. (shrink)

The current study is a comparative research on the Daodejing and Ecclesiastes with the aim of answering the question of the meaning of life. The focus of the study is on the two texts especially the content related to the two terms xu and hebel in the Daodejing and Ecclesiastes respectively. It starts with a miniature demonstrating the framework of the current study based on the comparison between the two terms xu and hebel in Chapter 2. It then follows by (...) five chapters from “Chapter 3 Xu and Hebel Comparison” to “Chapter 7 Meaning of Life Reflection”. It finds that emptiness is the common ingredient of xu and hebel in Chapter 3. It suggests that Socrates is the hidden protagonist of Ecclesiastes in Chapter 4. It offers the possibility of seeing the trueness of one’s life through xu in Chapter 5. It discovers the similarities between the two texts which lie underneath their very different background in Chapter 6. It finally arrives at the findings in Chapter 7 that one lives a harmonious life freely, truly and positively; works for the goodness of all people continuously with the objective of having all humans living peacefully and healthily in an ordered society as the final answer to the question of the meaning of life. The findings are based on the results of the previous chapters which are the process of analyzing and comparing the two texts. The answer ends the current study on the meaning of life through a comparative research on the Daodejing and Ecclesiastes. (shrink)

China's stunning growth rates have corresponded with the rise of “state capitalism.” Since the mid-2000s, China's political economy has stabilized around a model where most sectors are marketized and increasingly integrated with the global economy; yet strategic industries remain firmly in the grasp of an elite empire of state-owned enterprises. What are the implications of state capitalism for industrial competitiveness, corporate governance, government-business relations, and domestic welfare? How does China's model of state capitalism compare with other examples of state-directed development (...) in late industrializing countries? As China enters a phase of more modest growth, it is especially timely to understand how its institutions have adapted to new challenges and party-state priorities. In this volume, leading scholars of China's economy, politics, history, and society explore these compelling issues. (shrink)

In the theory of Hannah Arendt, the Greek city-state, the Roman Republic and Empire, and the Medieval Church are all paradigmatic political experiences for embracing a remarkable range of members and the substantiating decent orders. The notion of political experience, which primarily is a historical narrative of the well-ordered public sphere, also implicates the effort of the community member to for maintenance. On the basis of three political experiences above, Arendt criticizes the political turbulence and catastrophic changes in the modern (...) times. On the other hand, the tension between philosophy and politics centers her reflection on the political experience as philosophy potentially isolates individual agents from the political community. She holds that Plato initiated this tension by demonizing the political affairs and claiming the individual citizens could fulfill the spiritual ideal merely through personal philosophizing instead of public participation. This thesis construes the Arendtian political experience and the public sphere in temporality and spatiality and with the context of phenomenological tradition and argues that in considering some lethal flaws of overemphasizing the political participation, Arendt in her late years resorts to philosophy for the mental bases that facilitate the political actions. The spatiality of public sphere can be interpreted as the interpersonal relationships in the dialogues over public issues. Similar inspiration comes from Edmund Husserl’s intersubjectivity and Martin Heidegger’s Being-with, but the risk is being fallen in the public opinions. Therefore, Arendt introduces the mental faculty of judgment to distinguish the personal and public views. Arendt is also aware of history and time that are likely to override the human subjectivity in historical narrative and thus introduces the thinking and willing to substantiate the freewill as facilitating the political actions beyond temporality. In this sense, Arendt finally achieves a compromise between philosophy and politics. (shrink)

In the history of Chinese and Western philosophy, Wang Yangming and Immanuel Kant were concerned with parallel issues in moral philosophy. They established their moral philosophical systems with comparable conceptions of Liang-chi and free will as their core, and showed analogous views in prioritizing the moral subject. Due to divergences between Chinese and Western philosophy, and their forms of argumentation and conceptualization, there are significant differences between them. I will analyze how, nonetheless, the categories established by Kant are important to (...) the interpretation of Wang Yangming’s moral philosophy. In this thesis, I will first analyze the ethical subject in the moral philosophical systems of Kant and Wang Yangming, and secondly discuss the value and significance of their self-cultivation theories, which is the original contribution of this thesis. (shrink)

The Zhanguoce School emerged in 1940 and actively responded to the crisis caused by the Sino-Japanese War. The cultural morphology of Oswald Spengler inspired most of the leading Zhanguoce scholars to reflect on the culture, history, and status quo of China. They believed that China was suffering from a total war with world superpowers and that it was in a new Warring States epoch; they thus advocated radical cultural reform as a necessary condition for victory and invoked Nietzschean philosophy to (...) champion heroism and power. However, He Lin, a philosopher in this school, looked to Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Johann Gottlieb Fichte for different theories of cultural reform and history. This article examines He's integration of the philosophies of Hegel and Fichte into his cultural and historical thought. Based on the Hegelian notion of Spirit, He rethought the nature of culture and the relationship between Chinese and Western cultures; he also interpreted history by comparing the historical theories of Hegel and Wang Fuzhi. Furthermore, He investigated individual realization with reference to Fichte and repudiated radical heroism. © 2018 Copyright 2018 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. (shrink)

We linked between the social-psychology and experimental-philosophy paradigms for the study of folk intuitions and beliefs regarding the concept of free will to answer three questions: (1) what intuitions do people have about free-will and determinism? (2) do free will beliefs predict differences in free-will and determinism intuitions? and (3) is there more to free-will and determinism than experiencing certainty or uncertainty about the nature of the universe? Overall, laypersons viewed the universe as allowing for human indeterminism, and they did (...) so with certainty. Examining intuitions of prosociality, future-orientation, learning, meaningfulness, human uniqueness, and well-being, ratings were highest in the indeterministic universe condition and lowest in the deterministic universe condition, both significantly different from the uncertain universe condition. Participants’ free will beliefs had only weak impact on realism, happiness, and learning intuitions, but did not reverse the general intuition favoring indeterminism, and showed no impact on other intuitions. (shrink)

A traditional formulation of the question of time is what Augustine states in Confessions: "How can they 'be' when the past is not now present and the future is not yet present? Yet if the present were always present, it would not pass into to the past: it would not be time but eternity." In this dissertation, I argue that Edmund Husserl's phenomenology of time consciousness is an attempt to respond to this traditional time question. Husserl's first theory in the (...) Phenomenology of the Consciousness of Internal Time tries to explain how time and temporal phenomena are constituted by the subjective experience of time, namely the internal time. However, this theory cannot solve the question; rather, the question revives in internal time in three aspects: the adequate memory, the consciousness of the present, and the infinite regress of self-consciousness. These problems in Husserl's first theory indicates that presentism and subjectivism is not a solution to the question of time. Martin Heidegger therefore criticizes Husserl's phenomenology and developed an existential phenomenology of Dasein. On the other hand, Husserl also develops a new time theory in the Bernau Manuscripts which does not reduce the constitution of time to a standing subject but a passive flow of constituting time consciousness. These two movements imply that both the unity of time and the alterity of time are two necessary conditions of time. Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas observe this and propose that the alterity of time is the mean to overcome the metaphysics of presence and the totality of being. Nevertheless, they over-emphasize the alterity of time so that time cannot be explained as a unified phenomenon as we experience in daily life. In the last chapter of this dissertation, I argue based on the contribution of these four philosophers that time is primarily known as the questioning situation in which all philosophical questions, including the time question, become possible. This questioning situation is the ambiguity of time. (shrink)

The thought of Zhuangzi is studied in a two dimensional way in this thesis: a comparison between his thought and that of two important philosophies in the pre-Qin period, Laozi and Confucius; and an interpretation of the Inner Chapters from the approach of philosophy of life. Chapter 40 of the Dao de jing highlights three elements of chang dao. Zhuangzi captures two of them, its mechanism and usefulness, and proposes a new vision of seeing the world. However, he skirts around (...) the third element, the paradigm of you-wu, and does not reflect on the questions of cosmology and ontology in the thought of Laozi. Zhuangzi also denies the possibility of having universal agreement among human beings, which Laozi does not deny. Zhuangzi sometimes uses Confucius as his spokesman in the Inner Chapters because there is a possible connection between their doctrines. They have agreement on the foundation of rites and they share the same art of living in the human world: act according to circumstances. But their attitudes toward the disordered world are different. Confucius intends to save it but Zhuangzi aims to survive in it. However, the philosophy of life of Zhuangzi is active. He does not only emphasize survival, but also highlights the importance of recognizing one’s value. The ideas of self-establishment and detachment represent the framework of Zhuangzi’s philosophy of life. These ideas work together to create an endless mechanism, which enables people to have their self-establishment, to have a sense of appreciation towards others and to deal with the hardships in human lives. (shrink)

China's stunning growth rates have corresponded with the rise of “state capitalism.” Since the mid-2000s, China's political economy has stabilized around a model where most sectors are marketized and increasingly integrated with the global economy; yet strategic industries remain firmly in the grasp of an elite empire of state-owned enterprises. What are the implications of state capitalism for industrial competitiveness, corporate governance, government-business relations, and domestic welfare? How does China's model of state capitalism compare with other examples of state-directed development (...) in late industrializing countries? As China enters a phase of more modest growth, it is especially timely to understand how its institutions have adapted to new challenges and party-state priorities. In this volume, leading scholars of China's economy, politics, history, and society explore these compelling issues. (shrink)

Leibniz was born near the conclusion of the chaotic period of the Thirty Years War. He studied law and then spent much of his life in the service of nobility and royalty, particularly the House of Hanover that assumed the British Crown a few years before his death. Best known for his works on metaphysics, mathematics, and logic, Leibniz's extensive political correspondence and writings concerned the foundations of law, local and international political affairs and social problems, and moral and political (...) philosophy. (shrink)

In this paper, we offer a framework for conceptualising and investigating the relativity of human resource systems across organisations and some of the reasons behind this relativity. We do so by extending the behavioural perspective in strategic HR management research and argue that two variables, HR philosophy and desired employee contributions, play an instrumental role in organisational choices regarding the types of HR policies used to manage employees within and across organisations. We propose that the dimensions of desired employee contributions (...) determine which sets of HR policies are feasible while HR philosophy governs the specific choices of HR policies within firms. Future directions and implications are also discussed. (shrink)

In his essay “Philosophy of Human Nature,” Antonio Cua argues that the term “bad” in Xunzi’s statement that “Human nature is bad” is to be taken in a consequential sense. This goes against a common tendency to read the Xunzi in what I refer to as the essentialist mode of thinking. In this paper, I show how it is that the consequential reading of “bad” and other features that Professor Cua describes offer a significant understanding of Xunzi’s position as a (...) non-essentialist one. (shrink)

A.C. Graham, a widely respected Sinologist, may be the first scholar in the context of Chinese philosophy to express opinions counter to Donald Davidson’s principle of charity and to his view on the very idea of a conceptual scheme.

Rather than using demographic characteristics as status-latent variables to investigate the effects of status dissimilarity as relational demography literature does, this research directly investigates status that is defined as the respect ones receive from others within a group, and examine the implications of status dissimilarity in groups. It is hypothesized that the interaction between status dissimilarity and individual status level is negatively associated with group members' identification through the mechanism of emotions. And the effects are believed to be stronger for (...) relatively higher status members. Based on a sample of MBA students, the hypotheses are mostly supported: being different from others in status could cause more low pleasure and low arousal emotions and less high pleasure and high arousal emotions, for higher status members than for lower status members. Furthermore, the testing of moderated mediation shows that for relatively higher status members, HPHA emotions could mediate the relation between status dissimilarity and group identification. (shrink)

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical and historically grounded perspective on the institutional fabric for knowledge generation and innovative activities in Chinese society. Utilizing theoretical and methodological insights from social epistemology, it explores legacies of traditional Chinese perceptions of the utility of scientific knowledge, the balance of exploitation/exploration, the prestige of innovation, and the division of labour in knowledge production and application. It is argued that these legacies have continued to shape emerging contemporary institutions of knowledge (...) and innovation. They contribute to tensions between the search for knowledge and requirements of power; they bias innovative activities towards exploitation; and they constrain creative entrepreneurship in the transitional innovation system. (shrink)

In this dissertation, I propose a contingency model of empowering leadership on team member proactive behavior. By integrating the literature on empowering leadership with theories of power distance, my dissertation advances understanding of the boundary conditions of empowering leadership. To date over 70% of firms across the globe have encouraged or used empowerment. This fact underscores the need for a contingency theory of empowering leadership that delineates how and when it fosters team member proactive behavior - defined as actions in (...) “taking control of, and bringing about change within, the internal organizational environment”. I propose that power distance acts as a contingency to the effects of empowering leadership on two levels - at the level of the team and at the level of the individual team member. Integrating the shared reality theory with the multilevel model of motivation, I first propose that empowering leadership exerts a stronger positive impact on individual team members' proactive behavior when the team has a low rather than high power distance climate. Employing the role identity theory, I also propose that empowering leadership relates more strongly to team members' proactive behavior for those endorsing power distance beliefs to a lesser extent. Based on this theory, I further propose a three-way interaction such that the effect of empowering leadership on team member proactive behaviors depends on both the team's power distance climate as well as the team member's individual power distance belief. Finally, I propose that team members' motivational states - namely their role-breadth self-efficacy and organization-based self-esteem - act as underlying mechanisms that transmit the joint influence of empowering leadership, team power distance climate, and individual power distance belief on a team member's proactive behavior. I tested my dissertation model with a multi-method design and in two studies - a lab experiment based on 100 Hong Kong undergraduates and a multilevel field study with 397 Chinese full-time employees and 78 of their direct supervisors. Findings from these studies provided consistent support for the majority of my hypotheses. I conclude by summarizing the findings, discussing the major implications and limitations of my dissertation, and indicating several directions for future research. Keywords: Empowering Leadership, Power Distance, Proactive Behavior, Motivation, Multi-Level. (shrink)

The conception of heart-mind in Zhuangzi is studied in a two dimensional way in this thesis: specific studies of this conception in different divisions, i.e. the Inner Chapters, the Outer Chapters and the Miscellaneous Chapters; and a comparison of the studies in the three divisions in general. A systemical understanding of the conception of heart-mind can be found in the Inner Chapters. According to Zhuangzi, we cannot live effectively under the influence of the “cheng xin”. The harmfulness of “cheng xin” (...) is that it prohibits us from describing the reality truthfully. An interaction between the cognitive function and the affective function of the cultivated heart-mind enables us to obtain the effective way in our lives and it is achieved by “the fasting of heart-mind”. “Ming” represents the things that we cannot do anything about, and Zhuangzi holds that only a man of “de” can be reconciled to “ming”. Therefore, the goal of self-cultivation in Zhuangzi’s thought is to seek a better life rather than moral improvement. Based on the notions of the Inner Chapters, the authors of the Outer Chapters supplement the missing linkage between “cheng xin” and the nature of human-beings. They also emphasize the conception of “wang” and indicate that the self-cultivation of heart-mind is a long lasting practice. On the other hand, the authors of the Miscellaneous Chapters elaborate the notions of the other two divisions but their original ideas are not found in this thesis In the three divisions, understandings of certain conceptions are different in aspects like, the faults of human-beings, the roles of heart-mind and senses, the metaphorical description of the cultivated heart-mind, and etc. But the goal of self-cultivation is consistent in the three divisions, that is, the achievement of a better life. (shrink)

Both Nicomachean Ethics and the ethics of Confucius reveal the centrality of virtues in moral practice. Virtues are achieved through cultivated habituation of emotions or feelings, and they are conducive to making moral decisions. According to the two classical schools of ethics, feeling-emotion and moral reason are internally connected . What makes them further similar is that both Aristotle and Confucius have their own formulations of ‘Doctrine of Mean’ but with the same claim that right moral decision is one appropriate (...) to what the circumstance requires. Plain as the principle is, it is ‘indeterminate’ because circumstances vary largely from one case to another and no prior set rules can be solicited for hitting the ‘mean’. A right choice fulfilling the mean is in each case context-dependent and mostly unpredictable. Yet, no matter how ‘indeterminate’ a right choice is, the virtuous capability of hitting the mean can be surely enhanced through habituation and cultivation. Unlike the ‘indeterminate’ nature of hitting the ‘mean’ in actions, cultivation of virtues has a rather ‘determinate’ track to run on. The practice of ‘mean’ is always engaged against a social-cultural background with ‘determinate’ set of moral norms and values. Unlike modern ethics that deal solely with the question of what the right thing to do is, the moral concern of classical ethics is more complex. We shall see that the moral practice of classical ethics is composed of interconnected practical moments directing towards the pursuit of good life, and the essence of which involves achieving ‘mean’ in daily practice. Regarding the complexity, I would like to propose the ‘Determinate-Indeterminate Principle of moral decisions’ to explain the essential features of the ‘Doctrine of Mean’ in classical ethics. The method of comparison to illuminate the ‘Determinate-Indeterminate Principle’ is named ‘comparative-reconstructive’. The ‘comparative’ side of the method involves making manifest the similarities of the major concepts shared between the two schools, and then holding them in contrast with the teachings of modern ethics. The ‘reconstructive’ side of the method involves re-structuring the compared concepts towards the ‘Determinate-Indeterminate Principle’ so that the similarities of the two classical schools of ethical thought can be viewed from a new light. In other words, while the ‘comparative’ task grasps upon both the similarities within the two classical schools and dissimilarities between the classical and modern ethics, the ‘reconstructive’ task undertakes to further re-construct the similarities into commonalities captured through the explication of the ‘Determinate-Indeterminate Principle’. Thus, the ‘comparative-reconstructive’ method intends to fathom both the breadth as well as an illuminating depth of the topic. (shrink)

Li refers to sacrifices, tribal ceremonials and social norms in the ancient China. Gradually, li becomes the effective compass and square for guiding human behaviour in the personal, social and political aspects. Confucius enriches li with ren and yi. Mencius mainly inherits ren and yi whereas Xunzi further develops li and yi. Xunzi comprehensively enlarges the effective scope of li to encompass yi, fa, and yue. Xunzi is the first known Chinese philosopher who treats qing with the sense of emotion. (...) He fully recognizes the incentive function of qing on human behviour. Yet, in order to counteract Mencius's naturalism, he deprives qing of its positive role in morality. Furthermore, he does not keep qing in the neutral sense to which it belongs but chooses to exaggerate its bad effects by calling it the root of social disorder. Although he praises the innate emotion towards deceased parents/family members, he chooses to ignore it when it conflicts with ritual, the ultimate rule of the human life. Li and qing are actually in a supervisor-subordinate relationship. The former nurtures and regulates the latter. When the two are in conflict, especially in the socio-political aspect, qing must be transformed in order to suit li's requirement. There are a number of ways to help transformation of qing and all of them are under the supervision of xin. Xunzi tends to overlook the tension between li and qing. He shows us in the case of the disgraceful funeral of a deceased criminal that li as a means of social control is more fundamental than one's emotional needs. (shrink)

The present study is an attempt to trace the development and philosophical implications of the Buddhist concept of svaṃvedana. The philosophical discourses of cognition of cognition are related to the main issues of epistemology, ontology and soteriology and gradually generate a formulation of the self-cognition doctrine. Chapter one sets out to give an account of issues to be discussed and the methodological approach for this research. Chapter two focuses on the origin and the evolution of the concept svasaṃvedana from the (...) historical perspective of Indian philosophy. The viewpoints of four influential Buddhist schools concerning svasaṃvedana are interpreted. Chapter three establishes the framework of thematizing svasaṃvedana through the efforts of Dignāga. The definitions of self-cognition found by Dignāga become the central theme of later Vijn͂ānavāda Buddhism. Chapter four discusses the similarity and difference of Dignāga with Dharmakirti in their doctrines of svasaṃvedana. The contribution of Dharmakīrti is his advancement of Dignāga’s postulation by providing a detailed exposition with sound logical grounding. Chapter five elaborates the views of Dharmapala and Sthiramati on the issues of consciousness with object image and the mind structure. Their contentions are directed to redefining the self-consciousness as the substance of mind and cause of knowledge so as to defend the idealistic premise of the Mind-only system in different perspectives. Chapter six concludes the diversity of interpretation by different Buddhist scholars concerning self-cognition. The impacts of their discourses on some Buddhist philosophical issues are examined so as to identify their positions and contributions. In the search of the evolution and the implicit meanings of the notion of self-consciousness, it is hoped that my work is able to expound the intelligent viewpoints of Buddhist philosophers who have contribution to new insights of the Buddhist doctrines. (shrink)

The present study is an attempt to represent a post-metaphysical thinking that Nietzsche ushered in as a reconstructive ethics. The argument presented here is that the key to such a formulation of ethics resides in Heidegger's 'fundamental ontology' as 'original ethics'. Such a formulation that is grounded in an ontology deconstructs that subjectivity and rationality which has been posited by traditional ethics or moral reasoning. The outcome of such a restructuring of reason in Western thinking ushers in an historical essence (...) that problematizes thinking in terms of an issue that Heidegger raised regarding ground in reason and thinking itself. The vantage point of viewing such a development in ethics is that of a transcendence in conventional Western thinking, as destroyed by Nietzsche's metaphysics and thematized in Heidegger's ontology. Chapter One establishes the framework of thematizing ethics in a post-metaphysical era where subjectivity and rationality have become problematic in terms of an existential selfhood and an ontology of reason. Chapter Two establishes the framework of constructing a metaphysical ethics as that which is grounded in a deconstructed 'moral' self in ethics as moral reasoning. Chapter Three focuses on history as that essence and ground in thinking where the problem of truths is thematized as that which deconstructs subjectivity and reason. Chapter Four focuses on thinking as an ontological thematic in Heidegger which surpasses Nietzsche's metaphysics. The outcome of such a thinking is an ethics of existence, as that which problematizes conventional ethics as moral reasoning. The issue presented here is that of ground, and hence ontology and existence, in a metaphysical ethics. Chapter Five concludes by pointing out that such metaphysical thinking which has been presented in this study represents a reconstruction of Western thinking as ethics. The existential and ontological thematic of ground in thinking establishes existence as that essence of thinking and ethics which has been lost in conventional Western philosophical thinking. (shrink)

This thesis is an attempt to explore the meanings of self-transcendence, which, in fact, is one of the most basic and important concepts of Buddhism and Christianity. It runs through not only the theme of soteriology, but also the study of the interrelationship of human beings, the ultimate reality and the mundane society. In approaching such a crucial and complicated notion, it would be impossible for me to examine the two religions as a whole. Thus, I will narrow the scope (...) of my discussion in light of the two contemporary influential dialogical scholars, Paul Tillich and Masao Abe, both of whom have made much contribution on the issue. In the introduction, definitions, aims and objectives concerning this thesis would be given, so that one might get a general picture of what I intend to write. Then, discussion of Abe's and Tillich's views on "self" would be provided in Chapter One. In the second Chapter, focus will be put on the examination of the concept of "transcendence", which is considered to be the ontological ground for self-transcendence. In Chapter Three, I will investigate the two different modes of self-transcendence, which philosophers Yu Ying-shih and Tang Yijie recently have portrayed. They claimed that Buddhism, Zen in particular, is a religion of internal transcendence; whereas Christianity is a religion of external transcendence. Considering these categorizations, I would argue how the latter one is relatively acceptable from the theoretical point of view. In the fourth Chapter, I will address to the pragmatic implications of self-transcendence. It is my belief that religion, in its very end is a matter of morality or social ethics. Ontology is only the metaphysical ground of axiology. I will try to examine how the above two elements are related to each other and its significant implications to our daily life. I hope this thesis would be a good attempt to conduct a Buddhist-Christian dialogue in accordance with the concept of self-transcendence, in which certain differences and affinities towards the interpretations of self, the ultimate reality and morality would be analyzed. (shrink)

This thesis is an inquiry about how far it is true to say that our perception of reality is conditioned upon language. Polemical in nature as it is, this thesis taps resources from various traditions and theories disregarding the labels of western/eastern division or ancient/modern dichotomy testifying my belief that comparative philosophy should be performed in recognition of the fact that there is no essential difference between whatever traditions there are. It begins with a critical exposition of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (...) which typifies the relativistic view that thought, culture and, above all, the perception of reality, are cast in the mould of language. Following the treatment of SWH, it scrutinizes Donald Davidson's seminal attack on relativism via debunking the error of the idea of conceptual scheme. Capitalizing and revising on Davidson, a notion of Universal Conceptual Scheme is devised in order to make sense of my view that language should be taken in its entirety to account for its interaction with reality. Underlying UCS is a presupposition that different languages have more in common than imagined. To argue for this, Noam Chomsky's framework of universal grammar is invoked. Once the limits of the Chomskyan program are revealed, Daoism is brought into the scene so as to, firstly, shed light on the relativism issue that SWH and Davidson are both concerned with, and secondly, to serve as a gateway into an issue of personhood implicit in Chomsky's biological theory of human nature that is built upon his nativist view of language. To facilitate the discussion, I argue that a notion I call Daohood, derived from synthesizing Dao and de, can help elucidate the triangular relation among language, reality and human nature. In so doing, it is demonstrated that there is a global relevance of language in our interaction of reality. (shrink)

Appeals for time and money to help people in need often encourage recipients to imagine themselves in the situation that confronts these individuals. However, this strategy may not always be effective. The present research investigated several factors that potentially affect the impact of a donation appeal, including the perspectives that recipients have at the time they receive the appeal, the perspective from which the appeal is written, self-awareness, and recipients similarity to the victims. Experiments 1 - 4 showed that when (...) participants take a perspective that is consistent with the perspective from which the appeal is written, characteristics of appeal that increase vividness of the situation viewed from this perspective increases the effectiveness of the appeal. When people take a perspective which is inconsistent with the perspective from which the appeal is written, however, the same characteristics have a negative effect. Experiments 5 and 6 examined the role of self-awareness and similarity and showed that participants’ similarity to the victims described in the donation appeals had a more pronounced effect when participants were self-aware than when they were not. The implications of these findings are discussed. (shrink)

It is well known that Mozi criticizes the ritual practices of the Ru for being wasteful. However, another criticism has been less appreciated: These practices are merely conventional habituations and violate the Ru’s own moral ideals of ren 仁 , yi 義 and xiao 孝 . Xunzi responds to both criticisms in the Li Lun Pian 禮論篇 . Based on an account of Mozi’s arguments and Xunzi’s replies, this essay discusses the significance of ritual transformation in Xunzi’s moral philosophy.

The Zhong Yong is one of the most important classics in China. For a long time it has been treated as a doctrine that teaches us to follow our nature as endowed by Heaven. This interpretation of the Zhong Yong has been an important source of the development of metaphysics in Neo Confucianism. However, does this interpretation help us to understand the true meaning of the Zhong Yong? Can we ever know what in particular is endowed by Heaven? In this (...) thesis we will see that most of the past interpretations of the Zhong Yong do not make things clearer. Furthermore, by seeking for a new, more apprehensible interpretation, we will find that xing was primarily seen as a question in the Zhong Yong instead of something present at hand that we can follow. The proposition of this basic question of xing is the true value of the Zhong Yong. (shrink)