Abstract

Zhang Dongsun was one of the most influential thinkers of the Republic of China, a reputation which rested, in part, on his extraordinary ability to introduce Western thought in a way which was compatible with the specific methodology of traditional Chinese thought. One of his greatest contributions was most certainly the creation and development of a modern theory of knowledge, based upon ancient Chinese and Chan Buddhist epistemology, and which in many respects represents a felicitous synthesis of modern science and traditional Chinese thought. Therefore, the present paper will mainly focus upon his theory of knowledge. Zhang Dongsun called his theory “pluralistic”, given the assumption that various elements that enable comprehension and reasoning were mutually exclusive and irreducible. We shall therefore critically examine the elements proposed in Zhang’s main epistemological treatise Plural Epistemology , which represents the most complete, systematic and coherent treatment of his theory