1. Zhi 志 in Mencius: a Chinese notion of moral agency.
- Author
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Camus, Rina Marie
- Subjects
- *
CHINESE people , *PHILOSOPHY , *HUMANITIES , *AESTHETICS , *MORAL agent (Philosophy) - Abstract
Zhi is an important Chinese notion that conveys among other things human capacity to set aims, to determine a course of action, or to persist in a resolve. The term naturally turns up in Chinese contributions to Western Free Will debate. In this paper, I explain zhi by working out a comparison that goes from East to West. I do a three-fold textual analysis of zhi focusing on the Mencius. I outline different usages found in the text, examine a nuanced, dominant meaning suggested in 2A.2, and discuss notional features based on language patterns. My analysis yields a more homegrown understanding of zhi which I shall compare with Western expressions of moral agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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