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The emphases of ritual, morality, and hierarchical relationships in imperial Chinese law are usually attributed to a process of "Confucianization of law" in Han dynasty. However, an interdisciplinary look at the notion of the 'Confucianization of law' from philosophical texts and legal materials will prove the vulnerability of such a simple conclusion. Philosophically, the Han dynasty saw first a politicization of Confucianism, which distinguished Han Confucianism from the Confucianism of previous generations. There was in fact a great contrast between Confucian ideals and Confucianization of law. Furthermore, by reading of Qin Law through the archeological material Shuihudi Qin Bamboo Texts, it can be seen that values we might label as Confucian existed already in Qin Law. These two considerations prove that simply attributing the moral and hierarchical characters of the imperial Chinese law to the single source of Confucianism does not do justice to the richness of the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching and learning of foreign languages in China do not escape the influences of the traditional Confucianist system. To study this phenomenon, it is necessary to distinguish between Confucian philosophy and Confucianism in order to identify the cultural substrate that prevents the teaching system from adopting an open attitude to the communicative approach. This article shows the originality of Confucian philosophy and the keys that lead to the reinterpretation of certain limitations and induce the exploration of cultural aspects that do not conflict with the foundations of communicative teaching. The objective is to analyze the primordial elements of Confucian philosophy, its deviations and the guidelines of a communicative teaching established in the higher courses for the teaching of Spanish in the Republic of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the meaning of Confucian de 德 (often translated as virtue) in the Book of Rites 《禮記》. Using intertextual discussions with texts supplemented by the Analects 《論語》, the Mengzi 《孟子》, and the Xunzi 《荀子》, I argue that ritual (li 禮) and virtue are closely interrelated. Without ritual, virtue is raw. Without virtue, ritual is barren. De 's interrelationship with ritual is central to Confucian ethics. Ritual is constitutive for all Confucian virtues. This central thesis coupled with subsequent features such as de 's aesthetic dimension and thick interpersonal relationships demonstrate that the Confucian de has multilayered meanings that cannot be fully captured by either the contemporary concept of virtue or the Aristotelian idea of arête. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading Bertrand Russell's Principles of Social Reconstruction, Liang Shuming began a process of interpreting Russell's philosophy in a Confucian way. The first stage in this process was seeing Russell as a fellow Confucian. Its second stage was absorbing Russell's theory of impulse, seeing this as sharing aspects of the Confucian doctrine of benevolence (ren). The third stage was reconstructing Russell's theory of spirit as a Confucian theory of "reason" as impersonal feeling. Under Liang Shuming's critical assimilation of Russell's philosophy, Russell's theories of impulse and spirit came to constitute an intrinsic component of modern New Confucianism and was incorporated into the discourse of modern Chinese philosophy. To a certain extent, this shifts our view of Russell as merely a passing figure in the history of modern Chinese philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The years 2020 and 2021 mark a centenary since the great British polymath Bertrand Russell visited China. Russell's philosophy had already reached China's borders a few years before Russell set his foot on Chinese soil in October 1920. The majority of early assessments of Russell's thought, which were advanced by Chinese philosophers with a strong affinity for either traditional Chinese or classical European philosophy, approached the latter's philosophy from the perspectives of either the Consciousness Only school of Buddhism, Confucian ethics, European Neo-Kantian philosophy, or Bergson. Concurrently, with the return of Russell's student Fu Tong as the head of the department of philosophy, Russell's philosophical thought and logical thought were also reintroduced into the curriculum at the Peking University. [Extracted from the article]

Based on an analysis of a landmark case Lim Mey Lee Susan v Singapore Medical Council in Singapore where a doctor was professionally disciplined for over-charging a wealthy patient, a judgement upheld by the Singapore High Court, this paper will discuss the notion of an 'ethical price' (EP) and its determination with respect to the provision of healthcare services. It will first examine the limitations of a legal approach for setting an ethical limit to pricing. From there, it will argue that Confucian philosophy provides a useful ethical framework to explore EP, with focus on the context of Singapore. The following question is addressed: What is an ethical pricing standard for medical practice from a Confucian perspective? The strengths and limitations of a Confucian value base as regards the determination of an objective EP will be analysed through an examination of the shortcomings of the doctor's behaviour in the Susan Lim case as well as other case scenarios. The paper will conclude with some practical suggestions on how Confucian-based ideas can be applied to decision-making on pricing and the importance of this for medical professionalism and ethics teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counter to 'political meritocracy', the goal of this article is to present a different approach to incorporating the Confucian political ideal into an ethical modification of liberal democracy, namely 'ethical democracy', encouraged by Mou Zongsan. In Mou's words, ethical democracy arises from a synthesis of 'the way of politics' related to liberal democracy and 'the way of governance' underlining 'humane government'. Rather than restricting his focus to a process of selecting the virtuous leaders, Mou's project, as I hope to show, has the deeper purpose of resting the basis of liberal democracy on a set of political virtues rooted in 'humane government'. Having given a detailed analysis of Confucian political virtues in terms of the purpose of government and the limits on the abuse of power, I intend to conclude this article by indicating Mou's pioneering contributions to the recent development of Confucian democratic theory in opposition to Confucian meritocratic discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study is to uncover whether extralegal factors play a significant role in Chinese police officers' decision-making in response to a hypothetical incident of domestic violence (DV). Data were collected from a sample of Chinese police officers located in southwestern China. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the attitudes and beliefs of police officers and their decision-making in DV (i.e., recommend putting suspect into custody, victim into custody, and mediation; N = 514). The results suggest extralegal factors associated with culture do exert a significant effect on police officers' decision-making in cases of DV, but the extent may be minimal. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Through three case studies, the authors aim to examine how Confucian humanistic philosophy can be applied to leadership practices and show how it is possible to practice humanistic leadership in the Chinese context. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use case studies of three exemplary humanistic leaders and the companies they lead to describe their leadership practices and influence on others and their companies. Findings: The authors identify three common elements that connect their observations to an emerging scholarly conceptualization of humanistic leadership and develop a framework of Confucian humanistic leadership consisting of five attributes. The cases the authors studied suggest that the five attributes should be understood as being mutually reinforcing and acting in concert, rather than each acting independently of the others. The authors found that there is inherent consistency and connection between the core values of Confucianism and humanistic leadership. Originality/value: The research contributes to the leadership literature, specifically the emerging literature on humanistic leadership, by introducing a framework for Confucian humanistic leadership. While much of the extant literature on humanistic leadership has been conceptual, the study shows how it is possible to practice humanistic leadership in the Chinese context by drawing on the foundation provided by Confucian humanistic philosophy. The findings also contribute to humanistic leadership research by providing important insights into specific capabilities that can help put the principles of humanistic leadership into practice, but that have not been considered to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews Neville's metaphysical reconstruction of Confucianism as a global philosophy and his development of a Confucian response to feminist criticisms. While affirming Neville's account for the importance of sincerity for Confucian ritual, I propose to bring out also the spontaneous dimension of Confucian ritual that is essential for overcoming various authoritarian and abusive practices in the past. This spontaneous dimension of Confucian ritual would disclose also a new understanding of harmony and freedom that would enhance Neville's project in suggesting an ideal of common good originating in the sensus communis of the human hearts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an empirical study on the effects of Confucian values and entrepreneurial leadership on public entrepreneurship and organisational performance in Asia based on data collected from China and South Korea. This study focuses on the differences in the effects of Confucian values, entrepreneurial leadership, and ethical climate on public entrepreneurship and organisational performance between government agencies in South Korea and China. Contrary to the conventional Western perspective, this study shows that Confucian values are not necessarily negatively associated with public entrepreneurship and organisational performance. Entrepreneurial leadership and public entrepreneurship (as a mediating variable) appear to be significant factors to organisational performance. The similarities and differences between China and South Korea are discussed. This comparative study examines how entrepreneurial leadership and Confucian values affect public entrepreneurship and organisational performance in Asia based on data collected from South Korea and China. The study proposes that public entrepreneurship mediate the effects of Confucian values, ethical climate and entrepreneurial leadership on organisational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the traditional interpretation takes Mengzi 孟子 to be trying to persuade King Xuan 宣 of Qi 齊, I take him to be manipulating King Xuan with insincere flattery. My interpretation has several advantages. On the traditional interpretation, Mengzi is naïve about King Xuan's motives, and confused about basic aspects of his own views, but my interpretation makes Mengzi into a canny sage with a clear, comprehensive grasp of his doctrines. My interpretation also brings the dialog into harmony with the rest of the book, and with common sense on several points. It thus makes the dialog a more nuanced, coherent, and plausible work. Next, my interpretation shows Mengzi to possess a more complete list of virtues, and a longer list of character improvement strategies than is usually thought. Finally, by attributing to Mengzi a promising strategy for curing rulers prone to rages, lust, and greed, I show that Mengzi's work fills a pressing contemporary need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confucian philosophy has always considered education as a mechanism to improve the quality of life in society. The Confucian classic, Ta Hsueh and the Analects emphasize this pivotal role of education. The ethics of education and life in the family also has a deep impact on government and business enterprises. Each one plays assigned roles and lives by the rules that govern his or her station in social life. The ninth chapter of the Ta Shueh teaches that "correct deportment" can rectify a whole country. Projecting the ethics of the family to the social order and extending the ethos of particular cultural practices to the global community, however, poses certain problems. The scope of the latter is much more extensive than the family and broader than the cultural practices of particular nation states. When family relations are preferred over that of others, authoritarian political power will not be too far behind. This paper is an investigation of the nature and limits of Confucian educational philosophy and its influence on society against the backdrop of globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we examine Classical Confucian political thinking through the lens of paternalism. We situate Confucianism amid contemporary models of paternalism to show that Confucianism can be understood as a soft form of paternalism regarding its method. Confucianism stresses cultivation of the people by moral exemplars to guide the people to act in ways that are in their own best interests. This is in contrast to use of law and punishment as a deterrent of unwanted behaviours of the people. We demonstrate that Confucian paternalism does not advocate for a static top-down structure of governance that is incapable of reform, underscoring its non-authoritarian ideal. We do this by stressing the vital upward momentum constituted in general cultivation of the wider population utilizing li (rituals). The picture that emerges from an examination of Confucian political thought through the lens of paternalism is what we name "exemplary paternalism." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances the claim that skilful reflection is a master virtue in that skilful reflection shapes and corrects the other epistemic and intellectual virtues. We make the case that skilful reflection does this with both competence-based epistemic virtues and character-based intellectual virtues. In making the case that skilful reflection is a master virtue, we identify the roots of ideas central to our thesis in Confucian philosophy. In particular, we discuss the Confucian conception of reflection, as well as different levels of epistemic virtue. Next we set out the Dual Process Hypothesis of Reflection, which provides an explanation of the workings of reflection in relation to Type 1 and Type 2 cognitive processes. In particular, we flag how repetition of Type 2 processes may eventually shape Type 1 processes and produce what we call downstream reflection. We distinguish competence-based epistemic virtues from character-based intellectual virtues. We also explain how our metacognition account of reflection, drawing on a Confucian conception of reflection and the Dual Process Hypothesis of Reflection, explains skilful reflection as a master virtue. Finally we outline an application of our metacognition account of reflection to a current debate in epistemology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay aims to analyze the concept and the paradigm of harmony in the metaphysical system of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhang Zai. It argues that Zhang Zai's concept of Great Harmony not only inherits the traditional centrality of this idea within the Confucian tradition, but actually presents the most advanced idea of harmony up to his time. In Zhang Zai's philosophy, harmony becomes the Way itself, which includes the realm of principles and the outward and functional manifestations of reality. This essay will deal with harmony in two ways: first with Zhang Zai's direct use of the concept in the Zhengmeng and second, applying the paradigm of harmony to other of Zhang Zai's key concepts such as qi, void (xu ) and natural dispositions (xing ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Taiwan Journal of East Asian Studies is the property of National Taiwan Normal University, College of International Studies & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A burgeoning body of literature discusses the process of being and becoming a doctoral scholar, suggesting that graduate students should move beyond performing the role of 'good student' and transform into doctoral scholars and stewards of the profession. More recently, research has been conducted to identify more commonly held competencies and attributes doctoral scholars should develop. Even so, clear models for developing scholarly identity and specific habits-of-mind are more difficult to identify. The literature ranges from discussing this process as a form of transformation or identity development, as a form of socialisation, as regulative epistemology, or as the development of a scholarly habitus. While it would be fruitful to derive a new model for scholarly dispositions, we look to perennial wisdom and metaphors of intellectual excellence and lifelong learning that already exist. In this paper we illuminate three Confucian notions, elaborating the development of scholarly dispositions and cultivating particular habits of mind, values, and ways of being. Confucian philosophy sets forth ideal ways of being, valuing, and knowing that are highly developed in their own right and add a more holistic understanding to the conversation of scholarly identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on revisiting the internal-external issue of Ren and Yi. Topics discussed include Mengzi considers ren and yi, as well as li and zhi; thorough analysis of Mengzi's statements pertinent to the internal-external issue of ren and yi beyond 6A:4; and use of analogies and metaphors.

The article criticizes the book "Confucian Perfectionism: A Political Philosophy for Modern Times" by Joseph Chan. Topics discussed include systematic justifications of democratic institutions by virtue of confucian perfectionist approach; liberal and democratic ideas in developing an account of Confucian perfectionist governance; and justifications of Confucian democracy.

The article focuses on the integration of Confucian philosophy into contemporary discussions on technology, with contributors exploring topics such as Confucian notions of human dignity in modern contexts, the application of Confucian imaginative practices in engineering ethics education, and a Confucian response to the Anthropocene.

This essay investigates the Confucian cosmopolitan aspiration. First, it examines the nature of cosmopolitanism and its distinction from universalism. It demonstrates that cosmopolitanism is a philosophical doctrine that consists of two core tenets: (1) the tenet that humankind in whole is a social-political community under the rule of law; each person has global duty and obligation; (2) the tenet that a cosmopolitan world society is one of peoples of diverse cultures that are constellated into a community under the rule of law. Secondly, it explores Confucian cosmopolitanism consisting of five tenets: (1) the vision of humankind in whole as a community; (2) the concept of one's cosmopolitan belonging; (3) the concept of equal moral worthiness of all human beings and inviolability of human dignity; (4) the concept of cultural diversity of humanity; and (5) the aspiration to a world society of permanent peace. Thirdly, it discusses why we must have a cosmopolitan reading, not a universalistic reading, of Confucianism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines on the Confucian nature of Chinese scholar Li Zehou's revised Kantian will with emphasis on the conception of free will and its identification with classical Confucianism. It analyzes the various arguments rejecting the presence of free will in classical Confucianism and the forms of freedom which support the Confucian nature of free will as conceptualized by Li.

Confucius values have been being part of the Chinese culture from generation to generation and become values of relationship and business, including in leadership. Chinese overseas have strong emotional ties with the State of China as their country of origin. In Indonesia, Chinese overseas are called Tionghoa ethnic. They have been living in Indonesia for many generations and believed that they came to Indonesia long before the century. This research was to examine Chinese ethnic perspectives on Confucius values of their leadership in West Java Chinese organization (Fuqing association). This research was conducted at Fuqing association in West Java covering four cities namely Bandung, Bogor, Cianjur, and Sukabumi. The questionnaire was distributed to 121 active members of the Fuqing association. The questionnaire consisted of 31 questions that represent Confucius values. This study used confirmatory factor analysis to test the research model using Smart Partial Least Square version 3.0 (Smart PLS 3.0). The results of this research showed that Confucius values were still practised in Chinese leadership in West Java. Generally, Confucius values in Chinese ethnic leadership are still similar to confusion leadership variables, but the significant variable in Chinese leadership is different. In West Java, the important variables are moral character and lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article clarifies the phenomenology of sympathy and love through the descriptions of Max Scheler and Confucianism. In the view of Max Scheler, sympathy is passive and blind to values. In contrast, love is an active act, opening the field of values for us, leading us to see higher and new values. Ultimately, love is participating in God's love for the world. On the level of ontology, love grounds sympathy and fellow-feeling. However, from the perspective of cognation and practice, sympathy and fellow-feeling are found to be experienced and recognized earlier; sympathy and fellow-feeling founds love. In addition to evaluating Scheler's thought and the complicated phenomena of love objectively by borrowing insights from Chinese Philosophy (especially Confucian Philosophy), this article also examines the comprehensive experience of love, and investigates the manifestation of impure love as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this discussion I explore challenges to a particular Confucian system of morality that generally eschews reliance on rights. I argue that such a system may at the same time both assert that there are moral problems with rights and assert that it is acceptable to invoke rights in limited contexts. Adam Bailey has objected that the position I defend is inconsistent. I answer Bailey's objections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confucius's teachings fall under four headings: "culture, moral conduct, doing one's best, and being trustworthy in what one says" (7/25). Trust or, more precisely, being trustworthy, plays a central role in the Confucian ethic. This paper begins by examining the Confucian concept of trustworthiness. The second part of the paper discusses how the ideal of trustworthiness makes itself felt in business practices within China. The paper concludes by raising and addressing several objections to the Confucian emphasis on trustworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevertheless, the more advanced student of Zhu Xi will still want to consult the original version of the I Zhuzi yulei i , especially the rich records of his explorations on the classics, many of which complement and further elucidate his celebrated glosses and interlinear commentaries on canonical works. Yet his highly accessible translations, supported by a general introduction, concise notes and a glossary of key terms, offer a good elementary overview on the basics of Zhu Xi's system of thought. Building on his previous work, namely his earlier translations in part two of his I Learning to Be A Sage i and elsewhere, Gardner brings into focus the paradigmatic views on learning and reading of Zhu Xi, who devoted much of his life to education. [Extracted from the article]

The article considers the concepts as “metaphor”, “political linguistics”, “a political discourse”, “Confucianism”. The issue of the use of a metaphor in the speech of political figures and what role it plays in political life of the country is touched. The article has examples what turns of speech are used in the speech by political leaders are given favorably to influence and influence public. Influence of Confucianism on consciousness of people and on political life of the country is considered. The relevance of this work lies in fact that use of a metaphor in political language is the direct tool of impact on consciousness of the people and also in how cultural, traditional values of China influence outlook of the person. The aim of this work is to reveal the main postulates of Confucianism and their influence on political consciousness of people. The objective of this article: to give definition of a metaphor; to reveal her main functions in a political discourse; to learn how traditional cultural values influence change of people’s consciousness according to example of Confucian philosophy; what role in domestic and foreign policy is played by the concepts connected with centuries-old history and the culture of China.

Copyright of Humanitas Taiwanica is the property of National Taiwan University, Humanitas Taiwanica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent studies have recognised the Confucian holistic perspective as transformative in addressing the ecological concerns. This article complements and complicates this line of argument. The aforementioned literature has seldom examined whether or not the Confucian ideal is attainable. Centring on cheng, a Confucian metaphysical concept, this article highlights the struggle between the ideal and the real. The discussion is based on the premise that essential to the current ecological crisis is a need to reconfigure the meaning and purpose of humanity on the planet; utopianism, evoking images of a society radically different from the existing one, has the potential to instigate transformations. Utopias of all kinds encounter the tension between ideal and practice. Webb proposes an analytical framework of utopia-as-system and utopia-as-process. The former stresses an idealised blueprint and the latter attends to localised practice. For any radical change to occur, it is imperative to adopt both. Drawing on the research of ecotopia and edutopia, this article argues that Confucianism has a utopian impetus. As ecological self-understanding, cheng challenges modern assumptions regarding humanity and ecology. The concept represents a model of both utopia-as-system and utopia-as-process, and it has the potential to inspire change. It is, however, not without complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese tianrenheyi thesis bespeaks a correlative cosmology irreducible to the Western metaphysics. This article historicizes tianrenheyi for new implications to help rethink the given concepts of 'person/thing,' 'environment/nature,' and 'relationality' in contemporary ethical and environmental education in three steps. First, it turns to Yu Ying-Shih's writing for a historical and ethical picture of tianrenheyi as an 'Axial breakthrough' in Confucius' time and with direct relevance to Confucian person-making education. Second, it moves on to Roger Ames' unpacking of tianrenheyi as hospitalized in a 'correlative cosmology' and 'Confucian relational personhood' to help us re-understand Confucian 'person' as being relational. Finally, it shows how these re-invoked philosophical–ethical–cosmological theses expose a 'foundational individualism' which grounds and confines current educational thinking to an anthropocentric (dis)ordering. As an alternative, this article calls for a productive symbiotic conjoining between humans and their cultural–natural environs toward nurturing today's youth into ecologically literate, responsible, and responsive co-beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the educational thought of Confucius with focus on the educational relationship in the Analects, which is a historical text that defines the foundations of Confucianism. The first part of the investigation examines Confucius' concept of the educational relationship and how it is characterized with a dialogical spirit, which consists of worldly and secular human-orientedness, co-existentiality as a fundamental principle for educational practice, and dialogue to become an ideal ruler through self-discipline. The second stage of this study further examines the spirit of dialogue in the Analects with consideration of its historical–cultural context. Through this process, the study unravels the historical and cultural limitations of original Confucian educational thought for modern society and proposes a possible way to reengage Confucius' educational value in today's modern educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of the book "Oneness: East Asian Conceptions of Virtue, Happiness & How We Are All Connected" by Philip J. Ivanhoe is presented. It outlines the remarkably wide array of sources from neo-Confucian philosophy. It further discusses about opportunities for constructive engagement, particularly between classical-to-contemporary Chinese philosophy and contemporary Anglo-analytic philosophy; and the oneness hypothesis to explicate aesthetic obligation in a different manner.

Is Confucian democracy philosophically justifiable? In recent decades, prominent Confucian theorists have answered this question in the negative, arguing that the political system that is consistent with Confucianism is political meritocracy or elite rule. This position presupposes an antithetical relation between democracy and Confucianism. In order to counter such a position, this article proposes a philosophically justifiable normative conception of Confucian democracy. By carefully examining democracy theories of Jean Jacques Rousseau and Carl Schmitt in the civic humanist republican tradition and Confucian political philosophy in the Mencian tradition, this article demonstrates that the substantive value of democracy as popular sovereignty is a fundamental idea undergirding and safeguarding the ideal Confucian politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global experiences are a significant form of professional development for teacher education faculty preparing teachers to support twenty-first-century diverse classrooms. This case study examined the international professional development (IPD) experiences of teacher education faculty at a Chinese university as involving personal-professional, researcher-practitioner, and aesthetic-pragmatic development. Faculty interviews, courses, and publications evidence challenges met and strategies for integrating global and local (glocal) identities, values, and practices – abroad and upon returning home. A Confucian ren as social benevolence and de as virtuous introspection served as a form of faculty agency in bridging the global and the local to bring new perspectives to home institutions, while maintaining an integrated sense of glocal identity. Implications for teacher education practice, policy, and research encourage IPD cultivating a ren-de agency via glocal collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of Jesuit missionary reports from China on the work of the English freethinker Anthony Collins. It considers his use of accounts of Confucian philosophy in his own writings on materialism and atheism, and in his discussion of the role of the state in relation to religion. It suggests that despite the difficulties he faced in assessing missionary reports he made use of them in his philosophical writings and may have been encouraged by his knowledge of Chinese philosophy to explore the question of emergence and the self-organization of matter. China features in his comments on metaphysics as well as political and moral philosophy. The article argues that China became a model state for Collins, representing for him a level of religious toleration largely unknown in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why should I take care of my aging parents? How far will morality require me to sacrifice for this cause? I will study these questions from the perspectives of Confucianism and rule‐consequentialism. Confucians believe that the continuity of families and the interactions between members of different generations can enhance the integrity of society in the long run. However, since Confucianism may impose extreme demands on its followers, this theory may be problematic. In this paper, I argue that despite its demands, the Confucian doctrines are defensible and are worth upholding. To explain my view, I draw upon rule‐consequentialism and explain how the rule‐consequentialist analysis complements and enhances the Confucian claims. I believe that the consequentialist conception of Confucianism can provide a useful resource for responding to the moral challenge of population aging in the current state of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]