Comparative Study of Views of Religion of Liang Shuming and Feng Youlan

Liang Shuming’s view of religion experienced a evolution from using Buddhism interpreting religion to choosing morality instead of religion and finally to choosing aesthetic education instead of religion.On the contrary,Feng Youlan initially proposed to interpret religion with poetry and finally actively claimed to take the place of religion with philosophy.After carefully investigation into the intension of religion,they both agreed on the opinion that Confucian is not a religion.However,there were quite differences between Liang Shuming’s view of religion and that of Feng Youlan.They were: on the thinking way of religion,Liang valued intuitive while Feng valued rationality;on the social status of religion,Liang held that religion is superior to others in human being’s culture and thoughts,but Feng put philosophy in a higher place than religion;on the further development of religion in the future,Liang had uncertain opinions about it;whereas Feng believed that religion must yield its status to philosophy in the future.Their unique understandings of religion could still be referred to in dealing with contemporary issue of religion.