On the Nature and Role of Chinese Philosophy:A Response to Discussions on Fanxiang Geyi

Responses to my article on fanxiang geyi ( reverse analogical interpretation) have expressed a number of divergent views. Among them, two opposing views about what Chinese philosophy is seem useful to consider. One contends that Chinese philosophy is a modern academic discipline, essentially comprising comparative studies between Chinese thought and Western philosophy; thus, it is necessary and helpful to introduce Western philosophical concerns into studies of Chinese philosophy. The other insists that Chinese philosophy is actually the tradition of scholarship addressed to Confucian classics and individual thinkers; thus, we should cleave to that tradition and avoid using Western terms and theories, which may induce distortion of ancient Chinese thought. These two positions reflect the current situation of the field in their vague and confused reference to the term Chinesephilosophy, a problem mainly rooted in the complexity of the nature and role of thought in Chinese cultural and intellectual history. The concept of Chinese philosophy was molded in the early 20th century under the influence of Western academics and in explicit comparison with modern Western philosophy. In this sense, Chinese philosophy is intrinsically a modern academic discipline and does not necessarily reject the introduction of Western philosophy to its study. Nevertheless, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism constitute the main subjects of research in Chinese philosophy, and these represent and embody Chinese traditions of value, distinct from the role of modern Western philosophy as a purely knowledge and theory-based field of investigation. To improve research in Chinese philosophy, it is important to recognize and distinguish the multi-faceted nature and roles of Chinese philosophy in the modern world to further clarify our objectives. Excellence in the study in Chinese philosophy should be predicated on improving our understanding of its complex nature and roles.