Four Exemplars of Ru 儒 (Confucianism)

This book discusses scholars who have all engaged in comparative philosophy projects, many of whom first rose to fame because of their penetrating insights into the similarities and differences in “Western” and “Chinese” thought. They all went beyond simply looking at how one thinker, one school, or one tradition relates to another: each draws on sources from China and the West. However, their projects—from role ethics to concrete metaphysics, from critiquing individualism to balancing harmony and justice—are attempts at re-evaluating the way we view the world and live our lives. These projects are systematic, thorough tong 通, and comprehensive descriptions of ourselves, the world, and our interactions with others. They are all comparative, but, on top of this, they also aim at making a point that transcends their comparisons. The book thus shows that these great thinkers draw on a multiplicity of resources, and while they might find some ideas closer to home than others, comparison is a necessary constant. Using traditional Confucian vocabulary, this type of philosophizing is described as practicing xue 学, normally understood as “studying” or “learning.” But, it also means to copy, imitate, model, or emulate. In the process of xue, one imitates, but with a nod to differences. This book honors four models of such an attitude to xue. In its examination of some of the most influential scholars in Chinese thought, this is a seminal book for scholars and students in Chinese and comparative philosophy.