John Dewey, Confucius, and Global Philosophy

Joseph Grange

Description

Joseph Grange's beautifully written book provides a unique synthesis of two major figures of world philosophy, John Dewey and Confucius, and points the way to a global philosophy based on American and Confucian values. Grange concentrates on the major themes of experience, felt intelligence, and culture to make the connections between these two giants of Western and Eastern thought. He explains why the Chinese called Dewey "A Second Confucius," and deepens our understanding of Confucius's concepts of the way (dao) of human excellence (ren). The important dimensions of American and Chinese cultural philosophy are welded into an argument that calls for the liberation of what is finest in both traditions. The work gives a new appreciation of fundamental issues facing Chinese and American relations and brings the opportunities and dangers of globalization into focus.

Foreword

Preface

1. Experience

Dewey's Novel Insight
Working Connections with Confucius: Dao, De, and Ren

2. Felt Intelligence

Overcoming Dualisms
Working Connections with Confucius: Li, Yi, and Zhi

3. Culture

Values and Situations
Working Connections with Confucius: He, Xin , Xin*, Junzi

4. "A Second Confucius"

Dao and Experience
Li and Inquiry
Ren and Communal Culture

Epilog: September 11, 2001

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Chinese Glossary

Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Épistémologie
• Philosophy
• Pragmatism
• Epistémologie
• Epistémologie
• Epistémologie

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791484876
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

John Dewey, Confucius, and Global Philosophy

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture Roger T. Ames, editor

John Dewey, Confucius, and Global Philosophy

❁

Joseph Grange

Foreword by Roger T. Ames

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2004 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including elec- tronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Grange, Joseph, 1940– John Dewey, Confucius, and global philosophy / Joseph Grange ; foreword by Roger T. Ames. p. cm. — (SUNY series in Chinese philosophy and culture) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-7914-6115-7 1. Dewey, John, 1859–1952. 2. Confucius. 3. Philosophy, Comparative. I. Title. II. Series.

B945.D44G72 2004 109’.2—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2003061032

In Memory of David Hall Master of Eros and Irony

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Foreword

Preface

❁ Contents

Chapter One: Experience Dewey’s Novel Insight Working Connections with Confucius:Dao, De,andRen

Chapter Two: Felt Intelligence Overcoming Dualisms Working Connections with Confucius:Li, Yi,andZhi

Chapter Three: Culture Values and Situations Working Connections with Confucius:He, Xin , Xin*, Junzi

Chapter Four: “A Second Confucius” Daoand Experience Liand Inquiry Renand Communal Culture

Epilog: September 11, 2001

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Chinese Glossary

Index

vii

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1 1 22

31 31 50

55 55 79

85 86 89 93

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❁ Foreword

Roger T. Ames

As Joseph Grange insists throughout this present essay, in pursuing cultural understanding and accommodation between American and Chinese cultural sensibilities, there is quite simply no intelligent alter- native to dialogue. And a dialogue to be meaningful requires a shared ground—an appreciation of continuities and differences revealed through an exploration of an overlapping cultural vocabulary. Grange draws upon his sustained and substantial reading of the original reflec- tions of John Dewey and of Confucius to bring into focus several sem- inal ideas from each of these two traditions that provide us with a resonance between them, and that can serve us as the terms of art nec- essary for undertaking such a Sino-American dialogue. To set the context for Grange’s proposed cultural conversation, we might begin by asking the synoptic question: what, after all, do we mean by “Confucianism” and “Deweyan pragmatism?” It is only in coming to terms with this question that we are able to make the impor- tant connection between Grange’s impassioned plea for a better world, and the vision for addressing such a task provided in the works of Con- fucius and Dewey. Elsewhere I have argued for anarrativerather than ananalytical 1 understanding of Confucianism. In short, framing the question as “What is Confucianism?” in analytical terms tends to essentialize Con- fucianism as a specific ideology—a technical philosophy—that can be stipulated with varying degrees of detail and accuracy.Whatis a ques- tion that is perhaps more successfully directed at attempts at system- atic philosophy where through analysis one can seek to abstract the ix