John Dewey and Confucian Thought: Experiments in Intra-Cultural Philosophy, Volume Two

Description

Assesses John Dewey’s visit to China in 1919–21 as an “intra-cultural” episode and promotes “Chinese natural philosophy” as a philosophical context in which to understand the connections between Dewey’s philosophy and early Confucian thinking. In this conclusion to his two-volume series, Jim Behuniak builds upon the groundbreaking work begun in John Dewey and Daoist Thought in arguing that “Chinese natural philosophy” is the proper hermeneutical context in which to understand early Confucianism. First, he traces Dewey’s late-period “cultural turn” in more detail and then proceeds to assess Dewey’s visit to China in 1919–21 as a multifaceted “intra-cultural” episode: one that includes not only what Dewey taught his Chinese audiences, but also what he learned in China and what we stand to learn from this encounter today. “Dewey in China” provides an opportunity to continue establishing “ specific philosophical relationships” between Dewey and Confucian thought for the purpose of getting ourselves “back in gear” with contemporary thinking in the social and natural sciences. To this end, Behuniak critically assesses readings of early Chinese thought reliant on outdated Greek-medieval assumptions, paying particular attention to readings of early Confucianism that rely heavily on Western virtue ethics, such as the “Heaven’s plan” reading. Topics covered include education, tradition, ethics, the family, human nature, and religiousness―thus engaging Dewey with themes generally associated with Confucian thought. Contents List of Illustrations Interlude Dewey’s Chinese Dinners Part I 1. John Dewey and Intra-cultural Naturalism Dissolving the Blank Slate Humanism and Intra-cultural Philosophy Continuity and Common Sense Culture and the “Return Wave” Cultural Relations and Reconstruction 2. Education and Tradition Learning (xue 學) and Personhood Dewey Arrives in China Education and Its Reach Learning and Thinking The Dao 道 of Tradition 3. Custom and Reconstruction Breakthroughs in China Li 禮 and Custom Toward a “Social Philosophy,” Part One Custom and Reflection Ren 仁 and Human Association 4. Pluralism and Democracy Democracy vs. The Melting Pot Guojia 國家 and the “Great Community” Three Complimentary Studies Toward a “Social Philosophy,” Part Two Dewey Leaves China Part II 5. Roles and Exemplars The Analects as Virtue Ethics Exemplarism and the Denotative Method Role Ethics and Human Nature Hitting the Mark (zhong 中) Morality is Social 6. Humans and Nature Naturalizing Heaven Spiritualizing Nature Understanding Human Nature The Goodness (shan 善) of Human Nature Nature and Normality 7. Harmony and Growth Families and Human Nature The Norm of Harmony (he 和) The Meaning of Growth Family Experience and Non-Dualism Culture and Adaptation 8. Integration and Religiousness Integration (cheng 誠) and Adjustment Recovering the Forfeiture Ideals and the Actual Communion and the Human Spirit Returning to China Notes Works Cited Index