Neo-Confucian Philosophy

Autumn 2014

Lecturer: Ping-tzu Chu

This lecture series aims at increasing the listeners' understanding of an intellectual movement which began in the mid Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) and last till the end of the imperial China period. This movement, Neo-Confucianism, appeared as one of the options proposed by the anxious literati in the court area and finally made itself into the dominant position in the civil service examination system. Its influence was not confined in China. Korea, Japan, and Vietnam were also imported Neo-Confucian philosophy to be a major school of thought for centuries. Even though its impact greatly faded after all these areas were westernized, its heirs, the so-called contemporary Confucians in Hong Kong and Taiwan, have been struggling to keep it alive and believe that the wisdom, the truth, and the faith it contains would bring China a brighter future. This belief got echoed in China in late 1980s and 1990s and still pops up here and there now. However in general now it only survives in academics but not a shared belief for the majority. Even so, the history of Neo-Confucianism still sheds light on a very important aspect for us to understand the past of China or East Asia.