Description
Book SynopsisIn Thomé H. Fang, Tang Junyi and Huayan Thought, King Pong Chiu discusses Thomé H. Fang and Tang Junyi, two of the most important Confucian thinkers in twentieth-century China, who appropriated aspects of the medieval Chinese Buddhist school of Huayan to develop a response to the challenges of ‘scientism’, the belief that quantitative natural science is the only valuable part of human learning and the only source of truth. As Chiu argues, Fang’s and Tang’s selective appropriations of Huayan thought paid heed to the hermeneutical importance of studying ancient texts in order to be more responsive to modern issues, and helped confirm the values of Confucianism under the challenge of ‘scientism’, a topic widely ignored in academia.
Trade Review"The author covers a topic that has not been studied before in English,providing a useful introduction to the context and thought of both of its main subjects [...] This volume contributes to this topic by taking seriously Huayan Buddhism, which has generally been neglected in the study of twentieth-century China." Erik Hammerstrom, Pacific Lutheran University, Journal of Chinese Religions 45, 2 (2017)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements xi List of Figure and Tables xii List of Abbreviations xiii A Note on Transliteration and Translation xv 1 Introduction: Research Questions and Methodology 1 1.1 Research Questions 1 1.2 Methodology 7 2 The Historical Context of Modern Confucian Thinkers’ Appropriations of Buddhist Ideas 16 3 Thomé H. Fang and Huayan Thought 80 4 Tang Junyi and Huayan Thought 126 5 Fang’s and Tang’s Appropriations of Huayan Thought and ‘Scientism’ 180 Appendices 1 Reply from the University of Wisconsin-Madison about Fang’s Status 205 2 Prolegomena to A Comparative Philosophy of Life: An Outline 206 Bibliography 211 Index 247
