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  孟婧婷 • 12-25

  1. misunderstandings:

  ①To the Westerners, the Confucianism is a religion for it permeated in Chinese people’s life.

  ②Chinese seems to be unconscious of those values which are higher than the moral ones because we don’t care about religion but the ethics, while religion is a way to realize the fundamental desires for many foreigners.

  ③There are many people who say that Chinese philosophy is a this-world philosophy.

         2. The spirit of Chinse philosophy is to figure out how to accomplish a synthesis out of the antitheses of “this-worldiness” and “other-worldiness”, and to enable to develop the character of the sage— “the sageliness within and kingliness without”.

         3. His conclusion is systematic and thought provoking, which has proposed unique insights on many philosophical and cultural issues.

  On the one hand, he interpreted philosophy in simple and profound terms as “a systematic reflection on life”. This is different from the abstract definitions of philosophers such as Plato and Hegel, and is more life oriented and Chinese oriented. Thus, it perfectly explains how Chinese people maintain super-moral values while not believing in religion for philosophy satisfies their innate desire of mankind and instructs their behaviors. And from such a conclusion I learnt how important and urgent the philosophy is required in such a faith-absent era. Also, everyone has a need for super-moral values without realizing it.

  On the other hand, Feng's description is structured, which systematically connects scattered points, giving a picture of the whole traditional Chinese philosophy; and his narration is vivid and limped by citing classics and allusions and comparing with the western philosophy.

  Furthermore, he introduces Chinese philosophical concepts through the translation of Western classics, and follow the rule of faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance. Only through a thorough comprehension of both Chinses and Western culture could Feng accurately translate Chinese philosophy in English and use the most familiar cultural concepts of Western culture to analogize Chinese philosophical concepts. This is a top-level means of promoting Chinese culture and the best Chinese cultural education for Westerners. For instance, the Confucious notion “内圣外王” was translated as “inner sageliness and outer kingliness”, while Plato believed in "The Republic" that philosophers of excellent birth who were not burdened by wealth and material possessions were called Philosophy king.

  Though his idea is innovative and inspiring, I hold divergent opinion with some of his comments.

  First is his boldly prediction of “philosophy substitutes for religion”. Though philosophy is purer and more scientific, it also has high requirements for its own intelligence and spiritual literacy, which not everyone can achieve, even in Chinese philosophy we had totemism. While religion is more direct and absolute, hence has a higher universality among the general public.

  Another disagreement is also related to religion. Recalling the history, Feng reckons the relation of religion and science is wane and wax. While they are more like complement each other from my perspective. Einstein also said, "Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind." Although there are differences in content and even some inconsistencies between science and religion, this does not necessarily mean that science and religion are in a hostile state.

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  吴俊霖 • 12-25

  1. In The Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, Professor Feng Youlan mainly discusses and clarifies some common misunderstandings about Chinese philosophy. Some of these misconceptions include reducing Chinese philosophy to one or several schools of thought of Taoism, Confucianism, or Buddhism, or treating it as a static, unchanging tradition. Feng Youlan emphasized the diversity and dynamics of Chinese philosophy, pointing out that it is the interweaving and interaction of multiple schools of thought and ideas, and it is constantly changing with the development of history.Some might believe that Chinese philosophy concerns itself only with worldly, practical affairs, devoid of any spiritual or metaphysical considerations. Feng clarifies that Chinese philosophy is not just this-worldly; it also touches upon the other-worldly. Thus, it synthesizes the tangible and the intangible, the practical and the spiritual.

   

  2. Feng Youlan believes that the spirit of Chinese philosophy is mainly reflected in the profound thinking and exploration of life and society. He emphasized Chinese philosophy's focus on the nature of man, the relationship between man and nature, and the relationship between man and society, as well as its in-depth exploration of morality, politics, education and other fields. In Feng's view, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is a spirit of pursuing truth and wisdom, which encourages people to think about the meaning and value of life, explore the fundamental problems of human existence, and seek personal and social harmony and progress.

   

  3. Feng Youlan's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy is reflected in his reinterpretation and development of traditional ideas. He has injected new vitality and depth into the study of Chinese philosophy by digging deep into traditional texts and thought resources, combined with modern academic methods and perspectives. His interpretation not only helps us to better understand the traditional thought, but also provides us with important inspiration for thinking about contemporary issues. At the same time, Feng Youlan's interpretation also has a certain historical and cultural background, which needs us to understand and evaluate in combination with the specific context. In general, Feng Youlan's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy provides us with a new perspective and way of thinking, which is of great significance to promote the research and development of Chinese philosophy.

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  漫心.蓝点 • 12-25

  1. Misunderstandings:

   

  Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are three religions.

   

  Chinese philosophy is a this-world religion.

   

   

   

  2. The spirit of Chinese philosophy is the synthesis of this-worldliness and other-worldliness. The former being extremely idealistic, the latter being extremely realistic, this spirit is to be practiced by the sage, who in this case bears the character of "sageliness within and kindliness without".

   

   

   

  3. Comment:

   

  The place which philosophy has occupied in Chinese civilization has been comparable to that of religion in other civilizations. In China, philosophy has been every educated person's concern. In the old days. if a man were educated at all, the first education he received was in philosophy. When children went to school, the Four Books, which consist of the Confucian Analects, the Book of Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, were the first ones they were taught to read. The Four Books were the most important texts of Neo-Confucianist philosophy. Sometimes when the children were just beginning to learn the characters, they were given a sort of textbook to read. This was known as the Three Characters Classic, and was so called because each sentence in the book consisted of three characters arranged so that when recited they produced a rhythmic effect, and thus helped the children to memorize them more easily. This book was in reality a primer and the very first statement in it is that "the nature of man is originally good." This is one of the fundamental ideas of Mencius' philosophy

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  彭雯 • 12-26

  Misunderstanding

       (1) Chinese philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all religions.

       (2) Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy, which has led Chinese people far from the spiritual world.

  Spirit

       According to Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is ''sageliness within and kingkiness without'', which means that we Chinese people apply philosophical ideas to daily behaviors. Therefore we can truly know as well as experience philosophy at the same time.

  My Comment

       First of all, I sincerely appreciate Mr.Feng's explaining the profound in simple terms and clear structure.

       The first part, Place of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization, has illustrated well that philosophy is in the place between science and religion, which is similar to Bertrand Russel's "Philosophy, in my understanding of the world, is something that is between theology and science.", with explanation of three fundamental philosophy of China-- Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and the function of them. Personally, I am especially fond of his "Fortunately, however, besides religion there is philosophy, which provides man with an access to the higher values." 

       In the second part, Problem and Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, Feng subtly grasped the viewpoints of other-worldliness and this-wordiness to clarify Chinese philosophy's spirit, "sageliness within and kingliness without", which is similar to Plato's philosopher-king. The comparison of Western and Eastern philosophy is a stroke of genius.

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  17班陈曦 • 12-26

  1. Misunderstanding:

   

  Chinese philosophy to Chinese civilization has been regarded as religion to other civilizations.

   

  As Confucianism permeating in the life of Chinese people, the Westerners see it as religion which they are immersed in. The westerners who have faith in religion always do some rituals, for example praying and going to the church weekly, to show their loyalty to the God. At most time only by practicing such special rites can they hold the canonical beliefs tightly. While the Chinese beg to the differ by treating Chinese philosophy as guidelines or teachings (the same as Platonism or Aristotelian-ism) that shape us a good man and instill us with kindness, loyalty, the spirit of resilience and the like. That’s the most noticeable and macro misunderstanding I can catch from the essay and my own thoughts.

   

  Also from the micro perspective, Prof. Feng mentioned that the love of Chinese is different from that of the westerners. Influenced by Chinese philosophy including Confucianism, Chinese are prone to love a real and actual person in the world, who may be the families, teachers, friends or even an unfamiliar stranger, while the westerners have a kind of faithful love to the God, which is referred to as super-moral value.

   

   

   

  2. The spirit of Chinese philosophy:

   

  The spirit of Chinese philosophy I learned from the essay is about thinking. The educated Chinese are disposed to take the religion

   

  The educated Chinese are disposed to thinking philosophically. They satisfy their craving for what is beyond the actual world to reach out for the value that are higher than the moral value, but it’s undeniable that starting points or the fundamentals are in the real world. That’s to say, Chinese shape the Chinese philosophy by observing the realistic world and then summarize the idealistic doctrine or rules in a philosophical way. So the Chinese who have the capacity of thinking philosophically are able to accomplish spiritual cultivation internally and behave themselves externally.

   

  3. My comment:

   

  My comment on Feng’s interpretation will mainly fall on the target group that Feng talked about, as he written “everyone learn philosophy...” and some sentences like that. When we talk about philosophy, Confucius, Mencius and other famous philosophers spring to our mind as they have inherited numerous precious works for us Chinese people. It’s clear to see that they all are educated so the question perplexing me is that, how about the uneducated or illiterate Chinese? The illiterate may have been covering a larger amount of population than the educated till this century. As they didn’t have the access to the original philosophy work like Analects of Confucius for lack of knowledge or other reasons, they are also influenced by Chinese philosophy through folk paroles or official policies. To some extent, they maybe don’t know the deep reason why they should act as that but only know they are expected or obliged to do so. So the question remaining is that, what roles do the illiterate play in Chinese philosophy?

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  张丹凝 • 12-26

   Misunderstandings:

  Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are three religions.

  Chinese philosophy is a this-world religion.

  The spirit of Chinese philosophy is the synthesis of this-worldliness and other-worldliness. The former being extremely idealistic, the latter being extremely realistic, this spirit is to be practiced by the sage, who in this case bears the character of "sageliness within and kindliness without".

   

  3. Comment:

  The place which philosophy has occupied in Chinese civilization has been comparable to that of religion in other civilizations. In China, philosophy has been every educated person's concern. In the old days. if a man were educated at all, the first education he received was in philosophy. When children went to school, the Four Books, which consist of the Confucian Analects, the Book of Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, were the first ones they were taught to read.

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  5班袁宇婷 • 12-26

  1. What misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy does Prof. Feng Youlan bring up in the article?

   

  * The western sinologists mistakenly reckoned Chinese philosophy, which mainly comprising three schools which are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism as the counterparts of their religions. One of the causes of this is their neglection of the disparity between Taoism and Tao chia, also Buddhism and Fo Chia. Another reason for their misunderstanding is their religion-oreinted mindset.

   

  2. What is the spirit of Chinese philosophy according to Feng?

   

  * Striving for the reconciliation and synthesis between this-worldly philosophy and other-worldly one, which are in two extremes.

   

  3. How do you comment on Feng's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy? 

   

  * Objective mindset: evading hasty conclusion and jumping on the bandwagon. When delving into the other-worldly philosophy and this-wordly philosophy, Feng insightfully believe Chinese philosophy is a synthesis of them.

   

  * Fully supported standpoints. Whenever stating a viewpoint from oneside, a valid quotation or supporting detail is presented, not only elaborating the argument crystal clear, but also being informative.

   

  * Clarifying the problems by tracing intrinsic similarities. Although Chinese philosophy is dominated by this-worldly and other wordly schools, their radical intention is pointed out——the involvement of political ideology.

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  魏嘉怡 • 12-26

  1. Misunderstanding

   

       (1) Chinese philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all religions.

   

       (2) Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy, which has led Chinese people far from the spiritual world.

   

  2. Spirit

   

       According to Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is ''sageliness within and kingkiness without'', which means that we Chinese people apply philosophical ideas to daily behaviors. Therefore we can truly know as well as experience philosophy at the same time.

   

  3. My Comment

   

       First of all, I sincerely appreciate Mr.Feng's explaining the profound in simple terms and clear structure.

   

       The first part, Place of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization, has illustrated well that philosophy is in the place between science and religion, which is similar to Bertrand Russel's "Philosophy, in my understanding of the world, is something that is between theology and science.", with explanation of three fundamental philosophy of China-- Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and the function of them. Personally, I am especially fond of his "Fortunately, however, besides religion there is philosophy, which provides man with an access to the higher values." 

   

       In the second part, Problem and Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, Feng subtly grasped the viewpoints of other-worldliness and this-wordiness to clarify Chinese philosophy's spirit, "sageliness within and kingliness without", which is similar to Plato's philosopher-king. The comparison of Western and Eastern philosophy is a stroke of genius.

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  何思谚 • 12-26

  Concerning Chinese philosophy, Feng Youlan raised some misunderstandings in his article, claiming that philosophy is just an empty theory that has no practical effect on real life. However, philosophy is actually a profound system of thought that can help people understand the nature of the universe, society, and life, and provide a set of values to guide people's behavior and decision-making. Chinese philosophy particularly emphasizes personal inner cultivation and moral practice, and emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature and society. Therefore, philosophy is not an empty theory, but a system of thought that has a profound impact on human wisdom and culture.

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  16班李宝弘 • 12-26

  1. What misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy does Prof. Feng Youlan bring up in the article?

  * The western sinologists mistakenly reckoned Chinese philosophy, which mainly comprising three schools which are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism as the counterparts of their religions. One of the causes of this is their neglection of the disparity between Taoism and Tao chia, also Buddhism and Fo Chia. Another reason for their misunderstanding is their religion-oreinted mindset.

  2. What is the spirit of Chinese philosophy according to Feng?

  * Striving for the reconciliation and synthesis between this-worldly philosophy and other-worldly one, which are in two extremes.

  3. How do you comment on Feng's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy? 

  * Objective mindset: evading hasty conclusion and jumping on the bandwagon. When delving into the other-worldly philosophy and this-wordly philosophy, Feng insightfully believe Chinese philosophy is a synthesis of them.

  * Fully supported standpoints. Whenever stating a viewpoint from oneside, a valid quotation or supporting detail is presented, not only elaborating the argument crystal clear, but also being informative.

  * Clarifying the problems by tracing intrinsic similarities. Although Chinese philosophy is dominated by this-worldly and other wordly schools, their radical intention is pointed out——the involvement of political ideology.

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  17班张森红 • 12-26

  1.Misunderstanding 

   

  Westerners think Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism are religions and Chinese people are permeated with them.and they make a surface of view that Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy.

   

  2.Spirit

   

  Feng’s perspective is that Chinese philosophy is “sageliness within and kindliness without.”and the Chinese philosophy is to accomplish a synthesis out of those antitheses.

   

  3.comment

   

  I really appreciate Feng’s perspectives. Formerly,I have ambiguous understanding of Chinese philosophy,especially Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism.Now I know something about the distinction between religion and the three.They are ethics,not religion and they provide the spiritual basis of Chinese civilization.However,there is a flaw.If the essay use more data and examples to prove its points,it can be understood further and easier.

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  melody • 12-26

  Misunderstanding

   Chinese philosophies like Confucianism andTaoism are all religions and Chinese philosophy is only today's philosophy, which makes Chinese people far from the spiritual world.

  Spirit

       According to Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is ''sageliness within and kingliness without'', which is about how to accomplish a synthesis out of the antitheses of “this-worldiness” and “other-worldiness”.

  Comment

  Sageliness is to transcend the nature of the world, to consciously realize the oneness of the individual, and to understand the supremacy of one's own life. The kingliness is to grasp and use the laws of the universe and the human world, to achieve the goals of this life with an independent personality. With the sageliness, we can better listen to our hearts; with the kingliness, we can better follow the way of the world and realize the pursuit of this life.

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  卢思伊 • 12-26

  1. Misunderstanding

  1. Feng said that the Four Books have been the Bible of the Chinese people. Although he added that there is no mention of heaven or hell in the Four Books, it may also leave a superficial mislead to Westerners that the Four Books contain some religion.

  2. He brought up an opinion that Chinese philosophy's function is not the increase of positive knowled ge but the elevation of the mind. This may also result in a misunderstanding that Chinese philosophy does not care about positive knowledge.

  3. Chinese philosophy is a this-world philosophy.

  2.Spirit

  Feng's perspective is that Chinese philosophy is "sageliness within and kindliness without."and the C hinese philosophy is to accomplish a synthesis out of those antitheses.

  3. My comment

  Feng gave us a huge number of analysis to support what he wanted to express to readers. With some quotation to enrich his points, there is no doubt that he has shown us his comprehensive understandi ngs. To school oneself continually and persistently to that pure experience in which selfishness and egocnt ricity were transcended, so that he would be one with the universe. Chinese philosophy is not simply a sort of intellectual game, but something far more serious.

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  7班文鑫渝 • 12-27

  1.Misunderstanding 

  Westerners think Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism are religions and Chinese people are permeated with them.and they make a surface of view that Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy.

  2.Spirit

  Feng’s perspective is that Chinese philosophy is “sageliness within and kindliness without.”and the Chinese philosophy is to accomplish a synthesis out of those antitheses.

  3.comment

  I really appreciate Feng’s perspectives. Formerly,I have ambiguous understanding of Chinese philosophy,especially Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism.Now I know something about the distinction between religion and the three.They are ethics,not religion and they provide the spiritual basis of Chinese civilization.However,there is a flaw.If the essay use more data and examples to prove its points,it can be understood further and easier.

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  程兵 • 12-27

  1. What misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy does Prof. Feng Youlan bring up in the article?

  * The western sinologists mistakenly reckoned Chinese philosophy, which mainly comprising three schools which are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism as the counterparts of their religions. One of the causes of this is their neglection of the disparity between Taoism and Tao chia, also Buddhism and Fo Chia. Another reason for their misunderstanding is their religion-oreinted mindset.

  2. What is the spirit of Chinese philosophy according to Feng?

  * Striving for the reconciliation and synthesis between this-worldly philosophy and other-worldly one, which are in two extremes.

  3. How do you comment on Feng's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy? 

  * Objective mindset: evading hasty conclusion and jumping on the bandwagon. When delving into the other-worldly philosophy and this-wordly philosophy, Feng insightfully believe Chinese philosophy is a synthesis of them.

  * Fully supported standpoints. Whenever stating a viewpoint from oneside, a valid quotation or supporting detail is presented, not only elaborating the argument crystal clear, but also being informative.

  * Clarifying the problems by tracing intrinsic similarities. Although Chinese philosophy is dominated by this-worldly and other wordly schools, their radical intention is pointed out——the involvement of political ideology.

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  20班罗坤菡 • 12-27

  1. What misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy does Prof. Feng Youlan bring up in the article?

  * The western sinologists mistakenly reckoned Chinese philosophy, which mainly comprising three schools which are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism as the counterparts of their religions. One of the causes of this is their neglection of the disparity between Taoism and Tao chia, also Buddhism and Fo Chia. Another reason for their misunderstanding is their religion-oreinted mindset.

  2. What is the spirit of Chinese philosophy according to Feng?

  * Striving for the reconciliation and synthesis between this-worldly philosophy and other-worldly one, which are in two extremes.

  3. How do you comment on Feng's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy? 

  * Objective mindset: evading hasty conclusion and jumping on the bandwagon. When delving into the other-worldly philosophy and this-wordly philosophy, Feng insightfully believe Chinese philosophy is a synthesis of them.

  * Fully supported standpoints. Whenever stating a viewpoint from oneside, a valid quotation or supporting detail is presented, not only elaborating the argument crystal clear, but also being informative.

  * Clarifying the problems by tracing intrinsic similarities. Although Chinese philosophy is dominated by this-worldly and other wordly schools, their radical intention is pointed out——the involvement of political ideology.

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  kkkkkkahrine • 12-27

  1. Misunderstanding
  ①Prof. Feng said that the Four Books have been the Bible of the Chinese people. Although he added that there is no mention of heaven or hell in the Four Books, it may also leave a superficial mislead to Westerners that the Four Books contain some religion.
  ②He brought up an opinion that Chinese philosophy's function is not the increase of positive knowledge but the elevation of the mind. This may also result in a misunderstanding that Chinese philosophy does not care about positive knowledge.
  ③Chinese philosophy is a this-world philosophy.
  2. According to Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is both of this world and of the other world, which can be described as one of "sageliness within and kingliness without".
  3. My comment
  Generally speaking, Prof. Feng had given a clearer description and interpretation of Chinese philosophy to Westerners at that time, by mentioning and comparing both Chinese philosophy and Western philosophy. But there are also some misunderstandings. These may have been influenced by the era and environment at that time. 
  Besides, some opinions lack proof. For example, he said that the Chinese people take even their religion philosophically, but there are no detailed examples to prove in the following text.
  In short, Prof. Feng's interpretation is of great significance to both Westerners and Chinese people, and for the current research and dissemination of Chinese philosophy, it is still necessary to continue moving forward.

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  3班田锋颖 • 12-28

  1.Misunderstanding ：Feng thinks that the Chinese philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all religions. The second is Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy, which has led Chinese people far from the spiritual world.

  2.

  Feng Youlan interpreted Chinese philosophy according to the framework of Western philosophy, and he put forward his own views on the spirit and characteristics of Chinese philosophy.

  Feng Youlan pointed out that the so-called Chinese philosophy is a certain learning in China or a certain part of a certain knowledge that can be named by the so-called philosophical name in the West", and the so-called ”Chinese philosopher "is a certain scholar in China, who can be named by the so-called philosopher in the West.

  3.

  First I really appreciate Mr.Feng's explaining the profound in simple terms and clear structure. The first part, Place of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization, has illustrated well that philosophy is in the place between science and religion, which is similar to Bertrand Russel's "Philosophy, in my understandi ng of the world, is something that is between theology and science.", with explanation of three fundamental philosophy of China-- Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and the function of them.  In the second part, Problem and Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, Feng grasped the viewpoints of other-worldliness and this-wordiness to clarify Chinese philosophy's spirit, "sageliness within and kingliness without", which is similar to Plato's philosopher-king. The comparison of Western and Eastern philosophy is a stroke of genius.

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  9班张梅 • 12-29

  1. Misconceptions

  (1) Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and other Chinese philosophies are all religions.

  (2) Chinese philosophy is just a kind of philosophy in this world, and it distances Chinese people from the spiritual world.

  2. Spirit

  In Mr. Feng's view, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is "the inner sage, the outer king," which means that we Chinese people apply philosophical thoughts to daily behavior. Therefore, we can truly understand philosophy and experience philosophy at the same time.

  3. My Comments

  First of all, I want to sincerely thank Mr. Feng for explaining profound content in simple and understandable language with a clear structure.The first part, "The Status of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization", effectively explains the position of philosophy between science and religion, similar to Bertrand Russell's "Philosophy, for me, is something intermediate between theology and science in my understanding of the world". It also interprets the three basic philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in China and their functions. As far as I am concerned, I particularly appreciate his "Fortunately, apart from religion, there is also philosophy, which provides humanity with opportunities to achieve higher values." 

  In the second part, "Issues and Spirit of Chinese Philosophy," Feng Xiaogang skillfully captures the transcendent and verbose views, elucidating the spirit of Chinese philosophy, "inner sage, outer king," which is similar to Plato's philosopher-king. The comparison of Eastern and Western philosophy is a stroke of genius.

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  11班杨露 • 12-30

  1.
  (1)Westerners sees that Confucianism permeates every Chinese’s life, and they regard it as a religion.
  (2)People have been accustomed to say that there were three religions in China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism is not a religion. As to Taoism, there is a distinction between Taoism as a philosophy, which is called Tao chia (the Taoist school), and the Taoist religion (Tao chiao). Their teachings are contradictory. Taoism as a philosophy teaches the doctrine of following nature, while Taoism as a religion teaches the doctrine of working against nature. As to Buddhism, there is also the distinction between Buddhism as a philosophy, which is called Fo hsüeh (the Buddhist learning), and Buddhism as a religion, which is called Fo chiao (the Buddhist religion).
  (3)One may think that Chinese people are an exception for they don’t have the craving for what is beyond the present actual world. The author explains that, the craving for something beyond the present actual world is one of the the innate desires of mankind, and the Chinese people are no exception to this rule. Because although they are not religious, they are philosophical.
  (4)There are many people who say that Chinese philosophy is a this-world philosophy. However, Chinese philosophy cannot be understood by oversimplification of this kind. It is both this-worldly and other-worldly.
  2. 
  Chinese philosophy attempts to accomplish a synthesis out of antitheses. And according to Chinese philosophy, the man who is able to unify the antitheses is the sage. The character of the sage is “sageliness within and kingliness without”, which is also the spirit of Chinese philosophy.
  3.
  Feng not only clears up quite a few misunderstandings about Chinese philosophy (religion versus philosophy), but also elaborates on the very essence of Chinese philosophy --- the Tao of sageliness within and kingliness without. This is the character of the sage, who is able to accomplish the synthesis both in theory and in deed. As far as I am concerned, this character itself is a synthetic concept. sageliness within represents the other-world part, kingliness the this-world part. Feng’s interpretation explains why Chinese philosophy always relates to politics, and at the same time, it is not wholly this-worldly. From my perspective, this interpretation of “sageliness within and kingliness without” also follows the doctrine of the mean. I assume it is a very Chinese way to interpret Chinese philosophy. Feng also compares the Tao of sageliness within and kingliness without to the Platonic theory of the philosopher, which reveals the common ground of different schools of philosophy.

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  8班欧阳永秋 • 12-30

  1. Misconceptions

  (1) Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and other Chinese philosophies are often mistakenly viewed as religions.

  (2) Chinese philosophy should be seen as a distinct form of philosophy in the world, rather than something that separates Chinese people from the spiritual realm.

  2. Spirit

  According to Mr. Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy embodies the concept of 'the inner sage, the outer king,' emphasizing the application of philosophical principles to everyday conduct. This allows Chinese individuals to gain a genuine understanding of philosophy while also experiencing its practical effects.

  3. My Comments

  I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Feng for his ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and accessible manner with a well-organized structure. The first section, 'The Status of Philosophy in Chinese Civilization,' effectively delineates the role of philosophy in relation to science and religion, echoing Bertrand Russell's view that "Philosophy, for me, is something intermediate between theology and science in my understanding of the world." It also provides insights into the fundamental philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism in China and their respective functions. Personally, I found his statement "Fortunately, apart from religion, there is also philosophy, which provides humanity with opportunities to achieve higher values" particularly resonant.

  In the second section, 'Issues and Spirit of Chinese Philosophy,' Feng Xiaogang adeptly captures the profound and expansive nature of Chinese philosophy, elucidating the concept of 'inner sage, outer king,' akin to Plato's philosopher-king. The juxtaposition of Eastern and Western philosophy is truly insightful.

   

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  周宇晨 • 12-30

  1. What misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy does Prof. Feng Youlan bring up in the article?

  1. Confucianism is a religion.(People have been accustomed to say that there were three religions in China; Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.)
  2. Chinese culture is not religion but ethics.(In one sense it's true, but it wrongly implies Chinese are not aware of those values above morality)
  3. Many people think that Chinese philosophy is a this-world philosophy, which is right on the surface in that it is concerned chiefly with society rather than with the universe ; with the daily functions of human relations rather than hell and heaven ; with man ' s present life rather than his life in a world to come .(Chinese philosophy cannot be understood by oversimplification of this kind.)2. According to Feng, the spirit of Chinese philosophy is both of this world and of the other world, which can be described as one of "sageliness within and kingliness without".

  4. 3. How do you comment on Feng's creative interpretation of Chinese philosophy? 

     * Objective mindset: evading hasty conclusion and jumping on the bandwagon. When delving into the other-worldly philosophy and this-wordly philosophy, Feng insightfully believe Chinese philosophy is a synthesis of them.

     * Fully supported standpoints. Whenever stating a viewpoint from oneside, a valid quotation or supporting detail is presented, not only elaborating the argument crystal clear, but also being informative.

     * Clarifying the problems by tracing intrinsic similarities. Although Chinese philosophy is dominated by this-worldly and other wordly schools, their radical intention is pointed out——the involvement of political ideology.

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  2班缪加文 • 12-30

  1.Misunderstanding 

  Westerners think Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism are religions and Chinese people are permeated with them.and they make a surface of view that Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy.

  2.Spirit

  Feng’s perspective is that Chinese philosophy is “sageliness within and kindliness without.”and the Chinese philosophy is to accomplish a synthesis out of those antitheses.

  3.comment

  I really appreciate Feng’s perspectives. Formerly,I have ambiguous understanding of Chinese philosophy,especially Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism.Now I know something about the distinction between religion and the three.They are ethics,not religion and they provide the spiritual basis of Chinese civilization.However,there is a flaw.If the essay use more data and examples to prove its points,it can be understood further and easier.

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  8班龚红羽 • 12-31

  1.Misunderstanding 

   

  Westerners think Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism are religions and Chinese people are permeated with them.and they make a surface of view that Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy.

   

  2.Spirit

   

  Feng’s perspective is that Chinese philosophy is “sageliness within and kindliness without.”and the Chinese philosophy is to accomplish a synthesis out of those antitheses.

   

  3.comment

   

  I really appreciate Feng’s perspectives. Formerly,I have ambiguous understanding of Chinese philosophy,especially Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism.Now I know something about the distinction between religion and the three.They are ethics,not religion and they provide the spiritual basis of Chinese civilization.However,there is a flaw.If the essay use more data and examples to prove its points,it can be understood further and easier.

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  8班郭雯 • 12-31

  Misunderstanding about Chinese philosophy:

  (1).   Westerner keeps the point of vies that the life of Chinese people is permeated with Confucianism.They consider Confucianism as a religion.

  (2).They think that  Chinese philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all religions.

  (3).They trust that Chinese philosophy is only a this-world philosophy.This caused the fact that Chinese people have no craving for what is beyond the actual world.

  2. Spirit

  The spirit of Chinese philosophy is, as Prof. Feng mentioned: It is both of this world and of the other world.It is at one and the same time both extremely idealistic and extremely realistic, and very practical, though not in a superficial way.It is ''sageliness within and kingkiness without''.

  3. My Comment   
  First of all, I appreciate Prof.Feng Youlan's justification and explanation of Chinese philosophy. Before reading, I only had a very vague understanding of traditional Chinese thought or philosophy. Realizing what kind of atmosphere of Chinese thought I have been permeated in, I do wish to know more.

  At the beginning of the article, Professor Feng said that the Chinese do not care much about religion, because they are extremely concerned about philosophy. With the introduction of respectively Confucianism, Taoism and other philosophical schools, we can see clearly about the spirit of Chinese philosophy.The influence of Chinese philosophy on our own is imperceptible, as the professor said, Chinese people always use philosophy to open up. We absorb these ways of life in our unconscious learning. This consciousness moves me deeply.

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