Cheng (?) as Ecological Self-Understanding: Realistic or Impossible?

Autor/in	Wu, Bin
Titel	Cheng (?) as Ecological Self-Understanding: Realistic or Impossible?
Quelle	In: Educational Philosophy and Theory, 51 (2019) 11, S.1152-1163 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Wu, Bin)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0013-1857
DOI	10.1080/00131857.2018.1564662
Schlagwörter	Confucianism; Self Concept; Realism; Holistic Approach; Ethics; Ecology; Social Change + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Konfuzianismus; Selbstkonzept; Realismus; Holistischer Ansatz; Ethik; Ökologie; Sozialer Wandel
Abstract	Recent studies have recognised the Confucian holistic perspective as transformative in addressing the ecological concerns. This article complements and complicates this line of argument. The aforementioned literature has seldom examined whether or not the Confucian ideal is attainable. Centring on "cheng", a Confucian metaphysical concept, this article highlights the struggle between the ideal and the real. The discussion is based on the premise that essential to the current ecological crisis is a need to reconfigure the meaning and purpose of humanity on the planet; utopianism, evoking images of a society radically different from the existing one, has the potential to instigate transformations. Utopias of all kinds encounter the tension between ideal and practice. Webb proposes an analytical framework of utopia-as-system and utopia-as-process. The former stresses an idealised blueprint and the latter attends to localised practice. For any radical change to occur, it is imperative to adopt both. Drawing on the research of ecotopia and edutopia, this article argues that Confucianism has a utopian impetus. As ecological self-understanding, "cheng" challenges modern assumptions regarding humanity and ecology. The concept represents a model of both utopia-as-system and utopia-as-process, and it has the potential to inspire change. It is, however, not without complication. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01