Emptiness in Confucianism, 2012, ed. Junichi Toyota, Pernilla Hallonsten and Marina Shchepetunina, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing (original) (raw)

Abstract

As an introduction to potential research on cultural characteristics in the perception of emptiness, this text deals with the case of Confucianism. Our aim is to give a basic introduction to the concept of emptiness in Confucian thought, but also to stress the problems of researching cultural and national differences. We provide an examination of the various views on Confucianism, and also its position in today’s China, followed by an analysis of the place of emptiness in Confucian practices, source texts, and also its very methodology and discourse, with a brief overview of similar concepts in Daoism and Buddhism. Considering that even defining Confucianism is determined as problematic, and in view of the vast body of material, we emphasize that the given analyses should be viewed only as guidelines. This paper is not conceived as a complete or definitive answer to what emptiness is in the Confucian view, but rather a study of the possible approaches to the question. We challenge the idea of providing a single interpretation in favor of pointing out the possible directions in which particular research can be developed by choosing a specific approach, theory, and material that can be analyzed in detail. We conclude with an assessment of the possibilities of conducting empirical research in this field and the potential for advancements in theory.

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