Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 6, 2022

 

Towards the Depths of History：Reflections on Rewriting the History of Chinese Philosophy

(Abstract)

 

Yang Guorong

 

The historical development of Chinese philosophy is firstly manifested in the changes of philosophical thought and philosophical theory. In the course of historical retrospect, we should not only grasp the general philosophical significance of the concepts, problems and theories developed by Chinese philosophy, but also pay attention to its particular character. As an actual historical existence, the forms of Chinese philosophy are multi-faceted; logically, they have been developed into various philosophical systems that can be classified at the conceptual level. From the perspective of the unity of history and logic, on the one hand, we need to carry out historical investigation into or review past Chinese philosophy, on the other hand, we should not neglect the analysis of logic. Looking back on the history of Chinese philosophy since the late Qing, one cannot avoid the intellectual background of the interaction between Chinese and Western philosophy. In reviewing Chinese philosophy with reference to Western philosophy, we need to grasp their respective characteristics through the comparison of the two. From the perspective of world philosophy, as achievements of the development of human civilization, Chinese and Western philosophies provide sources of wisdom for the establishment of contemporary philosophy from different aspects. The significance of reflecting on and writing the history of Chinese philosophy can thus be fully elucidated.