Interpreting Chinese Philosophy: A New Methodology

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Understanding Chinese philosophy requires knowledge of the referential framework prevailing in Chinese intellectual traditions. But Chinese philosophical texts are frequently approached through the lens of Western paradigms. Analysing the most common misconceptions surrounding Western Sinology, Jana Roker alerts us to unseen dangers and introduces us to a new more effective way of reading Chinese philosophy. Acknowledging that different cultures produce different reference points, Roker explains what happens when we use rational analysis, a major feature of the European intellectual tradition, to read Chinese philosophy. We rely on impossible comparisons, arrive at prejudiced assumptions and fail to arrive at the truth, the consequence of applying a different methodology to the process of perceiving, understanding and interpreting reality. Instead of transferring concepts and categories from Western sinology onto socio-cultural Chinese contexts, Roker constructs a new methodology of reading, understanding and interpreting Chinese philosophy. She opens our eyes to the basic problems of Western paradigms, encourages intercultural approaches and allows us to master a more autochthonous understanding of Chinese philosophy.

Reviews

In this reinterpretation of Chinese philosophy vis--vis Western philosophy, Roker has persuasively repudiated the China has no philosophy fallacy and offered a new approach to understanding Chinese philosophy. Provocative and lucidly written, it is a must read for scholars and thinkers interested in the fusion of Chinese and Western thought and culture. * Ming Dong Gu, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Texas at Dallas, USA *
Jana Roker's innovative volume does more than provide a new way of interpreting Chinese philosophy. Her insightful notion of a transcultural philosophy of sublation, which draws upon the dynamic structuring of complementary binary categories and referential frameworks of traditional Chinese philosophy, provides a new model for doing post-comparative philosophy creatively. * John Makeham, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University and The Australian National University, Australia *
Erudite, nuanced, and refreshing, Rokers book makes a significant contribution to studying fundamental issues of Chinese philosophy from a comparative perspective. I strongly recommend it to everyone interested in the topic. * Chenyang Li, Professor of Philosophy, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore *
In this thorough reflection on Chinese and comparative philosophy, Jana Roker combines her lifelong expertise with an impressive overview of contemporary Chinese scholarship. This book adds fascinating insights to ongoing debates on the increasing relevance of Chinese thought in the worlds unending philosophical conversation. * Carine Defoort, Professor of Chinese Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium *

Author Bio

Jana S. Roker is Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Department of Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is Chief editor of the journal Asian Studies.