Confucianism and Chinese Philosophy through the Eyes of Western Scholarship
Abstract
This paper critically examines the challenges and methodological problems in Western interpretations of Confucianism and Chinese philosophy in general. It argues that many such studies are shaped by unreflective Western epistemological assumptions, rooted in historically specific paradigms and power relations. To overcome these limitations, the author advocates for a transcultural methodological framework that problematizes the alleged incommensurability of culturally conditioned worldviews and seeks to transcend the binary oppositions of “East” and “West”. The paper discusses the persistence of Orientalist and Eurocentric tendencies in Sinology and the emergence of reverse Orientalism within contemporary Chinese scholarship. It contends that both discourses are bound to unequal global power structures and that a genuine understanding of Confucian philosophy requires a dialectical approach that critically reflects on these asymmetries while avoiding the pitfalls of cultural relativism and essentialism. The study concludes that transcultural philosophy offers the most promising framework for reinterpreting Confucianism as a dynamic part of global philosophical discourse and as a potential contributor to a more inclusive and humane world.