Principlism, Pragmatism, or Reconstructionist Confucianism？ -Some Comments on Ni Peimin＇s English Translation of the Analects  

作　　者：FAN Ruiping 

机构地区：[1]Department of Public Policy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

出　　处：《Frontiers of Philosophy in China》2018年第2期207-216,共10页中国哲学前沿（英文版）

摘　　要：This essay provides a few critical points of view on Ni Peimin＇s recent English translation of the Analects. It shows that his translations of ren into ＂human-heartedness＂ and of li into ＂ritual propriety＂ may indicate a willingness to recast these Confucian concepts in the modern ideology of western subjectivism or individualism, whereas Confucianism is not in the direction of such ideologies. Moreover, while Ni seems to offer a ＂no-rule＂ view of Confucian virtue ethics, he cannot deny the existence of moral rules and principles in the Confucian system. It is insufficient for him to emphasize the importance of Confucian ＂instructions＂ or ＂methods＂ as he does without explicating their relations to Confucian rules. Additionally, Ni＇s gongfu Confucianism provides a necessary and healthy step back from the contemporary principlism that has been dominant and popular in contemporary politics, ethics, and applied ethics, but Ni goes too far in denying the importance of the moral rules and principles that are implicit or explicit in the Confucian ritual practices and upheld in Confucius＇s Analects.This essay provides a few critical points of view on Ni Peimin＇s recent English translation of the Analects. It shows that his translations of ren into ＂human-heartedness＂ and of li into ＂ritual propriety＂ may indicate a willingness to recast these Confucian concepts in the modern ideology of western subjectivism or individualism, whereas Confucianism is not in the direction of such ideologies. Moreover, while Ni seems to offer a ＂no-rule＂ view of Confucian virtue ethics, he cannot deny the existence of moral rules and principles in the Confucian system. It is insufficient for him to emphasize the importance of Confucian ＂instructions＂ or ＂methods＂ as he does without explicating their relations to Confucian rules. Additionally, Ni＇s gongfu Confucianism provides a necessary and healthy step back from the contemporary principlism that has been dominant and popular in contemporary politics, ethics, and applied ethics, but Ni goes too far in denying the importance of the moral rules and principles that are implicit or explicit in the Confucian ritual practices and upheld in Confucius＇s Analects.

关 键 词：REN li moral rules Confucian rituals Confucian principles 

分 类 号：B222.2[哲学宗教—中国哲学] H315.9[语言文字—英语]