Author ｜
Tsung-sheng Hsu
Abstract ｜
“Rules” is not only a concrete tool to follow in daily practice, but more importantly a distinct spatial metaphor that manifests a directional orientation. This understanding of “rules” is thus the fountainhead of practicing “The way of empathy in moderation,” the concepts of reciprocity and communication as found in “The Greater Learning.” This paper first delves into the meaning of the words “empathy in moderation,” expounding on the original usage and form of this metaphor as well as analyzing the practical and ethical connotations of this concept. Secondly, in analyzing these concepts, I use Xunzi’s “internalizing and embodying the rules of interaction” and “the practice of embodying the rules of interaction” as the basis for my thought system. These concepts touch upon the relations of space, body and the others in a society. They are also rudiments in understanding the empathetic nature of “The Greater Learning”’s “the way of empathy in moderation.” This paper then meticulously sifts through the meanings of all the words surrounding “the way of empathy in moderation,” and in doing so establishes a system of thought based upon the body’s orientation in relationship to society. This is done with an emphasis on Xunzi’s concept of “from feeling things through the perception of another, to feeling things through the collective perception of a group,” which offers not only the fundamentals of communication that pertain to “the way of empathy in moderation,” but all the more so serves as the theoretical basis for Dai Zhen’s concept of “sympathizing others’ sentiment by sentiment.” Lastly, in this paper I shed light upon the way in which Dai Zhen took the concept of “the way of empathy in moderation,” especially in terms of the struggle between desire and righteousness and the controlling of these desires. Dai Zhen not only continued in Xunzi’s train of thought but also added more depth to his thought, thus opening the path for a type of communal communication method. In doing so, Dai Zhen developed a rich theoretical substance for “the way of empathy in moderation,” thereby illuminating the underlying concepts behind the interrelationship between desire and ethics that were previously implied by Confucian thought.
keywords ｜
Xunzi, the way of empathy in moderation, Dai Zhen, communication, spatial metaphor