Jaspers meets Confucius
pp. 203-209
in: Helmut Wautischer, Alan Olson, Gregory J. Walters (eds), Philosophical faith and the future of humanity, Berlin, Springer, 2012Abstract
I place Jaspers' discussion of Confucius in the context of his project of writing a universal history of philosophy. But I say that Jaspers meets Confucius because he acknowledges the critical scholarship about dating and the authenticity of the texts attributed to Confucius and then goes on to form a picture of his subject that he claims has all its original freshness. Philosopher meets philosopher. I consider to what extent Confucius is a representative of the Axial Age. Jaspers emphasizes how Confucius gives priority to existential enactment over mere form. I suggest that the role of custom and ritual for Confucius is played for Jaspers by philosophical communication. Finally, I compare them as public figures.
