The Concept of Li (理) in Confucianism
The Uniqueness of Japanese Confucianism — Part 1
Published in
8 min readApr 4, 2024
Series Introduction
Confucianism has never been limited geographically to China. It has influenced the intellectual traditions of practically every nation in Asia; an influence which can be seen even today.
Japan is no exception.
In this series of essays I will argue that, while Japan has been influenced by Chinese Confucianism, Japan has not simply bought wholesale into the tradition but rather has developed a uniquely Japanese form of Confucianism.
This uniquely Japanese form of Confucianism is noticeable with regard to the idea of li (理 , ri in Japanese).
In this three part series I will:
- Provide a brief description of the historical development of li in Chinese Confucianism,
- Look at Ito Jinsai’s and Ogyū Sorai’s interpretation and critique of li in Confucianism
- Through comparison of the Chinese and Japanese interpretations of li, argue for the uniqueness of Japanese Confucianism.
Let us turn to part 1.