Toward a Harmonic Relationship between Humans and Nature

A Humanist Reinterpretation of Early Confucian Philosophy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2023.11.3.129-147

Keywords:

Cosmos, harmony, Confucius, Dao, Tian, Tianxia

Abstract

We are living in an era in which the world is being turned into an object to be exploited and nature into a storehouse. From environmental pollution and deforestation to toxic waste and the depletion of resources, the Earth is in trouble and we need to act. To address this environmental crisis, I propose to recover early Confucian philosophy because it can be used to develop a more desirable way of interacting with the environment. Confucian philosophy conceives a kind of humanism that promotes a harmonious relationship between people and nature. Thus, this article attempts to describe a distinctive attitude towards nature and the role of humans that we can find in early Confucianism as a way of rethinking our current ecological concerns.

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Published

7. 09. 2023

How to Cite

Luque-Moya, Gloria. 2023. “Toward a Harmonic Relationship Between Humans and Nature: A Humanist Reinterpretation of Early Confucian Philosophy”. Asian Studies 11 (3): 129-47. https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2023.11.3.129-147.