Alcançar a suprema altura e a extrema claridade, enquanto se segue o Caminho do Meio: o espírito da filosofia chinesa e sua formação

Attaining Supreme Heights and Ultimate Clarity While Following the Middle Way: The Spirit and Formation of Chinese Philosophy

Abstract

Feng Youlan argues that the core of Chinese philosophy lies in the ideal of “Attaining Supreme Heights and Ultimate Clarity While Following the Middle Way, while following the Middle Way” (极高明而道中庸), a conception intrinsically linked to the ontological unity of essence and phenomenon. Certain philosophers characterize this orientation through the notion of “internal transcendence”, which stands in contrast to the “external transcendence” that predominates in Western philosophy—where essence and phenomenon are radically separated. The concept of the “unity of Heaven and humanity” (天人合一) serves as a paradigmatic manifestation of this principle. The genesis of this philosophical paradigm can be traced to the historical transition from natural religion to ethical religion during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In this process, the anthropomorphic Heavenly Emperor was gradually replaced by a morally grounded Heavenly Sovereign, who came to be internalized as a virtue inherent in the individual. This transformation reached its historical consummation during the Spring and Autumn and Warring
States periods.

Keywords: “Attaining supreme wisdom while following the Middle Way”; unity of Heaven and humanity; morality; the nature of the Mandate of Heaven.