For Heaven-Human Conviviality

Reflections on Some 'Ontological' Narratives

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2353231
AutoresWang Mingming (Peking University), Ming‐ming Wang (0000-0001-7690-8208, Peking University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2023
Volumen40
Número4-5
Páginas93-114
Fecha de publicación2023-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaTheory Culture & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0263-2764 • E-ISSN: 1460-3616
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02632764221147674
OpenAlexW4322776319
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas15

This article uses a Chinese narrative of 'nature-human harmony' as the main thread to connect the contributions of ontological anthropology. I argue that the best of the critiques of nature-human or nature-culture dualism in social anthropology propose rebuilding a world that 'pursues harmony while preserving difference' in the double sense of nature and culture. Given that most social scientific problems are indeed related to utilitarian individualism, I argue that research on 'ontology' should re-engage the ancient notion of ' ji', construed as 'others-comprised self', which forms the foundation of a perspective of 'broad human relationship' between humans and their others (other humans, things, and divinities). Perspectivism inherits many categories of Western cosmology that it critiques and represents a kind of inert ontology. Grounded in the cosmology of life ( sheng), we hope to contribute to a new anthropology of the compatibility between self/others and subject/objects

Dualism · Epistemology · Harmony (color · Heaven · Narrative · Ontology · Perspectivism · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Chinese history and philosophy · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Philosophy