Confucianism and Women , livre ebook

212

pages

English

Ebooks

2012

Écrit par
Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee

Publié par
State University of New York Press

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212

pages

English

Ebooks

2012

Lire un extrait

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Publié par

State University of New York Press

Date de parution

01 février 2012

Nombre de lectures

EAN13

9780791481790

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

2 Mo

Confucianism and Women argues that Confucian philosophy—often criticized as misogynistic and patriarchal—is not inherently sexist. Although historically bound up with oppressive practices, Confucianism contains much that can promote an ethic of gender parity. Attacks on Confucianism for gender oppression have marked China's modern period, beginning with the May Fourth Movement of 1919 and reaching prominence during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. The West has also readily characterized Confucianism as a foundation of Chinese women's oppression. Author Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee challenges readers to consider the culture within which Confucianism has functioned and to explore what Confucian thought might mean for women and feminism.

She begins the work by clarifying the intellectual tradition of Confucianism and discussing the importance of the Confucian cultural categories yin-yang and nei-wai (inner-outer) for gender ethics. In addition, the Chinese tradition of biographies of virtuous women and books of instruction by and for women is shown to provide a Confucian construction of gender. Practices such as widow chastity, footbinding, and concubinage are discussed in light of Confucian ethics and Chinese history. Ultimately, Rosenlee lays a foundation for a future construction of Confucian feminism as an alternative ethical ground for women's liberation.

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. Confucianism, Chinese-ness, and Ren Virtuous Personhood

Confucians before Confucius: Ru and Its Ambiguity
Ru, State, and Chinese-ness
Defining Ru: Ren as Confucian Virtue Ethics

3. Yin-Yang, Gender Attributes, and Complementarity

Yin-yang and the Oppositional Binary of Femininity-masculinity
Yin-yang and Correlative Cosmology
Yin-yang Complementarity and Gender Hierarchy

4. Nei-Wai, Gender Distinctions, and Ritual Propriety

Nei-wai, Ritualization, and Civilization
Nei-wai, Functional Distinctions, and Gender Hier-archy

5. Didactic Texts for Women and the Womanly Sphere of Nei

Lienuzhuan, Guifan, and the Tradition of Virtuous Women’s Biographies
The Four Books for Women and by Women
The Question of Female Literacy and the Virtue of Women’s Speech (Fuyan)

6. Chinese Sexism and Confucianism

Gender Oppression and Confucian Virtue Ethics
Case Studies: Widowhood and Footbinding

7. Toward a Confucian Feminism Feminist Ethics In-the-Making

The Problems of Gender and the Politics of Femi-nism
Outline of a Confucian Feminism: A Hybrid Identity

Reflections and Conclusions

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Voir

Publié par

State University of New York Press

Date de parution

01 février 2012

EAN13

9780791481790

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

2 Mo

Confucianismand Women

A Philosophical Interpretation

LiHsiang Lisa Rosenlee

Confucianism and Women

SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture

Roger T. Ames,editor

CONFUCIANISM AND WOMEN

A Philosophical Interpretation

LiHsiang Lisa Rosenlee

S t at e U n i v e r s i t y o f N e w Yo r k P r e s s

Published by

StateUniversity ofNewYorkPress,Albany

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Suite 700, Albany, NY 122102384

Production, Laurie Searl Marketing, Susan Petrie

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rosenlee, LiHsiang Lisa, 1968– Confucianism and women : a philosophical interpretation / LiHsiang Lisa Rosenlee. p. cm.—(SUNY series in Chinese philosophy and culture) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN: 079146749X (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Women in Confucianism—China. 2. Confucianism. I. Title. II. Series.

HQ1767.R67 2006 181¢.112¢082—dc22

ISBN13: 9780791467497 (hardcover : alk. paper)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2005014021

For my mother, MeiHsiu Lin

—My ﬁrst Feminist

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Acknowledgments

Chapter1Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

CONTENTS

Introduction Confucianism, Chineseness, and RenVirtuous Personhood Confucians before Confucius:Ru and Its Ambiguity RuChineseness, State, and DeﬁningRu:Ren as Confucian Virtue Ethics YinYang, Gender Attributes, and Complementarity Yin-yang and the Oppositional Binary of FemininityMasculinity Yin-yang and Correlative Cosmology Yin-yang Complementarity and Gender Hierarchy

NeiWaiDistinctions, and, Gender Ritual Propriety Nei-waiCivilization, Ritualization, and Nei-wai, Functional Distinctions, and Gender Hierarchy

Didactic Texts for Women and the Womanly Sphere of Nei Lienuzhuan,Guifanof, and the Tradition Virtuous Women’s Biographies The Four Books for Women and by Women The Question of Female Literacy and the Virtue of Women’s Speech (Fuyan) vii

ix 1

15 17 24 34

48 50 55

69 71

96 103

110

viii

Chapter6

Chapter7Notes Bibliography Index

CONTENTS

Chinese Sexism and Confucianism Gender Oppression and Confucian Virtue Ethics Case Studies: Widowhood and Footbinding

Toward a Confucian Feminism—Feminist Ethics IntheMaking The Problems of Gender and the Politics of Feminism Outline of a Confucian Feminism: A Hybrid Identity Reﬂections and Conclusions

119 122 129

149

150

152 159 161 185 197

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was ﬁrst inspired by comments made regarding the viability of Confucianism to rectify itself to meet the problem of gender disparity without the import of Western ethical theories during the East and West Conference held at the University of Hawaii in 1998. As a graduate student then, I was eager to get to the bottom of the issue to see whether Confucianism is indeed sexist through and through. The book ﬁnally took shape in 2002 with tremendous help from numerous mentors at the University of Hawaii, in particular Mary Tiles, James Tiles, Roger Ames,Vrinda Dalmiya, and MingBao Yue. This project also beneﬁted greatly from the comments and encourage ment of my friends and colleagues at the University of Mary Washington, in particular Craig Vasey, David Ambuel, Joseph Romero, Mehdi Aminrazavi and Cindy Toomey. Robin Wang at the Loyola Marymount University also provided instructive suggestions. Lastly, the detailed and constructive criticism of one anonymous reader from the State University of New York Press was especially critical in helping this project into its ﬁnal shape. I am also grateful for the continuous support of my dear husband, Corey. Of course, all the mistakes and shortcomings that remain in this project are entirely my own. I also here acknowledge the reprint of chapter 4 which was originally published inAsian Philosophy41–58 under the title “14:1 (March 2004): Neiwai, Civility, and Gender Distinctions”—with permission.

Voir