Abstract

In this paper we look at the Chinese tradition as offering approaches to philosophical reflection which provides distinct alternatives to those which predominate in the contemporary Anglophone academic philosophy. In particular, the contrast with Confucian and Daoist classics unveils that much of what counts as (Western) philosophy must engage in the clarification of concepts—which demands high levels of abstraction—and is coupled with distinguishing the non-contingent from the contingent. In this essay we will explore another avenue for thinking employed in early Chinese classics.