Abstract

This article is very different from other philosophy articles: it really is a manifesto addressed to Chinese philosophers. On the whole, Western thought has been exceedingly intellectualistic and rationalistic, and in this article I outline some of the ways in which those deep one-sided tendencies need to be corrected or rebalanced. However, I also claim that the Chinese are in the best position to correct and rebalance philosophy as a discipline. Chinese thought has never gone to the extremes of Western rationalism, and there is every reason to think that as China gains in power and prestige throughout the world, Chinese philosophers and thinkers will be in a position to correct or reset Western philosophy by drawing on their own deepest historical traditions, traditions which have recognized the value of emotion and sane ordinary living much more than has been typical in the West. You Chinese should realize that you have much to offer the West and not be too modest with your self-image or reticent with your philosophical ambitions