: Selfhood begins with the physical person. The body is not a prison for the soul but a sacred vessel that must be disciplined and respected through ritual ( li ).
: The ultimate stage where the individual's moral character resonates with the "Way" ( Dao ) of the cosmos, achieving a religious dimension of existence without needing an external deity. Significance in Modernity Confucian Thought: Selfhood as Creative Transfo...
: Self-cultivation is a proactive, creative act. It is the process of "learning to be human" ( xue ) by refining one's internal virtues to harmonize with external social roles. : Selfhood begins with the physical person
Tu Weiming's essay, explores the Confucian concept of the self not as a static entity, but as an open, evolving process of "becoming." Central to this perspective is the idea that human flourishing is achieved through the continuous integration of the individual with the family, society, and the cosmos. Core Concepts of Confucian Selfhood Significance in Modernity : Self-cultivation is a proactive,
: Unlike the Western "isolated individual," the Confucian self is defined by its relationships. It is an open system that expands through a "fiduciary community," starting from the core of the person and radiating outward.
: The center of human cognition and emotion. Cultivation requires aligning the mind-heart with the principle of "Humaneness" ( Ren ).