Divine Bestowal or Moral Guidance: The Interpretations of <i>Tian You Qi Zhong</i> 天誘其衷 and the Heaven–Human Relationship in Early Confucian Thought
This paper explores how the interpretations of the phrase “<i>tian you qi zhong</i> 天誘其衷” in the <i>Zuozhuan</i> 左傳 (<i>The Zuo Commentary</i>) have changed over time. These changes reflect early Confucian perspectives on the relationship between Heaven and humani...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/822 |
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| Summary: | This paper explores how the interpretations of the phrase “<i>tian you qi zhong</i> 天誘其衷” in the <i>Zuozhuan</i> 左傳 (<i>The Zuo Commentary</i>) have changed over time. These changes reflect early Confucian perspectives on the relationship between Heaven and humanity. By examining the polysemous terms (<i>you</i> 誘 and <i>zhong</i> 衷) and by comparing transmitted texts with excavated manuscripts (e.g., Guodian 郭店, Shangbo 上博, and Tsinghua corpora), the paper demonstrates a vital dilemma in early Chinese philosophy: whether Heaven endows moral qualities or simply awakens the innate dispositions of human beings. The paper traces the moralization of <i>tian</i> 天 (Heaven) from the Shang 商 dynasty’s theocentric worldview to the Zhou’s 周 focus on ethical responsibility, showing how the <i>Zuozhuan</i> bridges archaic religious beliefs and emerging Confucian humanism. Traditional commentaries read <i>tian you qi zhong</i> as Heaven “bestowing goodness” or “guiding moral intention,” while the manuscript evidence suggests that the phrase actually meant Heaven “descending its heart or will” to attune human affairs to the cosmos. Han exegetes redefined the term <i>you</i> as pedagogical guidance due to Confucianism’s growing emphasis on self-cultivation. By contextualizing the phrase at a larger backdrop of discussions of the Mandate of Heaven (<i>tianming</i> 天命) and moral cultivation, the study contends that early Confucians transformed <i>tian</i> from a deity figure to a moral principle dwelling in the human capacity, integrating religious reverence and ethical emancipation. This interdisciplinary approach studies ongoing scholarly discussions on the interrelationship between religion, ethics, and philosophy in early China. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-1444 |