Concepts of Human Nature in 20th-Century Neo-Confucian Philosophy: Traditions and Innovations

The article presents the reflections of 20th-century Chinese philosophers, representatives of Neo-Confucianism, on human nature. Modern Neo-Confucianism inherited the ideas of the first Confucianists, as well as the ontology of Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties, and considered traditional Chinese philosophy to be a cosmic ontology of “Unity of Heaven and humanity”. Since ancient times, the idea of human nature in Confucian philosophy has developed within the context of discussions of good and evil, the need for moral practice, and human self-improvement. We focus on the ideas of Feng Youlan, Fang Dongmei, Tang Junyi, and Mou Zongsan, and have concluded that their philosophical concepts share a common idea: human nature possesses a primordial moral foundation that must be developed. Man, following Heaven and Earth, must fulfill his or her duty by participating in the process of creating the world of values and meanings.