IMAGES OF PHILOSOPHICAL LIFESTYLE IN ANCIENT CHINA

Abstract

The article dwells upon the issue of the spe cificity of philosophical lifestyle images in Ancient China. Complex combination of logical analysis, pragmatic approach to the life and artistic worldview creates the uniqueness of the philosophical stylistics both in the lifestyles and in the philosophical works of the Ancient China thinkers. Studying of the issue of the philosophical lifestyle is impossible without the historical insight into the philosophical antiquity systems. One of the most peculiar is the Ancient Chinese philosophical culture. Some kind of isolation from the rest of the world, peculiarities of the national history, specificity of the artistic life also created the unique philosophical palette. It organically combines the ups and downs of life of some thinkers, peculiarities of philosophical schools formation, traditions and cultural rituals, character of the development of Chinese statehood. Noteworthy that the uniqueness of the Ancient Chinese worldview, its difference from the European samples complicated the task of the Chinese philosophical thought perception for non-Chinese thinkers. And, therefore, the attempts were made to simplify the picture of ancient Chinese philosophical positions, which sometimes led to the distortion of real specificity of the whole philosophical sphere. It is necessary to view the Chinese philosophy in its completeness and inclusivity. In this issue the important role is given to the consideration of Ancient Chinese images of the philosophical lifestyle. We will try to characterize some of them in the present article. The article objective is to determine general regularities and differences in some philosophical lifestyles of Ancient China. The establishment of philosophical lifestyle in Ancient East was determined by multiple factors: cultural character, worldview specificity, social and religious organization of life, economic relations. But, first of all, we are talking about the development of the philosophical thought itself. As it is known, Confucius’ position, postulating the clear hierarchy and predetermined roles, also predetermined necessary style of life and thought. According to them, the teacher approaches the solution of his main pedagogical task – to bring up a galaxy of loyal successors, who will develop the theory and will promote its further popularization. As it was proved with the time, the thinker was not mistaken in his strategy. Developing the concept of humanity, he strives to determine the principles of the human self-realization in the society. Self-loyalty is the core of humanity. However, this loyalty may survive only in the social sphere. Therefore, Confucius was the first to postulate the essence of “noble man” as the intellectual, who subordinates everything to the regulatory and moral perfection. Besides, it applies not only to the classical upbringing of nobility but also to the development of the forming service class. The human who realizes his liabilities, following his own way creates the optimal lifestyle. It harmoniously combines Confucianism were elaborated by Confucius and his followers – Meng-Tzu and Sun Tzu. Considering the subject matter of the lifestyles in Chinese philosophy the line of the development of Moism and Legalism cannot be overlooked. Bright manifestation of the opposition to the socially-oriented philosophical traditions is the Taoist tradition (Lao-tzu, Zhuan-tzu). The specificity of lifestyles presented in the ancient Chinese philosophy is determined not only by the peculiarities of the Eastern thinking but also by the utility of approaches towards knowledge, naïve provincialism of the worldview. In many things, common feature of the Chinese thinkers was their orientation towards practical realization of theoretical views on the one hand, but, on the other hand, the impossibility to fit into the political and bureaucratic realia of their times.