Confucian Ritual Thought In The Perspective Of Pragmatism

Robert Cummings Neville is a representative figure of Boston Confucianism,and his research covers different fields such as philosophy,theology,religion,ethics,comparative philosophy,and comparative theology.His affiliation with Boston Confucianism is dedicated to introducing Confucian philosophy into the global philosophical dialogue.Neville published a number of books,including The Good is One,Its Manifestations Many.This is his most recent collection of essays,in which Confucian ritual is a major theme throughout the book.Pragmatism is an important school in 20 th century Western philosophy.In the history of Chinese philosophy,the idea of Confucian ritualism also contains similar claims.From the perspective of modern pragmatism,rituals have an important meaning in today’s life.Through the analysis of Neville’s works,this thesis analyzes his achievements in introducing the pragmatic theory of Western philosophy into the study of Confucian rituals through his symbolic interpretation of Xunzi’s rituals and puts forward the following view: Western philosophy can combine ancient Chinese philosophical thought with modern pragmatic rationality and re-examine Confucian ritual thought from a pragmatic perspective.At the same time,this thesis discusses,in the light of contemporary practice,the functions of Confucian ritual and its advantages in cross-cultural dialogue.The thesis is divided into five major chapters.Chapter 1 primarily includes an overview of Neville’s ritualistic thought,a literature review,and a research methodology;Chapter 2primarily outlines the process of constructing Neville’s pragmatic Confucianism;Chapters 3and 4 discuss the merits of Confucian ritualism at the individual,social,and global levels,as well as the modern value of Confucian ritual,concluding that the modern value of Confucian ritual stems primarily from its application in the field of global political and moral conflicts,the contribution of global philosophy,the function of national governance,and the rebuttal of some statements stigmatizing our country.The final section brings the text to a close.This research can help boost our cultural confidence,dispel external misunderstandings,promote cross-cultural dialogue,and spread the voice of China.