TY - JOUR
T1 - The Limits of a Confrontational Approach
T2 - Fabian Fukansai's Critiques of Neo-Confucianism and Christianity
AU - Orii, Yoshimi
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments I wish to thank Professor Thierry Meynard for his feedback and for including my article in this issue. Funding from the Japanese Society of Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 15KK0054) is also gratefully acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
PY - 2019/7/16
Y1 - 2019/7/16
N2 - This paper analyzes the critique of Neo-Confucianism by the Japanese Jesuit Brother Fabian Fukansai (c. 1565-1621) in the Myōtei Dialogues (Myōtei Mondō) (1605), as well as Fabian's later critique of Christianity. It clarifies the author's understanding of Neo-Confucian theory and his apology for Christianity by analyzing his explanation of the Great Ultimate (Tai'kyoku/Taiji) and Principle (ri/li), which Fabian sees as nothing but an expression of Buddhist monistic mentalism. It also demonstrates that his explanations of the Great Ultimate and Principle have a crucial flaw: they do not sufficiently explain Zhu Xi's metaphysics, which tried to make the immanent and transcendental characteristics of the Great Ultimate and Principle compatible. This is because Fabian addresses only the elements of "local" religions including Neo-Confucianism with novel keywords that support the framework of Christian Creationism and the Anima Rationalis theory. However, his later work Deus Destroyed (Ha Daius), written after he had rejected Christianity, overturned his former claim by accepting the Neo-Confucian concept of Principle. Fabian's works are a historical example showing the potential limits of a confrontational approach toward other religions.
AB - This paper analyzes the critique of Neo-Confucianism by the Japanese Jesuit Brother Fabian Fukansai (c. 1565-1621) in the Myōtei Dialogues (Myōtei Mondō) (1605), as well as Fabian's later critique of Christianity. It clarifies the author's understanding of Neo-Confucian theory and his apology for Christianity by analyzing his explanation of the Great Ultimate (Tai'kyoku/Taiji) and Principle (ri/li), which Fabian sees as nothing but an expression of Buddhist monistic mentalism. It also demonstrates that his explanations of the Great Ultimate and Principle have a crucial flaw: they do not sufficiently explain Zhu Xi's metaphysics, which tried to make the immanent and transcendental characteristics of the Great Ultimate and Principle compatible. This is because Fabian addresses only the elements of "local" religions including Neo-Confucianism with novel keywords that support the framework of Christian Creationism and the Anima Rationalis theory. However, his later work Deus Destroyed (Ha Daius), written after he had rejected Christianity, overturned his former claim by accepting the Neo-Confucian concept of Principle. Fabian's works are a historical example showing the potential limits of a confrontational approach toward other religions.
KW - Deus Destroyed
KW - Fabian Fukansai
KW - Jesuit Mission in Japan
KW - Myōtei Dialogues
KW - Neo-Confucianism
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U2 - 10.3868/s030-008-019-0012-0
DO - 10.3868/s030-008-019-0012-0
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85069776679
SN - 1673-3436
VL - 14
SP - 181
EP - 200
JO - Frontiers of Philosophy in China
JF - Frontiers of Philosophy in China
IS - 2
ER -