On Roger Ames’ Philosophy In Confucian Role Ethics-Thinking About Association And Process

Roger Ames is one of the most important sinologists and philosophers in modern times.He generalizes the structural characteristics of Confucian traditional ethical thoughts by "relationship" and "process",which provides an important way to understand Confucian ethical thoughts.Based on the book of Changes,Roger Ames expressed the cosmological view of Confucian philosophy as the "qi" cosmological view of "reciprocity".He pointed out that the language of Chinese philosophy is the language of process.Process language is based on relevance thinking and based on real life experience.It provides a forward-looking and contextual process narrative.Chinese philosophy is not concerned with "what",but with "how" people in relationships behave.Based on this analysis,Roger Ames called Confucian ethics "Confucian role ethics".On the one hand,Roger Ames believes that Confucian role ethics is rooted in "relationship",and the Confucian outlook on life is the unity of "being a man" and "becoming a man"."Relationality" constitutes the skeleton of Confucian role ethics."Relationality" can be said to be the characteristic summary of Confucian ethics in pre-Qin dynasty by Roger Ames based on modern philosophical theory and thinking method.The character of "role ethics" is the "value" generated by relationships.As a relational existence,human existence presents a complex and diversified role identity.To reconcile the conflicts and contradictions between people,emotion and jurisprudence,we need to re-examine the meaning and value of people as various social roles.It is necessary to analyze the structure of relationship,the mode of ethical relationship development and the way of achievement.On the other hand,influenced by Whitehead’s process philosophy and Tang Junyi’s "process cosmology",Roger Ames pointed out that the Confucian "creation" was not a creation out of thin air,but a process "creation in accordance with the environment".The development of relations and the growth of morality are in the process of change.The "creative" activities of "adults" are generated in the interaction of ethical relations,and only through mutual communication and interaction can people confirm their own nature.In this process context,the openness and dynamics of roles are the results of the continuous occurrence and dynamic transformation of relations."Courtesy" is the greatest effort to shape each other in the role relationship.The Confucian sense of religion is the transcendence of "co-creation",which is different from the "inner transcendence" of the new Confucianism.In short,Confucian role ethics focuses on the real moral life and sees the existence of relationship in the direct narration of real life experience.Roger Ames’ s thinking based on "relationship" and "process" provides an organic and holistic way of ethical thinking,which helps us rethink the relationship between man and man,between man and nature,between man and technology,between man and the future,and helps us creatively transform traditional resources and make them glow with new life.