The Methodology of Mingxue and the Reassessment of Jingxue——The Contemporary Advancement in Writing the History of Chinese Philosophy

The establishment of the discipline of the History of Chinese Philosophy within modern Chinese academia has been a process of “ de-classicization ”.However,recent scholarly trends indicate that the development of contemporary Chinese philosophy is approaching a new critical juncture.To navigate this juncture,a reassessment of Jingxue (“经学”,Classical Studies) is imperative.The key to properly evaluating Jingxue lies in identifying the underlying logic governing the emergence and operation of Confucian classics and classical scholarship.This foundational logic is rooted in Mingxue (“名学”,the study of names/logic),a methodological approach insightfully recognized by Yan Fu and Hu Shi as central to modern Chinese philosophical historiography.Starting from Mingxue,we can not only comprehend why Confucianism prioritizes classics but also witness the genesis of Jingxue.Furthermore,by examining the specific connotations of Confucian “names”(“名”,ming),we can unveil the distinctive characteristics of classics and classical scholarship.On one hand,the basic meaning of ming as “written characters” allows us to deeply understand the textual composition and hermeneutic features of Confucian classics.On the other hand,the fundamental meaning of ming as “value ideals” enables a substantive evaluation of the merits and limitations of Jingxue.Through this interpretive framework,Jingxue becomes integrated into Mingxue,thereby advancing the contemporary writing of the History of Chinese Philosophy in significant ways.