The Dual Connotations of Li Jiao: Conceptual Conflation and Historical Evolution since the New Culture Movement.

Ruiyi Tang, Xi'an Jiaotong University

This paper begins with a conceptual analysis of li jiao (Confucian moral education or ritual ethics), distinguishing between a broad sense, which emphasizes moral reflection and dynamic practice, and a narrow sense, or feudal li jiao, characterized by political domination and the static moral code of the “Three Bonds and Five Constants.” Within the historical context of the New Culture Movement, it argues that the movement’s advocates actually criticized feudal li jiao, viewing it as the root of public apathy and autocratic persistence. However, the absence of a clear conceptual boundary led to the conflation of meanings and the wholesale rejection of Confucian ritual ethics. The paper further traces the evolution of li jiao after the movement: the Cultural Revolution inflicted destructive blows on the broad form of li jiao, while remnants of the feudal version were appropriated for political struggle. Following the Reform and Opening-Up, with greater access to knowledge and intellectual emancipation, people began to rediscover the universal moral significance of li, leading to a gradual revival of li jiao in its broader sense. Ultimately, this study aims to clarify the dual connotations of li jiao, restore the historical truth behind its critique during the New Culture Movement, and illuminate its complex transformations in modern and contemporary China.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 18. Theorizing and Morality in Historical Social Science I: Ethics and Method