Research Catalog

Title

From Confucius to Zhu Xi : the First treatise on God in François Noël's Chinese philosophy (1711) / edited by Thierry Meynard, S.J., and Daniel Canaris.

Publication

• Turnhout, Belgium : Brepols, [2023]
• ©2023

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Meynard, Thierry
• Canaris, Daniel
• Noel, François, 1651-1729.

Description

430 pages : illustrations (black and white); 24 cm.

Summary

'On 25 September 1710, Pope Clement XI finally promulgated the 1704 decree 'Cum Deus optimus', which condemned the toleration of certain Confucian rituals among Chinese Catholic converts and the use of the Chinese terms 'tian' and 'Shangdi' to refer to the Christian God. This papal decision antagonised the Kangxi Emperor and devastated the Jesuit China mission. Although the Jesuits were prohibited from publicly refuting the decree, the Flemish Jesuit François Noël sought to defend the Jesuit position by publishing his voluminous scholarship on the Chinese classics. Among other works, in 1711 Noël published two seminal contributions to the history of sinology: the 'Sinensis imperii libri classici sex' or 'libri sex', and the 'Philosophia Sinica', a sophisticated treatment of Chinese metaphysics, ritual, and ethics. While the 'Libri sex' achieved some degree of influence in the Enlightenment through the French translation of the French Jesuit historian Du Halde and the writings of the philosopher Christian Wolff, the 'Philosophia Sinica' was actively suppressed by the Superior-General of the Jesuit order. Yet it is in this latter work where the full breadth of Noël's originality and intellectual contribution can be found. Noël reinterprets the Jesuit's position through the lens of Neo-Confucianism, integrating concepts such as li, taiji, yin and yang in his reading of Chinese philosophy. With contributions from sinologists and intellectual historians, this book offers the first systematic study of this pioneering work.' --

Series Statement

Global perspectives on medieval and early modern historiography ; volume 1

Subject

• Noel, François, 1651-1729
• Jesuits > China
• Jesuits
• Philosophy, Chinese > Early works to 1800
• God (Christianity)
• God (Chinese religion)
• Neo-Confucianism > China
• Christianity and other religions > Neo-Confucianism
• Education
• Philosophy, Chinese
• Study skills
• Neo-Confucianism
• Christianity and other religions
• China > Study and teaching > Early works to 1800
• China

Genre/Form

Early works.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-406) and index.

Language (note)

• Chiefly in English; Noel's texts translated from the Latin; with citations in Chinese with English translation.

Call Number

JFE 24-525

ISBN

• 9782503601793
• 2503601790
• 9782503601809 (canceled/invalid)

OCLC

1381121124

Title

From Confucius to Zhu Xi : the First treatise on God in François Noël's Chinese philosophy (1711) / edited by Thierry Meynard, S.J., and Daniel Canaris.

Publisher

Turnhout, Belgium : Brepols, [2023]

Copyright Date

©2023

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Global perspectives on medieval and early modern historiography ; volume 1

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-406) and index.

Language

Chiefly in English; Noel's texts translated from the Latin; with citations in Chinese with English translation.

Added Author

Meynard, Thierry, editor, translator.

Canaris, Daniel, editor, translator.

Noel, François, 1651-1729. Philosophia sinica tribus tractatibus. Primo, Cognitionem primi entis. English.

Research Call Number

JFE 24-525