"Shiming"and the Characteristics of Subjectivity in the Thoughts of Confucius
The term"shiming"(时命)is generally defined as a destiny which individuals cannot resist.However,this definition might be inappropriate in the context of the original Confucian philosophy.In terms of its objectivity,"shi"originates from the description of things,and always belongs to an under-measured scale of time.Time is closely related to existence,and in early China,"shi"showed an entanglement of sacred and secular time,which provided a space for the reveal of individual's"shi"."Ming"is rooted in the concept of"tianming"(天命).At the time of Yin and Zhou,the validity of"ming"continuously shifted among"di"(帝),"tian",and"renwang(人王),"but the principle of the top-down distribution structure has never been broken,until the prescription of Confucius appeared.Through the awakening of the subjectivity,"tianming"falls into the individual,and junzi(君子)reveals the"deming"(德命),then a Confucian"shiming"concept is gradually formed.Its connotation is expressed in the wholeness,circularity and practicability of the co-construction of heaven and human,and it embodies a present,open and unlimited possibility of vitality.The long-lasting vitality of Confucian culture is based on the subjective character of Confucius'thoughts.
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