French Literature Reviews - 2026

Z. QI, Socraticism in China and Comparative Research on the Moral Philosophy of Socrates and Confucius
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

Zhaoyuan QI, Socraticism in China and Comparative Research on the Moral Philosophy of Socrates and Confucius,

Limoges, PULIM, 2016. EAN13: 9782842876838.

What has been the place of Socraticism in China since the turn of the xx^th century? What relationships might exist between the moral philosophy of Socrates and that of Confucius? This book attempts to shed light on these questions.

After briefly presenting the Sino-Western literary and cultural exchanges of which Socraticism in China is a part, the author offers a historical study of four essential elements in the creation of this connection: introduction, translation, reception, and influence, the latter playing a paramount role.

Readers will then find a comparative study of the moral philosophies of Socrates and Confucius through the key concepts of their doctrines—the Good and *ren*—along with an overview of the historical contexts that gave birth to Socraticism and Confucianism. The book further explores in depth the essence and starting point of their moral philosophies, as well as the path to humanity and virtue that these two masters strove to follow throughout their lives.

Table of Contents:

- Preface (Jean-Pierre Levet)

- Introduction

PART I: SOCRATIC THOUGHT IN CHINA

- Chapter I. Exchanges between China and the West (from the II^nd century to the early XX^th century)

- Chapter II. The Introduction and Translation of Socratic Thought in China

- Chapter III. Reception

- Chapter IV. Influence

PART II: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MORAL PHILOSOPHY OF SOCRATES AND THAT OF CONFUCIUS

- Chapter I. Historical Contexts

- Chapter II. Comparison between *Ren* and the Good

- Conclusion

- Bibliography

APPENDICES

- APPENDIX 1: Genealogy of Confucius

- APPENDIX 2: Chinese Chronology

- APPENDIX 3: Life of Confucius

- APPENDIX 4: Chronology of the Classical Period of Ancient Greece (499 – 336 BC)

- APPENDIX 5

The study of cross-cultural intellectual history often involves tracing how specific philosophical traditions are introduced, translated, and adapted within new linguistic and social environments. Zhaoyuan Qi’s Socraticism in China and Comparative Research on the Moral Philosophy of Socrates and Confucius examines the introduction, translation, reception, and influence of Socratic thought in China since the turn of the twentieth century, situating it within the history of Sino-Western cultural exchanges.

Comparative philosophy frequently seeks to identify structural parallels between foundational thinkers, such as the focus on virtue and humanity found in both the Socratic tradition and Confucianism. The book provides a comparative study of the moral philosophies of Socrates and Confucius through the concepts of the Good and ren, alongside an overview of the historical contexts of Socraticism and Confucianism. Readers interested in the history of comparative ethics may find this analysis of moral philosophy relevant.