List of Chinese Philosophers
The list of major Chinese philosophers includes the following in the table given below:
S.No. |
Philosophers |
Contribution |
---|---|---|
1 |
Confucius |
Great Master, teachings often ridiculed by Taoists |
2 |
Mencius |
Idealistic follower of Confucius |
3 |
Xun Zi |
Follower of Confucius, teacher of Han Fei and Li Si |
4 |
Zhu Xi |
Founder of Neo-Confucianism |
5 |
Wang Yangming |
Advocate for the power of the mind |
6 |
Laozi |
Legendary founder of Taoism |
7 |
Zhuang Zhou |
Believed author of the Zhuangzi |
8 |
Mozi |
Founder of Mohist school, promoting universal love |
9 |
Han Fei |
Prominent legalist thinker |
10 |
Li Si |
Major proponent and practitioner of Legalism |
Chinese Philosophy: Origin and Philosophers
Chinese philosophy began thousands of years ago during a time of many different ideas when wise people were often leaders and inventors, showing the practical side of wisdom. Classical Chinese philosophers paid more attention to ethics rather than questions of knowledge and logic. They were less interested in connecting thoughts to the outside world and more about how individuals best fit into society.
Major philosophical ideas like Confucianism, Legalism, and Taoism emerged during this ancient time. There were also lesser-known philosophies like Agriculturalism, Mohism, Chinese Naturalism, and the Logicians. Today, Confucianism still plays a big role in how Chinese people act.
Focusing on understanding humanity and human life is very important in Chinese philosophy. This idea is similar to Socrates’ belief in “Know thyself,” written at the Delphi Temple entrance in ancient Greece. In his book “An Essay on Man,” Cassirer says that understanding ourselves is the main goal of philosophy. He believes this idea is a central point for all cultures and times, and Chinese philosophy also follows this belief.
We have mentioned in detail about origin of Chinese philosophy, various philosophers, periods, and much more about it.