Discussing the Relationship between Individual and Community

The relationship between the individual and community in Confucianism has received extensive attention in recent years. Confucianism is often seen as an ideology based on community rather than the individual. In fact, a community cannot be established without individuals, and individuals cannot survive without the community. Therefore, Confucianism is not only concerned with community issues, but also thinks profoundly about individual issues within the community.

This reprint includes research on the relationship between the individual and community in Confucianism in different historical periods, explanations of ethical concepts such as li (ritual, jing (respect), and ren (benevolence), as well as discussions regarding various human relations, such as the relationship between father and son, and husband and wife in Confucian tradition. It also explores the differing understandings of the relationship between the individual and community within the various schools of Confucianism, and examines the theories that transcend interpersonal relationships in the Confucian tradition, such as the idea of datong (the great harmony) and cosmopolitanism.