Heaven and Humanity: Reading a Chinese Philosophical Theme

Chinese philosophers have explored how human life relates to heaven, nature and the wider world.

A bounded introduction#

The meaning of tian varies with the argument and historical setting. Discussions can concern order, ethical responsibility and the connectedness of human beings with other things.

A way to read critically#

Before translating tian simply as nature or as a personal deity, check the passage. This introduction does not claim that all Chinese traditions hold one identical theory, or that a philosophical ideal proves a current environmental outcome.

Reference#

Scholarly reference. The questions above are editorial reading suggestions. They are not a survey, a claim about all Chinese people or a quotation from a classical author.