Keyword: chang tsai
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Full textBlue print
Zai, Zhang. Western Inscription
1963, in Wing-tsit Chan (ed.), A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Topics: Culture; Environment; Environment and Sustainability
Keywords: Chinese philosophy; Confucianism; ancient; chang tsai; ecology; environment; environmental philosophy; nature
Traditions: Cultural; East Asian; Historical; Religious
Languages: Classical Chinese; English

Figures: Confucius; Zhang Zai

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Added by: Kas Bernays
Abstract:
Zhang Zai’s Western Inscription articulates a metaphysical vision of universal kinship and moral obligation grounded in the shared substance of all beings. It became a foundational text in Neo-Confucianism, emphasizing compassion and cosmic unity.
Comment (from this Blueprint): A very short (1-page) primary source which introduces the Neo-Confucian approach to the relationship between human beings and the rest of nature.
Difficulty: Easy, Intermediate
Recommended use: Introductory

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