“Home” and Philosophy: The Imagery and Metaphysical Significance of “Home” in Chinese Philosophy

Abstract

Chinese philosophy is a philosophy based on “home” rather than merely a philosophy about the home. “Home” is the origin from which the individual emerges. Heaven and Earth are the origins from which humanity emerges. Human knowledge and thought allow individuals to transcend the undifferentiated unity of “home,” becoming individual existences while also endowing themselves with a universal ethical mode of existence. Returning to oneself through the act of departure becomes the inevitable way to realize human existence. Civilization, as a rational forward movement, is inevitably accompanied by the obscuration of ignorance, causing individuals to deviate from their true essence. The realization of human existence inherently contains a dimension of returning to one’s original essence within its forward movement. In the depths of the human soul, there is an original and persistent nostalgia for “home.” Chinese philosophy emphasizes “knowing where to stop,” with Daoism advocating “having become remote, it returns” and Confucianism advocating “returning from a short distance,” which aims to maintain a balanced tension between advancement and stopping, preserving the holistic significance of human existence. Humans, as holistic beings, grasp themselves and their surrounding world in an original modal way. Human existence originates from “home,” with the closest emotional expression being “kinship.” “Home” and “kinship” serve as intermediaries or bridges for individuals to realize universal love for themselves and others, extending to “loving the people and all things.” This universality, founded on the premise of difference, bestows the image and meaning of “home.” Thus, human self-identity and the development of civilization can achieve their authentic significance and rational foundation. The modal existence approach followed by Chinese philosophy presents a unique spiritual direction for the future development of philosophy.

Keywords

home / philosophy / nature / humanity / nostalgia / “knowing where to stop” / identification

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2024 Higher Education Press