L'idée de Dieu dans la philosophie religieuse de la Chine

by Lucien de Rosny

"L'idée de Dieu dans la philosophie religieuse de la Chine" by Lucien de Rosny is a scholarly work written in the late 19th century. This book explores the complex ideas surrounding the concepts of deism and atheism within Chinese religious philosophy. It delves into ancient Chinese cosmology, Confucianism, and Taoist philosophies, seeking to clarify the historical and cultural understandings of these ideas in the broader context of Chinese thought. The text examines various philosophical doctrines, particularly the concept of "Taï-kih", which represents a primordial initiatory force of the universe, and discusses the moral teachings of Confucius, which emphasize filial piety and ancestral worship as integral to Chinese identity. De Rosny contrasts these with Taoist philosophy, particularly that of Lao-tse, arguing that the latter approaches the concept of God in a non-anthropomorphic sense while still acknowledging a universal principle. He ultimately contends that the Chinese perspective on divinity is often misrepresented, asserting that the civilization possesses a rich theological framework that transcends simplistic categorization as atheistic or deistic.