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Daoist priest or monk, as a result of the influence of his or her research. The same is
often true in areas such as Buddhist and Christian studies. However, if we attend
seminars on Confucianism research, we may meet more than a couple of scholars
who, while undertaking their research, will also claim to be Confucians or
to believe in Confucianism. Therefore, not only do the boundaries between
“Confucianism” and “Confucianism research” need to be clarified, but there is also
a need to have a basic awareness of the distinction between practicing Confucians
and scholars of Confucianism. Additionally, we need to make a fundamental
distinction between claims by Confucians and those findings made by research
scholars. If a paper written by a Buddhist, Daoist, or Christian writer shows a
disproportionate imbalance toward their subject, it cannot be considered a
research paper; thus, a favorably-written paper by a Confucian devotee cannot be
equated with a Confucian research paper.
After making the basic distinction between Confucianism and Confucianism
research, we also need to pay attention to the influence of the integrity of
classical Confucianism on modern scholarship. If we pay some attention to the
history of scholarship in recent years, especially to the major events related
to Confucianism research, we find that in the “Dialogue of World Civilizations”
the themes that have flourished post-2000 are Confucianism and Christianity,
and also Confucianism and liberalism. These themes reflect the fact that
Confucianism is not only a study of life and practice, it also has a religious
aspect—in ancient China, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were often
referred to collectively; additionally, it also contains elements of ancient political
science.
Looking at how modern academic study can be sub-divided, as Confucianism
contains elements related to the progress of human life and religious beliefs,
undoubtedly it can be the object of religious study. Similarly, as it contains
elements of philosophy, ethics, political science, sociology, and economics,
naturally, it can also be studied within these and other disciplines. However, when
academic research is no longer satisfied with its own professional field and there is
the need to integrate disciplines where problems lie at the core, it ventures into
interdisciplinary research. In this kind of research, if we are not vigilant about the
integrity of Confucianism, it becomes easy to simplify complex problems. As a
popular Western saying goes: “Hold a hammer in your hand, and everything looks
like a nail.” In the case of Confucianism research, the root cause of multifarious
social problems can be attributed to morality. This makes it possible to ignore the
results of research in various disciplines and create an illusion that classical
Confucianism is “straightforwardly related” to modern life.
In ancient Chinese society, where the family and the state were considered as
one, the notion of learning meant the study of how to cultivate oneself, regulate