Dear Colleagues,

The religious traditions of China have been a rich source of ethical reflection for at least two and a half millennia.  Beginning with the indigenous traditions of China (e.g., Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism) and continuing through the Chinese transformations of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, and the development of many forms of Neo-Confucian thought, Chinese religious traditions offer a diverse range of approaches to ethical questions. Many forms of Chinese religious thought, especially within the broad umbrella of Confucianism, have been brought into philosophical and theological/daological conversation with forms of Western ethics thanks to the work of both Chinese and Western scholars largely over the last half century.

The work of scholars with a strong foundation in both Chinese and Western ethics, along with the work of scholars of Chinese religion who also have expertise in areas as cognitive science, psychology, and feminist thought, have profoundly enriched the field. 

This special edition of the journal on the theme of “Re-envisioning Chinese Religious Ethics” will continue this important work by looking at “Intersections and New Directions” in Chinese religious ethics.

Intersections: Here “intersections” stands for the encounter of aspects of Chinese religious ethics (a certain thinker, text, tradition of thought, etc.) with those of non-Chinese (e.g., European, African, South Asian) religious or philosophical ethical traditions.  Articles can engage in comparative reflection, bringing different thinkers and traditions into conversation, and examining how the traditions can illuminate each other and how their encounter can produce insights into important ethical questions.  What developments have there been in ethical thought within Chinese Christian and Islamic thinkers and texts?

 New directions: This means applying the approaches of Chinese ethical traditions either to areas of emerging technologies and cultural phenomena, or to areas that have not been as extensively explored by these traditions in the past.  The approaches of Chinese religious ethics might, for instance, be applied to such subjects as artificial intelligence, social media, popular culture, the pursuit of radical longevity, cloning, and new understandings of the brain and behavior (from neuroscience, psychology, etc.).   Articles can also explore ways that Chinese ethical perspectives can address issues related to the LGBT community, or ways that perspectives from gender and sexuality studies can lead to new understandings or transformations of Chinese ethical thought (such as Confucian feminists have done).  Another possible avenue of inquiry is to build on work that has been done in Chinese environmental ethics and focus on global warming.  What might the Chinese religious traditions teach us in this increasingly dire period of climate change, the impact of which will impose a tremendous test for all of the world’s ethical traditions?

Prof. Dr. Mark Berkson
Guest Editor

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