Confucian self-transformation as an alternative sociology

meaningful action vs. performance with differential profundity

Wei-Hsu Lu

pp. 145-171

in: Ananta K. Giri (ed), Beyond sociology, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Abstract

The philosophy of free will or subjectivity in interpretativist sociology conceals the phenomena of "differential profundity." In order to reveal and study these missing phenomena, this chapter first summarizes two branches of interpretativist sociology, Schütz's phenomenological sociology and Blumer's symbolic interactionism. Following this, the phenomena of differential profundity are illustrated by two examples of the table game, Go, so as to show the blind spot in Schütz's and Blumer's sociological projects. Finally, Mencius's conception of Confucian self-transformation is introduced and an alternative sociology informed by his conception is recommended to study human conduct as lived persons' performance with differential profundity.

Cited authors

Mencius