Chinese Thought and Transcendentalism: Ecology, Place and Conservative Radicalism

My central claim is that resonances between Transcendentalist and Chinese philosophies are so strong the former cannot be adequately appreciated without latter. I give attention to Analects, Mengzi Tiantai Lotus Sutra, which Transcendentalists read. Because there was conceptual sharing across traditions, plus evidence suggesting explored other texts, my analysis includes discussions of Daoism Weishi, Huayan Chan Buddhism. To name just some similarities targeted outlooks, adopt something close wu-wei or effortless action; though hostile hierarchy, they echo Confucian stress on rituals habits; Thoreau’s individualistic libertarianism moderated by a radical causal holism found in many philosophies; variants Buddhism get metaphysics epistemologies, anticipate embodied cognitive science. A specific argument followed their counterparts conserving past converting it into radicalism. meta-argument ideas were exchanged via trade from Europe through North Africa Western Asia India Far East, contact with Indigenous Americans led same. This involved degrees misrepresentation, but nonetheless calls upon scholars more global approaches.