Retrieving the Affective Aspect of Human Being: a Hermeneutical Phenomenological Analysis of 存 Cun/Son’s Historical Origin, its Controversial Role in the East Asian Translation of Being/Existence, and Potential Ontological Implications

It is conventionally accepted that while Western philosophy has “being” as a central topic, Eastern thoughts focused only on “nothing”. I will challenge this perception by retrieving the original meaning of Chinese existential word 存 cun, which can provide hitherto neglected affective aspect being, in West also mentioned handful philosophers, including Heidegger’s famous discussion Sorge. utilize hermeneutical phenomenology cun looking into present state cun’s usage, comparing to its meaning, and proposing new way forward. Cun compound form cunzai used translate modern East Asian languages. However, recently philosophers began question appropriateness using for role. go back care with both lexicographical orthographical evidence, antonym pairing other words such 是 shi 有 you, trace changes meaning. In last section propose possible our dealing own existence when we retrieve coherence existence, through philosophical use Mencius.