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Glossary 概念词典

Bilingual Concept Library · 双语词条库

Key terms across the schools — each entry gives the character, pinyin, English term, a one-line definition, and its home school.

Ethical Concepts · 伦理概念
仁
rén
Humaneness
The core Confucian virtue: care for others rooted in one's own heart.
Confucian
义
yì
Rightness
What one ought to do; the standard opposed to mere profit.
ConfucianMohist
礼
lǐ
Ritual / Propriety
The forms of conduct that shape and express social order.
Confucian
兼爱
jiān ài
Impartial Care
Care for all people equally, without graded closeness.
Mohist
孝
xiào
Filial Piety
Reverence and care for one's parents, root of virtue.
Confucian
信
xìn
Trustworthiness
Reliability of word; the bond of cooperation.
Confucian
忠
zhōng
Devotion
Doing one's utmost for others / for one's charge.
Confucian
耻
chǐ
Shame
The inner sense of disgrace that guards conduct; Mencius calls it a sprout of 义.
Confucian
Political Concepts · 政治概念
王道
wáng dào
Kingly Way
Rule by virtue that wins willing allegiance.
Mencius
霸道
bà dào
Hegemonic Way
Rule by force and profit that compels obedience.
Mencius
法
fǎ
Law
Public, impartial, written standard that aligns behavior.
Legalist
术
shù
Technique
The ruler's method of testing and controlling officials.
LegalistShen Buhai
势
shì
Positional Power
Authority that comes from office, not personal virtue.
LegalistShen Dao
民本
mín běn
People as Root
The people are the foundation; the ruler is lightest.
Mencius
尚贤
shàng xián
Elevate the Worthy
Promote by ability, not birth.
Mohist
无为
wú wéi
Non-Action
Govern by not forcing; let the system complete itself.
Taoist
Cosmology · 天道哲学
道
dào
The Way
The nameless source and pattern of all things.
Taoist
阴阳
yīn yáng
Yin and Yang
The complementary forces whose interplay generates change.
Yin-Yang
五行
wǔ xíng
Five Phases
Wood, fire, earth, metal, water — a cycle that explains nature and dynastic change.
Yin-YangZou Yan
自然
zì rán
So-of-Itself
Spontaneity; the way things are without coercion.
Taoist
天
tiān
Heaven
The moral/cosmic order (Confucian) or impersonal nature (Xunzi, Taoist).
Various
气
qì
Vital Energy
The material force that constitutes and animates things.
Various
诚
chéng
Sincerity / Integrity
The authenticity that links self to cosmic order.
ConfucianZisi
无为
wú wéi
Non-Action
Acting in accord with the Way, without forcing; spontaneity as cosmic principle.
Taoist
Logic & Names · 逻辑名学
名
míng
Name
A term and what it refers to; must match 实 — rectifying names (正名) is a Confucian duty.
Names
实
shí
Actuality
The real thing a name picks out.
Names
白马非马
bái mǎ fēi mǎ
“A White Horse Is Not a Horse”
Compound and simple names pick out different extensions.
NamesGongsun Long
坚白
jiān bái
Hard and White
Qualities perceived by different senses are separable.
NamesGongsun Long
两可
liǎng kě
Both-Possible
Both sides of a dispute can be argued.
NamesDeng Xi
合同异
hé tóng yì
Unifying Sameness and Difference
Distinctions collapse at the limit; sameness and difference converge.
NamesHui Shi
辩
biàn
Disputation
Reasoned argument as a method of testing claims.
MohistNames
类
lèi
Category / Class
Grouping by kind; the basis of Mohist analogical inference.
Mohist
Continuously accumulating 持续堆积词汇 — new entries are added as the site grows.