Confucian Thought: Selfhood As Creative Transfo... -

: The self is realized through five key relationships (ruler-subject, parent-child, husband-wife, elder-younger sibling, and friend-friend). These are the "fields" where creative transformation occurs.

: Tu Weiming emphasizes that the self eventually reaches a state where it is "at one" with the universe. This "anthropocosmic" view suggests that by fulfilling our human nature, we also participate in the creative work of Heaven and Earth. The Dimensions of Cultivation

Tu Weiming argues that this Confucian model offers a vital alternative to modern "instrumental rationality" and extreme individualism. It proposes that true freedom is found not in independence from others, but in the that allows for both personal growth and social harmony.