Journal of East China Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences) ›› 2022, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (4): 1-10.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2022.04.001

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Things,Personality and History:From “the Ship of Theseus” to “the Investigation of Things” and Others

Shao-ming CHEN   

  • Accepted:2022-06-08 Online:2022-07-15 Published:2022-07-26

Abstract:

For human life, things are not just objects of material use. The philosophical discussion of “the Ship of Theseus” can lead to the various dimensions of the image of things. Among them, the image of a thing as a monument involves historical consciousness, which is related to our understanding of the unique personality of human beings on the one hand and life time on the other. The functional genealogy of things proposed by the author can provide an enlightening frame of reference for observing the debate on “the investigation of things” in Chinese philosophy. In addition, human beings have to face the unprecedented new phenomenon of the spiritual “things” since our times, which constitutes an intellectual jigsaw puzzle.

Key words: the Ship of Theseus, identity, personality, the investigation of things, history