Vietnamese philosophy

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Nguyen Trai (1380-1442) Nguyen Trai.jpg
Nguyễn Trãi (1380–1442)

Vietnamese philosophy includes both traditional Confucian philosophy, Vietnamese local religious traditions, Buddhist philosophy and later introducing French, Marxist and other influences.

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Confucianism in Vietnam

Portrait of Chu Van An (1292-1370), prominently Vietnamese Confucianist teacher in 14th century (in the picture, he wears a costume of the Nguyen dynasty because the picture was painted in the Nguyen dynasty). Chu Van An.jpg
Portrait of Chu Văn An (1292–1370), prominently Vietnamese Confucianist teacher in 14th century (in the picture, he wears a costume of the Nguyễn dynasty because the picture was painted in the Nguyễn dynasty).

Confucianism entered Vietnam and was later reinforced in the four Bắc thuộc periods of Chinese domination, beginning with the first Chinese domination of Vietnam from 111 BCE. [1] This was also the beginning of Taoism in Vietnam and Buddhism in Vietnam. Confucianism was reinforced in government by the Confucian court examination system in Vietnam, as well as the way family raised and taught children toward filial piety, through absolute obedience. [2]

Due to the influence of Confucianism, the feudal state of Vietnam placed early and significant emphasis on expanding education, with a focus on nurturing talented individuals and compiling historical records. As a result, the people became studious, respected teachers, and valued their culture. These factors collectively contributed to Vietnam being a country with a civilization predating many others in the region. [3] Confucianism also played a role in fortifying social order and fostering neighborly relationships. [4] In times of hardship, many individuals valiantly fought and made sacrifices for righteousness, driven by a moral spirit of humanity and a patriotic tradition. This ethos has contributed to a less brutal societal demeanor.

However, Confucianism has also been utilized as a tool by authoritarian regimes to uphold the status quo, often transforming loyalty into an impediment to challenging oppressive forces. This has led to the suppression of dissent and the subjugation of those at the lower rungs of society. While Confucianism promoted cultural and intellectual pursuits, it predominantly emphasized literature and history, often at the expense of science and technology. The pursuit of knowledge was often driven by a desire for scholarly recognition, leading to a focus on fame and position rather than freedom, independence, and self-reliance. Living in harmony and stability has its allure, but it often requires compliance, tolerance, deference to authority, and a reluctance to engage in reform and progress. [5]

Confucianism undoubtedly helped maintain societal order and morality, yet it has also acted as a barrier to democratization, innovative thinking, and societal development.

Nationalism in Vietnam

Communism in Vietnam

Socialism in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Thought

Study of Vietnamese philosophy

Most research on Vietnamese philosophy is conducted by modern Vietnamese scholars. [6] The traditional Vietnamese philosophy has been described by one biographer of Ho Chi Minh (Brocheux, 2007) as a "perennial Sino-Vietnamese philosophy" blending different strands of Confucianism with Buddhism and Taoism. [7] Some researchers have found the empirical evidence of this "blending" and defined the socio-cultural phenomenon as "cultural additivity". [8] Another, Catholic, writer (Vu, 1966) [9] has analysed Vietnamese philosophy as constituted of tam tài ("three body" Heaven, Man, Earth) philosophy, yin-yang metaphysics, and agricultural philosophy. [10] Tran Van Doan, professor of philosophy at National Taiwan University (1996) [11] considers that Vietnamese philosophy is humanistic but not anthropocentric. [12]

Notable philosophers

The confucian poet-philosopher-scholar is typified by Lê Quý Đôn. Other confucianists include Chu Văn An (1292–1370) mandarin, Lê Quát a 14th Century anti-Buddhist Confucian writer, Mạc Đĩnh Chi (1280–1350), Nguyễn Trãi (1380–1442) a famous Đại Việt Confucian scholar, Nguyễn Khuyến (1835–1909). Notable modern Vietnamese philosophers include Cao Xuân Huy (vi, 1900–1983), Nguyễn Duy Quý (vi, born 1932), Nguyễn Đức Bình (vi, born 1927), Nguyễn Đăng Thục (vi, 1909–1999), Phạm Công Thiện (vi, 1941–2011), Trần Văn Giàu (vi, 1911–2010), modern marxist philosopher Trần Đức Thảo (noted in Paris in the 1960s) and Vietnamese Catholic philosopher Lương Kim Định.

Related Research Articles

Articles related to Vietnam and Vietnamese culture include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddhism in Vietnam</span>

Buddhism in Vietnam, as practiced by the Vietnamese people, is a form of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. It is the main religion in Vietnam. Vietnamese Buddhism is generally inclusive and syncretic, drawing on the main Chinese Buddhist traditions, such as Tiantai and Huayan, Zen (Thiền), and Pure Land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris by Night 88</span> Episode of Paris by Night

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris by Night 78</span> Episode of Paris by Night

Paris By Night 78: Đường Xưa is a Paris By Night program produced by Thúy Nga that was filmed at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre Studio #40 in Toronto, Canada on June 11, 2005. The MC's were Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn and Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên. Seats are limited to a studio audience and is considered a private event.

The 9th Military Region of Vietnam People's Army, is directly under the Ministry of Defence of Vietnam, tasked to organise, build, manage and command armed forces defending the Mekong Delta.

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The 9th Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), formally the 9th Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Bộ Chính trị Ban Chấp hành trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam Khoá IX), was elected at the 1st Plenary Session of the 9th Central Committee in the immediate aftermath of the 9th National Congress.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hồ Chí Minh Prize</span>

The Hồ Chí Minh Prize is an honorary award given by the government of Vietnam in recognition of cultural and/or scientific achievement. The prize was established by decree in 1981, and has been awarded in 1996, 2000, 2005 and 2012, often posthumously. The prize is named for Ho Chi Minh, who was Chairman and founder of the Workers' Party of Vietnam, that is considered one of the highest honors bestowed by Vietnam.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of the Nguyễn dynasty</span> National government of the Nguyễn dynasty

The government of the Nguyễn dynasty, officially the Southern dynasty and commonly referred to as the Huế Court, centred around the emperor as the absolute monarch, surrounded by various imperial agencies and ministries which stayed under the emperor's presidency. Following the signing of the Patenôtre Treaty the French took over a lot of control and while the government of the Nguyễn dynasty still nominally ruled the French protectorates of Annam and Tonkin, in reality the French maintained control over these territories and the Nguyễn government became subsidiary to the administration of French Indochina. During World War II the Japanese launched a coup d'état ousting the French and establishing the Empire of Vietnam which was ruled by the Nguyễn government. During the August Revolution the Nguyễn government was abolished in the aftermath of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Education (Nguyễn dynasty)</span> Vietnamese government ministry (1907–1945)

During the Nguyễn dynasty period (1802–1945) of Vietnamese history its Ministry of Education was reformed a number of times, in its first iteration it was called the Học Bộ which was established during the reign of the Duy Tân Emperor (1907–1916) and took over a number of functions of the Lễ Bộ, one of the Lục Bộ. The Governor-General of French Indochina wished to introduce more education reforms, the Nguyễn court in Huế sent Cao Xuân Dục and Huỳnh Côn, the Thượng thư of the Hộ Bộ, to French Cochinchina to discuss these reforms with the French authorities. After their return the Học Bộ was established in the year Duy Tân 1 (1907) with Cao Xuân Dục being appointed to be its first Thượng thư (minister). Despite nominally being a Nguyễn dynasty institution, actual control over the ministry fell in the hands of the French Council for the Improvement of Indigenous Education in Annam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam</span> Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam</span> Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam</span> Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

The 6th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was elected at the 6th CPV National Congress. It elected the 6th Politburo and the 6th Secretariat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam</span> Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam</span> Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam

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References

  1. John R. Jones Guide to Vietnam 1994 - Page 29 "Confucianism. Confucianism entered Vietnam from China during the Bac Thuoc era (111 BC - AD 938) when the country was under the yoke.."
  2. Napier, Nancy K.; Vuong, Quan Hoang. What we see, why we worry, why we hope: Vietnam going forward. Boise, ID: Boise State University CCI Press, October 2013. ISBN   978-0985530587.
  3. "Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia". Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  4. Thuân, Đinh Khắc (2004). "Sự thâm nhập của Nho giáo vào làng xã Việt Nam qua tư liệu hương ước". Tạp chí Nghiên cứu Tôn Giáo (in Vietnamese). 30 (6): 17–17. ISSN   1859-0403.
  5. "Các chuẩn mực đạo đức cơ bản của Nho giáo với việc rèn luyện đạo đức cán bộ, công chức ở Việt Nam hiện nay". hutoglobal (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  6. Teaching and research in philosophy: Asia and the Pacific Unesco - 1986 Page 363 "On matters relating to national traditions in philosophy, the Vietnamese philosophers will continue to study the history of national philosophy, to write books on the history of Vietnamese philosophy, to do research on the typical characteristics ..."
  7. Pierre Brocheux, Ho Chi Minh: A Biography 2007 - Pages 204,205 “Ho was also steeped in the perennial Sino-Vietnamese philosophy that blended Confucianism (in its plural form incorporating Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, and Wang Yang Ming)7 with Buddhism and Taoism."
  8. Vuong, Quan-Hoang (2018). "Cultural additivity: behavioural insights from the interaction of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in folktales". Palgrave Communications. 4 (1): 143. doi: 10.1057/s41599-018-0189-2 . S2CID   54444540.
  9. Vu Dinh Trac, "Triet ly truyen thong Viet Nam don duong cho Than Hoc Viet Nam," Dinh Huong 11 (1966)
  10. Peter C. Phan Vietnamese-American Catholics 2005 Page 27 "Vu Dinh Trac believes that traditional Vietnamese philosophy is constituted by tam tai philosophy, yin-yang metaphysics, and agricultural philosophy. These three strands are illustrated by the various symbols on the upper surface of the Dong ..."
  11. "Tu Viet triet toi Viet than," Dinh Huong 11 (1996)
  12. Fumitaka Matsuoka, Eleazar S. Fernandez, Realizing the America of Our Hearts: Theological Voices of Asian Americans, St. Louis, Mo: Chalice Press 2003, ISBN   0827232519, page 178: "Another important contributor to the retrieval and elaboration of Vietnamese philosophy is Tran Van Doan, professor of ... For Tran Van Doan, Vietnamese philosophy is humanistic (vi nhan) but not anthropocentric (day nhan) in so far as ...