The Wisdom of Senses. Neo-Confucian Reflections on Cultural Body
abstract
Sensory experiences are not passive feelings limited to the body or part of it, but influence the concept of the self, and play epistemological and aesthetic functions. This essay presents a few significant examples of the exploration of sensorial functions in the ambit of Neo‑Confucian philosophical and moral texts. The examples show a holistic approach, and above all explore the ‘legitimation’ of senses in the li‑qi 理‑氣 discussion or their role in the self‑cultivation process.
Keywords: Sensorial perception • Cultural Body • Neo-Confucianism • Emotions • Moral intuition