The Lost Confucian Philosopher: Gu Hongming and the Chinese Religion of Good Citizenship

By retrieving the philosophy of the long-forgotten late Qing dynasty scholarofficial Gu Hongming, it is demonstrated how Gu’s thesis on the Religion of Good Citizenship promises a new Confucian vision for global ethics and crosscultural discourse against the backdrop of “clash of civilizations.” Drawing upon both classical Confucian teachings and modern Romantic ideas, Gu aspired to bridge the division of East and West by “joining the best with best” as he envisioned a universal order of humankind predicated on the poetical temperament and aesthetical appeal of the gentleman.