Qi
Attempts to describe qi in English-language literature have inevitably been thin, focussing primarily on the ways in which it speaks to perceived mind-body dualism in Anglophone culture. The following discussion touches upon the broad diversity of epistemes in which qi has been entangled, and a f...
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| Format: | Conference Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179420 https://www.academia.edu/39695488/Qi_in_Critical_Terms_for_Religious_Studies https://www.polyu.edu.hk/tc/events/2019/6/critical-terms-for-chinese-religious-studies/ |
| Summary: | Attempts to describe qi in English-language literature have inevitably been thin, focussing
primarily on the ways in which it speaks to perceived mind-body dualism in Anglophone
culture. The following discussion touches upon the broad diversity of epistemes in which qi has
been entangled, and a few ways in which it has acted as a touch-stone for comparing Chinese
culture with Western modernity. It then considers three different ways for approaching qi as a
topic – rather than attempting to define qi itself as a critical term, or attempting to define it, I
experiment with three different modes of reading about and thinking with qi. Beginning with
paleography, I introduce an uncommon narrative about qi and fire. I then discuss
genealogical/period-based approach versus one of epistemological comparison. Finally, the
paper takes a departure from textual based studies to consider an informal discussion of the
constraints of individualist notions of subject formation, and how qi plays an important role in
informing intersubjectivity, mourning rites and social continuity. The paper then concludes by
suggesting two terms as useful for thinking about qi: coherence, and consubstantiality. |
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