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I place Jaspers' discussion of Confucius in the context of his project of writing a universal history of philosophy. But I say that Jaspers meets Confucius because he acknowledges the critical scholarship about dating and the authenticity of the texts attributed to Confucius and then goes on to form a picture of his subject that he claims has all its original freshness. Philosopher meets philosopher. I consider to what extent Confucius is a representative of the Axial Age. Jaspers emphasizes how Confucius gives priority to existential enactment over mere form. I suggest that the role of custom and ritual for Confucius is played for Jaspers by philosophical communication. Finally, I compare them as public figures.

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2223-1_18

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