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Sympathy, Resonance, and the Use of Natural Correspondences in Philosophical Argument: A Comparison of Greco-Roman and Early Chinese Sources

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Abstract

Thinkers from the Chinese and Greco-Roman traditions posit that disparate objects throughout the cosmos have mutual affinities. In the Stoic tradition, such affinities are explained through “sympathy.” In the Chinese tradition, the explanatory principle is often called ganying 感應 (resonance). In addition, both traditions use similar philosophical strategies when discussing these concepts. Thinkers cite natural correspondences, placing them in parallel lists as evidence for philosophical truths. On the surface, the analogous concepts and strategies hint that these thinkers share similar philosophical goals. However, analysis of the role natural correspondences play in argumentation discovers fundamental differences between the two traditions. The focus on particular arguments instead of broader cosmological trends offers a different perspective for comparative research, and the conclusions raise questions concerning how scholarship should analyze philosophical trends in early China.

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Acknowledgments

I have worked on this project for several years and have received valuable feedback from many colleagues and scholars. I would like to thank the audiences of the APA 2020 Eastern ISCWP Panel and the 2021 EACP conference for their helpful feedback. I would also like to thank Fudan University for inviting me to give a lecture on this topic. Feedback received greatly improved my arguments. I would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their encouraging feedback.

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  1. Department of Philosophy, East China Normal University, Minhang Campus, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, China

    Jordan Palmer Davis

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Davis, J.P. Sympathy, Resonance, and the Use of Natural Correspondences in Philosophical Argument: A Comparison of Greco-Roman and Early Chinese Sources. Dao 22, 525–553 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-023-09905-8

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