1001Philosophers

Li Zehou 1930 – 2021

Li Zehou (1930 – 2021) was a Chinese philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Confucianism and Marxism.

Li Zehou was a Chinese philosopher and aesthetician, the most influential figure of the post-Mao Chinese philosophical scene, who reconstructed the Confucian and Marxist traditions through what he called a sedimentation theory of culture. The Path of Beauty offered a sweeping aesthetic history of Chinese civilization, while A History of Classical Chinese Thought and his essays on Kantian critical philosophy proposed a synthesis of Confucian moral psychology, Marxist anthropology of practice, and Kantian transcendental philosophy. His later The Chinese Aesthetic Tradition and his thesis of two halves of practical reason exerted a wide influence on Chinese intellectual life from the 1980s onward.

Key facts

Nationality
Chinese
Era
Contemporary
Movements
Confucianism, Marxism

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to Li Zehou:

    “Practical reason has two halves: the moral and the aesthetic.”

  • Attributed to Li Zehou:

    “Culture is the sedimentation of practice in human nature.”

  • Attributed to Li Zehou:

    “Confucianism is the heart of Chinese civilization, but its forms must be remade in every age.”

  • Attributed to Li Zehou:

    “Aesthetics is the highest fulfillment of human freedom.”

  • Attributed to Li Zehou:

    “Kantian critique and Confucian self-cultivation belong together.”

Read all Li Zehou quotes

Frequently asked about Li Zehou

When did Li Zehou live?
Li Zehou was born in 1930 and died in 2021.
Where was Li Zehou from?
Li Zehou was a Chinese philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is Li Zehou associated with?
Li Zehou was associated with Confucianism and Marxism.
What was Li Zehou known for?
Li Zehou was a Chinese philosopher and aesthetician, the most influential figure of the post-Mao Chinese philosophical scene, who reconstructed the Confucian and Marxist traditions through what he called a sedimentation theory of culture.
How many quotes are attributed to Li Zehou?
There are 7 attributed quotations from Li Zehou in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.