The paradox of power: conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture

Abstract

A historical consequence of power relations in European culture has been a dichotomy of reason and emotion. This pattern did not arise in China, one of the oldest and most enduring structures of power in human history. The social basis of the Chinese concept of xin (heart-mind) is considered in this paper, and a discussion of a characteristic Chinese conception of power is also presented.

Keywords:

• social structure
• kinship
• Daodejing
• submissiveness
• wuwei (effortless action)