Bridging Confucian thought and environmental psychology: Defining the anthropocosmic worldview and the virtue of benevolence

IF 7 1区心理学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Journal of Environmental Psychology Pub Date : 2025-07-20 DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102689

Xiaobin Lou , Liman Man Wai Li

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Abstract

Many modern environmental concepts, such as bio-egalitarianism, animal rights, and intrinsic environmental value, emerged from Western societies’ shift away from anthropocentrism. However, this shift may not capture the trajectory of changing environmental concepts in other cultures. This paper explores the conceptual resources of Confucianism and identifies those that may enrich the theoretical toolkit of environmental psychology. Confucianism emphasizes ontological holism and relational interdependence. Echoing this ethos, we carefully defined two focal concepts from Confucianism: the anthropocosmic worldview (Tian-Ren-He-Yi; comprising cosmic oneness, cosmic harmony, and moral anthropocentrism) and the Confucian virtue of benevolence (Ren; comprising all-encompassing self, habitual care, and partiality in care). We compared these concepts with influential constructs in environmental psychology. We discussed relevant future research opportunities. This work contributes to cultural diversity in environmental psychology and may inspire new empirical research directions.

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衔接儒家思想与环境心理学：人类宇宙观与仁德的界定

许多现代环境概念，如生物平等主义、动物权利和内在环境价值，都是在西方社会摆脱人类中心主义的过程中产生的。然而，这种转变可能无法捕捉到其他文化中环境概念变化的轨迹。本文探讨了儒家思想的概念资源，并确定了那些可以丰富环境心理学理论工具包的概念资源。儒家思想强调本体论的整体性和关系的相互依赖性。为了呼应这种精神，我们从儒家思想中仔细定义了两个核心概念：人的宇宙世界观(天人合一；包括宇宙大一统、宇宙和谐和道德人类中心主义)和儒家的仁德(仁；包括包罗万象的自我、习惯性的关心和对关心的偏爱)。我们将这些概念与环境心理学中有影响的构念进行了比较。我们讨论了相关的未来研究机会。这项工作有助于环境心理学的文化多样性，并可能激发新的实证研究方向。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

8.70%

发文量

140

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Psychology is the premier journal in the field, serving individuals in a wide range of disciplines who have an interest in the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their surroundings (including built, social, natural and virtual environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior). The journal publishes internationally contributed empirical studies and reviews of research on these topics that advance new insights. As an important forum for the field, the journal publishes some of the most influential papers in the discipline that reflect the scientific development of environmental psychology. Contributions on theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of all human-environment interactions are welcome, along with innovative or interdisciplinary approaches that have a psychological emphasis. Research areas include: •Psychological and behavioral aspects of people and nature •Cognitive mapping, spatial cognition and wayfinding •Ecological consequences of human actions •Theories of place, place attachment, and place identity •Environmental risks and hazards: perception, behavior, and management •Perception and evaluation of buildings and natural landscapes •Effects of physical and natural settings on human cognition and health •Theories of proenvironmental behavior, norms, attitudes, and personality •Psychology of sustainability and climate change •Psychological aspects of resource management and crises •Social use of space: crowding, privacy, territoriality, personal space •Design of, and experiences related to, the physical aspects of workplaces, schools, residences, public buildings and public space