Transcending Paradox: The Chinese “Middle Way” Perspective
Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: Western thought is noted for its strengths in categorization and analysis; Eastern, or Chinese thought, is noted for its integrative and encompassing nature. This article seeks to bridge the two. Specifically, it aims to enrich Western thinking and the existing body of paradox literature by proposing the idea of paradoxical integration, a concept derived from the Chinese middle way philosophy. Paradoxical integration, the notion that two opposites (such as “self” and “other”) may be interdependent in nature and together constitute a totality (“integration”), is introduced as one means of transcending paradox and the conventional Western conceptualization of exclusive opposites. It suggests how we can apply the concept of interdependent opposites in a both/and framework to foster reconciliation of the apparent polarities of such dichotomies as competition and cooperation. The article concludes with a discussion of the broad implications of the concept of paradoxical integration upon both academic research and business practice. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2002
Author: Ming-Jer Chen
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,590
Funder: U.S. Department of Justice
OpenAlex ID: W4242547948