Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance
This paper focuses on how the reconstruction of moral self and spiritual freedom can be realized through the philosophical analysis of dialectical unity in martial arts practice. It examines how Eastern philosophies, such as Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, inform martial arts, emphasizing the in...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidade Estadual Paulista
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Trans/Form/Ação |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/17499 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839583016342519808 |
|---|---|
| author | Fanghui Li Liang Fu |
| author_facet | Fanghui Li Liang Fu |
| author_sort | Fanghui Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This paper focuses on how the reconstruction of moral self and spiritual freedom can be realized through the philosophical analysis of dialectical unity in martial arts practice. It examines how Eastern philosophies, such as Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, inform martial arts, emphasizing the integration of opposing forces like mind and body, strength and softness, and offense and defense. By articulating a central claim that martial arts serve as embodied vehicles for ethical transformation, this paper contributes to contemporary debates in virtue ethics and philosophy of mind. It argues that martial arts, particularly Wushu, embody a practical philosophy based on the body’s phenomenology, grounded in the dynamic structure of Yin and Yang. This embodied dialectic fosters virtue by integrating affective, physical and cognitive dimensions of self-cultivation. Engaging with Western subjectivity traditions and modern body theory, the paper explores how martial arts transcend dichotomies, offering a holistic ethical perspective that integrates mind and body. Ultimately, martial arts emerge as a lived ethical practice of self-cultivation, resilience and harmony.
Submission: 21/5/2025 – Decision: 20/6/2025 - Revision: 16/7/2025 – Publication: 8/8/2025
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b8da3bd9e5940f2b4a34f7c94e66d6b |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 0101-3173 1980-539X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Estadual Paulista |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trans/Form/Ação |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b8da3bd9e5940f2b4a34f7c94e66d6b2025-08-03T21:53:21ZengUniversidade Estadual PaulistaTrans/Form/Ação0101-31731980-539X2025-08-0148510.1590/0101-3173.2025.v48.n5.e025131Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balanceFanghui Li0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3031-3250Liang Fu1https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8846-3780Pingxiang CollegeZhangjiajie College This paper focuses on how the reconstruction of moral self and spiritual freedom can be realized through the philosophical analysis of dialectical unity in martial arts practice. It examines how Eastern philosophies, such as Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, inform martial arts, emphasizing the integration of opposing forces like mind and body, strength and softness, and offense and defense. By articulating a central claim that martial arts serve as embodied vehicles for ethical transformation, this paper contributes to contemporary debates in virtue ethics and philosophy of mind. It argues that martial arts, particularly Wushu, embody a practical philosophy based on the body’s phenomenology, grounded in the dynamic structure of Yin and Yang. This embodied dialectic fosters virtue by integrating affective, physical and cognitive dimensions of self-cultivation. Engaging with Western subjectivity traditions and modern body theory, the paper explores how martial arts transcend dichotomies, offering a holistic ethical perspective that integrates mind and body. Ultimately, martial arts emerge as a lived ethical practice of self-cultivation, resilience and harmony. Submission: 21/5/2025 – Decision: 20/6/2025 - Revision: 16/7/2025 – Publication: 8/8/2025 https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/17499Martial ArtsDaoismEmbodied PracticeDualismDialectical Unity |
| spellingShingle | Fanghui Li Liang Fu Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance Trans/Form/Ação Martial Arts Daoism Embodied Practice Dualism Dialectical Unity |
| title | Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance |
| title_full | Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance |
| title_fullStr | Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance |
| title_short | Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance |
| title_sort | martial arts and dualistic philosophy conflict harmony and the search for balance |
| topic | Martial Arts Daoism Embodied Practice Dualism Dialectical Unity |
| url | https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/17499 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fanghuili martialartsanddualisticphilosophyconflictharmonyandthesearchforbalance AT liangfu martialartsanddualisticphilosophyconflictharmonyandthesearchforbalance |