ABSTRACT
In different contexts, the Chinese character XIN has different meanings, and, in the modern social sciences, its different meanings can only be dismembered and studied under different disciplinary realms. This chapter shows that, compared with the partitioned investigation of XIN under different disciplines, “social credit” is an overarching and general concept within the Chinese academic context. XIN has long been a core issue of common interest to various schools examining the history of Chinese thought. Confucianism's discussion of “faithfulness” runs across various stipulations on aspects including personal cultivation, interpersonal interaction, and state governance. The Chinese discussion of XIN remains largely undetached from the backdrop of the native community.
