ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the ecological orientations of Confucianism, especially those included in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, as well as the idiosyncrasy it involves. The doctrine of oneness of all things on earth held in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism is the doctrine of benevolence. Interpreted from the ecological perspective, this, compared with the past Chinese views of nature, undoubtedly symbolized a new attitude towards nature. Reflection on modern Western philosophy and worldview on ecology, more often than not, requires establishing man’s moral attitude towards nature on the basis of the concept of equality, fairness and rights such as advocating acknowledging senseless things have moral rights and extending the attitude of fairness and equality to the natural world. The ecological world outlook of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism is an ecological theory of an “organic whole”. Human activities in the 20th century have realistically and partly greatly destroyed the natural ecology and posed a great threat of human activities on the environment.
