“Ren” as a Special Virtue or a Totality of Virtues: A Discourse on the English Translation of “Ren” and Development of Confucian Studies

Translations of the "ren" in the Analectsreflect how the English world conceptualizes Confucius and Confucianism.Most translations have not drawn a distinction between "ren" as a special virtue and "ren" as a totality of virtues, mainly because they neither recognize "ren" as the core of Confucianism nor have the knowledge of the discourses on "ren" by neo-Confucian scholars.From 19th century till now, "ren" has been rendered variously, an intellectual activity that mirrors how the western world looks at Confucianism and its relation to the West.At the same time, Confucianism has outlived global interpretations due to its intrinsic adaptability.