A History of T\u27ien

The concept of T\u27ien (Heaven) has been basically important in the worldview of the Chinese from the remote past to the present. Chinese science and philosophy seem to be the interpretations of T\u27ien. However, its meaning was not always definite. The aim of this paper is to give a historical survey of the concept of T\u27ien and to endeavor to clarify its meaning. First, we treat T\u27ien which occured in the text of the pre-Han period. In the early Chou times, T\u27ien was conceived as the purposeful, aparently anthoromorphic god. Politically, T\u27ien was the source of the legitemacy of the king, conferring T\u27ien-ming (Heaven\u27s mandate) upon the most virtuous man. In the same period, it was used as the meaning of the physical space where celestial bodies move and birds fly. Following this tradition, Kung-tzu glorified T\u27ien as great and august. But, he believed in its devine power, although he did not conceived it as an anthoromorphic deity. Meng-tzu who philosophized about T\u27ien of Kung-tzu, asserted that we are all born with the innate goodness in us by T\u27ien. Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu who urged to obey Tsu-jan (Naturalness), denied even the devine power. T\u27ien was conceived to be simply physical body. Nevertheless, they used it as a synonym for Tsu-jan. Secondly, we discuss the science and philosophy which developed in the Hun period. The most important science was an astronomical cosmology. The Huai -nan-tzu stated the theories of Heaven and Earth, namely cosmography and cosmogony. Here, the proprty and the formation of T\u27ien which was regarded as physical body, was interpreted by the concept of chi (Ether). Tung Chung-shu, a leading confucian, gave a theory of the relation between T\u27en and human. In this theory also, chi played an essential role. But, the Chinese philosophers did not abondan the anthoromorphic T\u27ien. Even Chu-tzu who built the Neo-Confucianism. did not denied it.publishe