Concept information
Preferred term
sky, heart and human beings
Definition
- A central concept in classical Chinese philosophy. It emphasizes the harmonious relationship between Heaven (Tian 天), Earth (Di 地), and Human (Ren 人). Heaven represents cosmic order and natural law, Earth signifies the material world, and Human is an integral part of this system. The concept implies that human actions, ethics, and well-being must align with the principles of cosmos and nature. First articulated in early Confucian and Daoist texts, it influenced cosmology, medicine, ritual, and art. Tiandiren is closely related to the Sancai 三才 (Three Powers) model. It encourages humans to live in balance with the universe, guiding moral conduct and cultural practice. In contemporary thought, it informs environmental ethics and holistic approaches to human life. Overall, Tiandiren presents humans as part of a unified, interdependent cosmic order.
Alternative Terms
tiandiren
Chinese
Source
- Baofeng, X. (ed.) (2025). Unity of Heaven and Man (Tiandiren 天人合一), in Contextual Dictionary of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. Springer, Singapore.
- Huang, P. & Zhao, C. (2026). “Daoist Unique Pursuit of Tianren Heyi (the unity of Heaven and humanity)”. Religions, 17(1), MDPI.
- Olga Gorodetskaya (2016). Spirits of Heaven and Ways of Heaven & Earth: Shamanistic Beliefs and Origins of Chinese Traditional Thoughts. Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House.
- Yang, C. X. (2025). Unity of Heaven and Humanity. PhilArchive.
Belongs to group
In other languages
-
tiandiren
Chinese
URI
http://w3id.org/write/thesaurus/sky_heart_human_beings
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