The translation of Western philosophical terms in Chinese: the case studies of “Logic”, “Metaphysics” and “Aesthetics”

In the context of the cultural contribution of the West to China, philosophy plays a significant role, both as a basis characterizing Western civilization and for the difficulties of study and assimilation that it entails. It is a complex phenomenon that also involves the linguistic-lexical development of modern Chinese, which the gradual introduction of Western philosophical production, especially through published translations, helps to enrich with new terms. The aim of this article is to present a selection of exemplary concepts representative of the whole formation process of the modern Chinese philosophical lexicon, standardized during the time between the end of the 19th and the first three or four decades of the 20th century. The three particular case studies here examined consist of Western philosophical terms that reached a standardized translation in Chinese during the same period of time, through similar and at the same time different paths: Logic, Metaphysics, Aesthetics.