He Yin Zhen's Critical Ruism: Feminist Reclamation and Chinese Philosophy

This article is a case study in feminist reclamation in Ruist (Confucian) philosophical traditions. While most feminist reclamation has been concentrated in the history of western philosophy, this article considers what is involved in feminist reclamation in an East Asian context, taking one of Ruism’s greatest critics as its subject. The article argues that early twentieth-century Chinese anarcho-feminist He Yin Zhen 何殷震 (aka He Ban何班, He Zhen 何震, ca.1884–1920) should be considered a Ruist (Confucian) philosopher, providing reasons ranging from the historical to the decolonial. Because of her sensitivity to issues of gender, hierarchy, and oppression, and her critical interventions in Ruist philosophy, it argues that He Yin Zhen’s work enriches the Ruist canon and could transform Ruist philosophizing for the future.