Jade of Benevolence: Jia Baoyu and the Ethical Reimagining of Confucian Values in Hongluomeng 红楼梦

Abstract

This thesis explores the ethical dimensions of Hongloumeng through the character of Jia Baoyu, arguing that the novel does not reject Confucian values outright but reimagines them through an affective moral framework grounded in qing (qing, 情). By situating Baoyu’s ethical orientation within the intellectual context of the Qing dynasty, which was characterized by the institutionalization of Neo-Confucianism and the rise of evidential scholarship (kaozheng, 考证), this study examines how his emotional responsiveness offers an alternative vision of benevolence (ren, 仁) that resists both ritual formalism and emotional relativism. Through close reading and historical analysis, the thesis demonstrates that Hongloumeng presents a quiet yet profound reconstruction of Confucian ethics. Rather than opposing tradition, Baoyu’s practice of care and empathy represents a return to the humanistic foundations of Confucian thought. His reverence for the Four Books (Sishu, 四书) and his critique of ritual rigidity illustrate a distinctive ethical path, one that resonates with the reformist efforts of Qing Evidential scholars such as Dai Zhen (戴震) and Qian Daxin (钱大昕).