The vocation for concreteness in the Chinese language categorial thought: the binome benmo

The root-branch metaphor is at the center of an argumentation whose premise is conveyed by the expression "distinguishing the root and the branches" fenqing benmo 分清本末, which is frequently used in contemporary political rhetoric and journalistic writings to discuss methodological issues in a wide range of topics. In all these instances the methodology for extricating the root from the branches introduces an interpretive category used for the analysis of a complex phenomenon. This rhetorical tool is the visible tip of an iceberg that emerges from the depths of a rich philosophical tradition. The present article intends to reconstruct the path joining such philosophical heritage with the practical applications of benmo, which are preliminary to the definition of a medium- to short-term strategy.