Chinese Philosophy

A FEMINIST TAOIST VOICE PART 1: MY DIALOGUE WITH ELISA FON, ACUPUNCTURIST, TAOIST, FEMINIST AND FRIEND by Sara Frykenberg

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

“So it all kind of depends… even in men compared to men, and women compared to women, you would have to have a... more “So it all kind of depends… even in men compared to men, and women compared to women, you would have to have a counterpart to judge something as yin or yang—you are never statically just yin or just yang…”

Elisa Fon is a student of acupuncture, graduating this semester from Yo San University in Santa Monica, CA.  She also studies reiki, energy healing, meditation and yoga.  Elisa and I have known each other for most of our lives as friends, as one another’s support and as chosen family.  Over the last few years, however, we have more consciously fostered an intentional aspect of our intimacy: a challenge to each other to live more authentically, to walk counter-abusively and to live towards physical, spiritual and emotional empowerment.  One privilege of this relationship has been the opportunity to create a language together in order to speak across our differences and share our respective passions: feminist theo/alogies (mine) and Chinese medicine/ healing arts (Elisa’s).

Cultural Contradictions? The Ambiguous Relationship between Confucianism and Democratic Centralism in Communist China

by William Patterson

International Topics

Seminario Popolare sul Pensiero dell'Estremo Oriente (4 Ed.). Perché guardare a Oriente?

by Pietro Piro

Programma delle giornate di studi: Perché guardare a Oriente? Termini Imerese 5-6 Maggio 2012.

Nella giornata di studi Perchè guardare a Oriente?  I ricercatori coinvolti,  a partire dalle proprie... more Nella giornata di studi Perchè guardare a Oriente?  I ricercatori coinvolti,  a partire dalle proprie competenze e dai propri interessi, cercheranno di chiarire, in modo semplice e “popolare” perché è necessario conoscere e approfondire un tema legato ad un aspetto del pensiero Orientale (musica, arte, filosofia, religione, cinema..etc). In questo modo, si cercherà di trovare ragioni vitali, e non esclusivamente accademiche o commerciali, per accostarsi all’Oriente. Il tentativo è quello di avvicinare quante più persone possibili ad una cultura che rimane, nonostante l’accelerazione dei ritmi globalizzanti, relegata in secondo piano e ristretta o al cerchio ristretto degli specialisti o esposta alla banalizzazione del pensiero unico. Si cercherà dunque, di offrire delle risposte che possano essere un vero punto d’inizio per chi, spesso carico di pregiudizi, si accosta per la prima volta ad un mondo così complesso e affascinante. La sfida non è semplice. Si cercherà di non esporre una teoria preconfezionata, quanto di cercare di aprirsi al dialogo interrogante e stabilire insieme ragioni superiori e condivise.

Hui Wang's Translating Chinese Classics in a Colonial Context: James Legge and His Two Versions of the Zhongyong (2008, Peter Lang).

by Paul Boshears

forthcoming in "Comparative and Continental Philosophy" (2012)

A book review of Hui Wang's important discussion of the Classical Chinese text. A book review of Hui Wang's important discussion of the Classical Chinese text.

Wang Chong (IEP article)

by Alexus McLeod

Personhood and Moral Responsibility: An Alternative Approach from the Analects and the Bhagavad Gita

by Alexus McLeod

a fuller version of the account of personhood in the Analects and Gita I give in "Moral Personhood in the... more a fuller version of the account of personhood in the Analects and Gita I give in "Moral Personhood in the Analects and the Bhagavad Gita."

Critical Notice of Joel J. Kupperman, Learning from Asian Philosophy

by Karyn Lai

(2003) Australasian Journal of Philosophy 81.1: 126-133.

The Daodejing: Resources for Contemporary Feminist Thinking

by Karyn Lai

(2000) Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 27:2, June, pp. 131-153.

I investigate the notion of femininity in the Daodejing and argue that the concept should be approached with caution... more I investigate the notion of femininity in the Daodejing and argue that the concept should be approached with caution because it aligns femininity with the soft, weak, and non-assertive. I then proceed to demonstrate that the interdependence between dao and de in the Daodejing provides an interesting and useful schema according to which the concepts femininity and masculinity may be understood as interdependent. I suggest that this conceptual schema, when applied to the conception of femininity and masculinity, is effective in shattering a dichotomous view or a stereotypical construction of the two concepts

Learning from the Confucians: Learning from the Past

by Karyn Lai

(2008) Journal of Chinese Philosophy 35.1: 97–119.

A distinguishing characteristic of Confucianism is its emphasis on learning (xue), is a key element in moral self... more A distinguishing characteristic of Confucianism is its emphasis on learning (xue), is a key element in moral self cultivation. This paper discusses why learning from the experiences of those in the past is important in Confucian learning.

Ziran and Wuwei in the Daodejing: An Ethical Assessment

by Karyn Lai

(2007) Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 6.4: 325-337.

In Daoist philosophy, the self is understood as an individual interdependent with others, and situated within a... more In Daoist philosophy, the self is understood as an individual interdependent with others, and situated within a broader environment. Within this framework, the concept ziran is frequently understood in terms of naturalness or nature while wuwei is explained in terms of non-oppressive government. In many existing accounts, little is done to connect these two key Daoist concepts. Here, I suggest that wuwei and ziran are correlated, ethical, concepts. Together, they provide a unifying ethical framework for understanding the philosophy of the Daodejing. I explore the meaning of ziran as self-so-ness or, in human terms, as pertaining to an individual’s spontaneity. The appropriate response to the spontaneity of individuals is to avoid, insofar as possible, imposing or using restrictive norms and methods—i.e. wuwei. According to this view, ziran and wuwei offer an account of ethics that attends to core notions of interdependent selfhood, including mutuality, relationality, interdependence, symbiosis and responsiveness.

Moral Personhood and Roles in the Analects and the Bhagavad Gita

by Alexus McLeod

In the World of Persons: The Personhood Debate in the Analects and Zhuangzi

by Alexus McLeod

The Development of Xunzi's Theory of xing, Reconstructed on the Basis of a Textual Analysis of Xunzi 23,'Xing e'(Xing is Bad)

by Dan Robins

Early China 26--27 (2001--2002), 99--158

For some reason that year I was into crazy long titles. The paper argues that the core of Book 23 of the Xunzi... more For some reason that year I was into crazy long titles. The paper argues that the core of Book 23 of the Xunzi constitutes ten short texts that fall into three distinct groups according to what exactly they have to say about people's xing (spontaneous character, nature), and that they represent Xunzi's views as they developed over time. This dissolves some tensions that scholars have found in Xunzi's views, and also undermines some lines of argument that are commonly taken against him.

Xun Zi

by Dan Robins

Article in th Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Moists and the Gentlemen of the World

by Dan Robins

Journal of Chinese Philosophy 35.3 (2008), 385--402.

Sort of a programmatic piece, arguing that it is wrong to think of the Mohists' core doctrinal writings as targeting... more Sort of a programmatic piece, arguing that it is wrong to think of the Mohists' core doctrinal writings as targeting an existing philosophical discourse dominated by Confucians. The gentlemen they condemn are not Confucians but men who wielded political and social power and whose actions and attitudes most concerned the Mohists. Interpreting these texts as part of a philosophical debate with Confucians is anachronistic, and has motivated a number of misinterpretations. In fact, it is likely the arguments in these texts that provoked the rise of a philosophical discourse in early China in the first place.

"It Goes Beyond Skill"

by Dan Robins

Ethics in Early China: An Anthology, edited by Chris Fraser, Dan Robins, and Timothy O'Leary (Hong Kong University Press, 2011), 105--123

I give an account of what it might mean to claim to say that dao, ways of acting, give rise to the cosmos, a claim... more I give an account of what it might mean to claim to say that dao, ways of acting, give rise to the cosmos, a claim that several Daoist texts seem to make. I focus on the idea that dao takes us beyond skill, that is, it allows us to go beyond what we already know how to do by adapting ourselves to the particularities of a situation. I suggest that some Daoist authors saw this as akin to the way in which things come into existence.

Mohist Care

by Dan Robins

Philosophy East and West 62.1 (2012), 60--91.

I defend an interpretation of the Mohist doctrine of inclusive care (jian ai 兼愛). This is often taken to imply that we... more I defend an interpretation of the Mohist doctrine of inclusive care (jian ai 兼愛). This is often taken to imply that we should treat all people the same and feel the same way about them, regardless of how close they are to us; this sort of interpretation is bolstered by the common mistranslation of "jian ai" as "universal love." I stress the Mohists' insistence on the importance of particularist ties, especially within the family, as well as the reciprocity that they see as essential to inclusive care. I conclude that inclusive care amounts to a commitment, grounded in concern for all people, to doing one's part in the collective project of ensuring the well-being of all, with it understood that this requires us to actively concern ourselves primarily with the well-being of those close to us.

Review: D. A. Bella, China’s New Confucianism. Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society

by Adam F. Kola

Review: D. A. Bella, China’s New Confucianism. Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society [Princeton – Oxford: Princeton University Press 2008/2010], “Ruch Filozoficzny”, vol. LXVIII, No 1, 2011, pp. 161-171 [PL]

To Forget and Surrender in Order to Live

by Linus Ragnhage

In this essay the dangers of an overconsumption of history are investigated, and concerns are raised over the nature... more In this essay the dangers of an overconsumption of history are investigated, and concerns are raised over the nature of philosophy and its role as a central part of man. Using material from Friedrich Nietzsche an argument is built, showing how we today suffer from a disease caused by a lack of attention to the present moment, and an overemphasis on truth rather than health. Through Ralph Waldo Emerson, Hindu myth, and Chinese thinkers a defense of surrendering to fate and being content with what happens is put forth, and with the help of Joseph Campbell, and his studies of mythology and anthropology, the value of religious unity and grand narratives receives a new interpretation. The overall style of argumentation is more artistic than analytical, and the intention of the essay is not to prove that the ideas within are true, but merely to show that they are available to anyone who are in need of them. Thus it is not to be approached as a polemic essay of continental philosophy, or as an objective presentation of analytical standards, but as a hybrid of both these traditions and the evocative tradition of Chinese philosophy.

Chinese logic and Chinese philosophy: reconstruction or integration?

by Jeremy Seligman

LIU, F.; SELIGMAN, J.M, ‘Chinese logic and Chinese philosophy: reconstruction or integration?’ Newsletter of the International Institute for Asian Studies, 58 Autumn 2011

“Logic” derives from the Greek λόγος, meaning word, speech or discourse. Its translation into Chinese is 逻辑, which is... more “Logic” derives from the Greek λόγος, meaning word, speech or discourse. Its translation into Chinese is 逻辑, which is merely phonetic. “Philosophy” derives from the Greek φιλοσοφια, meaning a love of wisdom. Its translation into Chinese is 哲学(zhixue) “the study of wisdom”, which strikes an odd note due to the Confucian sublimation of wisdom to more important virtues such as 仁 (ren) “humanity”. These Greek words have played a defining role in Western intellectual history, so much so that it would be difficult to imagine the result of somehow subtracting them to see what remains. By contrast, attempts to find logic and philosophy in Chinese tradition meet with only partial success...