Latest Posts
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Two Kinds of Bad
A lot of Taoism of late, here at The Useless Tree. That’s because I am wrapping up a month-long class on it, centering on the Tao Te Ching and the Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu, for the… Continue reading
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Tao Cat
Why did this story make me think of Tao? Oscar the cat makes his grand entrances just as life is about to leave. A hop onto the bed, a fastidious lick of the paws, then a snuggle beside… Continue reading
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Is Tao Like Logos?
There is an article in the most recent Atlantic Monthly on the Catholic Church in China. The piece centers on Bishop Jin Liuxian of Shanghai and the trials and tribulations he experienced in his long struggle to preserve… Continue reading
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Confucianism in Communist China
Maureen Fan has good piece in today’s WaPo on the revival of Confucianism in China: Confucianism is enjoying a resurgence in this country, as more and more Chinese like Guan [who has sent his children to a Confucian… Continue reading
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Trading on Tao
I have to respond to the splashy front page article in today’s NYT that reports on – or should I say fawns over – the hip Las Vegas party restaurant, Tao. It’s all about style and money and… Continue reading
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Ancient Chinese Thought in Today’s LA Times
I noticed two op-ed pieces in the LA Times today (one is from last week), which capture certain points of Confucianism and Taoism. Let’s do the Confucian one first. Meghan Daum writes about the over use… Continue reading
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The Epistemological Radicalism of Chuang Tzu
I will be discussing the first few chapters of Chuang Tzu with my summer class tomorrow. In looking over the text, I keep coming back to a particular passage in chapter two, which really gets at his rejection… Continue reading
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Lee Kwan Yew, Legalist Power-Monger Who Distorts Confucianism For His Own Interests
Old man Lee is at it again, trying to rationalize the authoritarian system he created and helps to reproduce in Singapore by invoking Confucius: Embracing Confucian values has enabled Asian countries to build harmonious societies and rapidly grow… Continue reading
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Political Leadership and the Iraq War: Clausewitz 1, Sun Tzu O
I learn a lot from Sun Tzu and I believe he has some important things to say to us today, across all the centuries from his own time. But his notions about the relationship between political and military… Continue reading
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China – Didn’t It Already Shake The World?
The Peking Duck offers a review of a new book, China Shakes the World, by James Kynge. Sounds like a great read – I haven’t seen it yet but will order it. China Law Blog also recommends it. … Continue reading
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