Latest Posts
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Another “Modern Love” Column
Today’s NYT "Modern Love" column speaks to the tension between playfulness and seriousness in a maybe-this-could-be-for-the-long-term relationship. Stephen R. Johnson tells us how he and the woman he is dating lapse into childish language whenever they need to… Continue reading
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A Taoist Real Estate Developer?
In the July 11 & 18 edition of the New Yorker (sorry no web link available) there is a profile of a couple of high flying, rich, socially connected, cosmopolitan real estate developers in Beijing (Jianying Zha, "Letter… Continue reading
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God, Way, and Intelligent Design
Yesterday, before London distracted my attention, I noticed that the Catholic church’s notion of intelligent design had found its way onto the New York Times op-ed page. Then, this morning, NPR had a piece on how scientists avoid… Continue reading
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Fighting Back: Sun Tzu
The awful attacks in London have brought the war on terrorism back to the center of attention. Confucians and Taoists, famously pacifist both, have little to say about how to respond to armed assault. Chinese philosophy, however, has… Continue reading
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London Bombings
What can be said about such brutality? In the lines below, from the Tao Te Ching, the "Executioner" refers to the natural ebb and flow of life and death: The Executioner’s killing is perennial, it’s true. But to undertake the… Continue reading
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Bob Herbert’s Confucian Impulse
In today’s New York Times, Bob Herbert pens a poignant op-ed, linking violence among black youth to the failure of fathers to live up to their family responsibilities. It is a depressing, and oft-told tale. One thinks, again,… Continue reading
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Against Supreme Court Litmus Tests
The Master said: "The noble-minded are all-encompassing, not stuck in doctrines. Little people are stuck in doctrines." Analects, 2.14 Continue reading
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George W. Bush, Taoist Sage
Warning: an attempt at humor follows: Here’s a political insight that most Americans have probably not realized: George W. Bush comes very close to the ideal leader described by the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism. And, in true Taoist fashion,… Continue reading
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Taoist Art
Just found this link to the Art Institute of Chicago’s page on Taoism and the Arts of China. Some nice images. Here is their label for the painting above: Wang Yun (1652?1735 or later)The Fanghu Isle of the Immortals (detail)Qing… Continue reading
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Stem Cells, Koreans and Confucius
In May, a story broke about how Korean scientists had made a significant breakthrough in therapeutic cloning for stem cell research. At the time I thought, great, here is an example of how the society-centered orientation of Confucianism, even when… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 