Latest Posts
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In Honor of D. C. Lau
The great translator and scholar, D. C. Lau, passed away on Monday. I never met Professor Lau but I am one of those touched by his erudition and eloquence. As I look around my office, his work is nearby. His… Continue reading
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Visualizing Dao
Bloomberg reviews an exhibition of Chinese art at the Grand Palaise in Paris, focusing on Daoism, with what seems to be particular attention to its religious manifestations. I recommend going to the museum's exhibition site. Video and text are in… Continue reading
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Confucius and Education Reform in Korea
I had a very pleasant dinner Saturday night: tasty Korean food with friends. The main chef of the evening was a young woman who is interested in reforming higher education in South Korea. We talked a bit and that conversation… Continue reading
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Man and Nature are One
It's a central concept of Chinese aesthetics: the unity of man and nature – 天人合一. And it comes up in a blog post by Evan Osnos over at The New Yorker. He is writing about Xu Bing, an artist,… Continue reading
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Modernization and Westernization
I raised a big question in one of my classes last week: is modernization Westernization? We had a good discussion. They had read a chapter from Stuart Hall and Bram Gieben's Formations of Modernity, and a chapter from David Harvey's… Continue reading
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Hu Jia, Confucius and Soft Power
The venerable American law scholar, Jerome Cohen, offers "Sage Advice:" The application for early release on medical grounds of the imprisoned activist-critic Hu Jia offers China’s leaders a golden opportunity to begin repairing their criminal justice system — the weakest… Continue reading
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“This way it leaps, and that way…”
Have you ever watched the wildcat, crouching, watching his prey – This way it leaps, and that way, high and low…. Zhuangzi Continue reading
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Mo Zi on Condemning Offensive Warfare
I am leafing through the magnificent new complete translation of Mozi by Ian Johnston. It will take a long time to absorb and appreciate fully this great work. But here is a passage that caught my eye: Now suppose there… Continue reading
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Cooking with Steven
Just want to give a shout out to a group of students here, several of whom I have had in class, who are doing a great series of cooking shows on Youtube. Now into its second season, Cooking with Steven… Continue reading
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The US is becoming a Confucian Society
OK, not really. But this report, on how American parents are spending more time with their children, suggests that more attention is being paid to the cultivation and care of our closest loving relationships: Working parents perpetually agonize that they… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 