Latest Posts
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Confucianism between the Philosophers and the Psychologists
David Brooks has a thought-provoking piece today, and the thoughts it provokes in me are about Confucianism. It is a continuation of another of his recent articles, and is related to this review in the New York Review of Books. … Continue reading
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Fathers as Teachers
In the WaPo today, Patrick Welsh, a teacher in Alexandria VA, pens an interesting op-ed: "Making the Grade Isn't about Race. It's about Parents." He takes on the question of the racial gap in US high school test scores, but… Continue reading
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The art of emptiness
I didn't see this the other day in the NYT: sculptor Li Chen has a major show in Singapore. He is inspired by Buddhism and Taoism: “Li Chen is regarded as one of the leading Asian sculptors today,” said Tan… Continue reading
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Confucianism as Soft Power
Can a global diffusion of Confucian ideas increase the world-wide political power and influence of the PRC? I think a fair amount about this question, since I am rather actively involved in spreading Confucian and Taoist ideas to Americans ("ancient… Continue reading
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Inviting Confucius to Celebrate 30 Years of the PRC
An op-ed in the NYT last week, by Zhang Weiwei, links China's successes of the past 30 years to various strands of tradition, Confucianism included. On the face of it, this is yet another example of how the PRC is… Continue reading
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The very nature of things
While driving my daughter to school today, I ran into a deer. Neither of us was hurt; the car was not damaged; and the deer, after spinning across the pavement in the opposite lane, somehow ran off. I live in… Continue reading
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What you won’t see on PRC TV for the National Day celebration
Here's clip of a HK indie band, My Little Airport, singing an English version of their song, "I love the country but not the party" (我愛郊野，但不愛派對) in Shanghai last Saturday. Notice the local Shanghai audience cheers for the lyric: "I’d… Continue reading
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Was Mencius Married?
A person just came to this site from a Google search of the question: "Was Mencius Married?" Just a week or so ago I was thinking the same question. I know of no reliable reference to a wife or, tellingly,… Continue reading
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Because nothing says “Humanity” like a cartoon series
I missed the birthday of Confucius yesterday. So, let me say it today: happy 2,560th! The usual pageantry of invented traditions unfolded at Qufu. Houston, Texas got into the act with the dedication of a Confucius statue in a city… Continue reading
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William Safire and Singapore and Williams College
I noticed today that Williams Safire died. So, perhaps it is an appropriate time to recount the time, twelve years ago, that our paths crossed politically. That crossing was rather unexpected. Safire was, famously, a libertarian, conservative Republican, who had… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 