Latest Posts
-
Chuang Tzu and the Nebula
Long ago, a certain Chuang Tzu dreamt he was a butterfly – a butterfly fluttering here and there on a whim, happy and carefree, knowing nothing of Chuang Tzu. Then, all of a sudden he awoke to find that he… Continue reading
-
Sun Tzu on Afghanistan
Saw this cartoon this morning and thought it nailed Sun Tzu on Afghanistan: Continue reading
-
Canadian Confucians
This will come as no surprise to my Canadian friend Daniel A. Bell, but, according to Adam Gopnik's recent New Yorker profile of Michael Ignatieff (the full article can only be seen through subscription), folks north of the border have… Continue reading
-
Confucius Movie Trailer
UPDATE: more on the Confucius movie here. This just came out. It doesn't reveal anything about the plot (how will his wife be portrayed?) but the pictures are pretty. CCTV reports on it here. Continue reading
-
Sun Tzu is not a Taoist
I keep an eye out for American popular cultural references to ancient Chinese philosophy. So, imagine my surprise when I chanced upon this story from ESPN: "Amare Stoudemire, Taoist?" It seems that the Phoenix Suns basketball player has gotten into… Continue reading
-
Is China more Confucian than Korea?
Caring for parents is the most important duty emphasized by Confucius in The Analects. And this article in the Chosun Ilbo (via Western Confucian) suggests that, on this score, South Korea and Japan fall far from the Confucian ideal: Young… Continue reading
-
An early Confucius movie
It seems that the upcoming, big-budget movie about Confucius is not the only cinematic treatment of the Sage. Today's NYT reports on a restored Confucius film from the 1940s, by director Fei Mu. It seems that this film gets at… Continue reading
-
Mencius speaks to Republicans obstructing health insurance reform
Mencius said: "Talk is easy when you don't have to get the job done." 孟子曰：“人之易其言也，無責耳矣。” (7.22; 4A.22) Continue reading
-
A Mencian thought on the passing of Ted Kennedy
If you want to put my words into practice, why not return to fundamentals? When every five-acre farm has mulberry trees around the farmhouse, people wear silk at fifty. And when the proper seasons of chickens and pigs and dogs… Continue reading
-
Confucian Thirtysomething
In yesterday's NYT Porchista Khakpour presents a little riff on the 80's TV show thirtysomething. It's a nice piece, reflecting on her childhood with immigrant parents, the cultural rootlessness of Gen-Xers, and her new found sense of adulthood upon reaching… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 