Latest Posts
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Things that are not alike…
The wisdom of Yao and Shun was that they didn't treat all things alike: they devoted themselves to essentials first. Mencius 13.46 I've been noticing how some conservatives are disgusted by Obama's victory. They seem to suggest the joy being… Continue reading
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It’s Called Way…
An article in Discover magazine (hat tip: Sullivan) reports on physicists thinking big thoughts. Really big thoughts. Like this: …Our universe may be but one of perhaps infinitely many universes in an inconceivably vast multiverse. Most of those universes are… Continue reading
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Bush’s Filial Dysfunction
On Saturday evening I took my daughter to see W, the movie. It was directed by Oliver Stone. I was a bit surprised at how Stone decided to paint a rather sympathetic portrait. Granted, Bush fils came off as a… Continue reading
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The Tao of Rachel Carson
Time slips away….but I'm back now… On Friday I saw a one-woman play, a story based on the life of Rachel Carson, the great scientist-writer who is now seen by many as one of the founders of the modern environmentalist… Continue reading
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Confucius on Sarah Palin’s Press Conferences
The Master said: "The ancients spoke little. They were too ashamed when their actions fell short of their words." Analects, 4.22 Continue reading
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Herb Score and Chuang Tzu
An obituary today brought to mind the uncertainty of Way, how, in a moment, the trajectory of our lives can change. Herb Score was a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in the 1950's. He was strong and promising and destined,… Continue reading
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On Cooking Fish
In recent weeks I have not kept up with certain blogs, most notably the excellent Chinese philosophy blog of Manyul Im. He has a great post discussing a famous line from Tao Te Ching 60: "Govern a nation as you… Continue reading
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More Taoist Parenting, Please…
This story in the New Yorker, about “over-parenting,” made me think of the possibilities and virtues of Taoist parenting, which I have contemplated here. This excerpt provides some idea of the problem of overbearing parents: Finally comes the Last… Continue reading
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One More Time: Is China a Confucian Society?
A while ago a friend (thanks, Tracy!) sent me a link to a paper on teaching Western philosophy to Chinese college students in China. It is written by a Chinese professor, Xuetai Qi, who has good experience and has though… Continue reading
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China Likes Obama
OK, maybe that's too much of an over-generalization. China is a big place with a lot of people with innumerable opinions on any given topic. But there's this: "I am very happy U.S. history was made. I think in a… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 