Latest Posts
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Confucius in Taiwan, again
Thanks to the Western Confucian, I read an editorial in the China Post regarding a speech by Taiwan’s president-elect Ma Yin-jeou. Ma apparently emphasized the importance of integrity and sincerity in the appointment of public officials: President-Elect Ma… Continue reading
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5000 Years of Olympics Civilization?
This really doesn’t have anything to do with my project of considering ancient Chinese thought in modern American life, but it is too funny not to mention. I’ve been following the struggle over the Olympic torch… Continue reading
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Joy in Chuang Tzu
I’ve been busy the last couple of days. Teaching demands time, and an extra presentation to the international studies colloquium here today demanded a bit more. Administrative business, too, steals my attention. Oh well, let me just offer… Continue reading
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In case you were wondering…
We are reading Chuang Tzu in my tutorial this week and next. Is there any chapter greater than the second chapter of Chuang Tzu? I think not… Understanding that abides in the unknowable is realization… How do I… Continue reading
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Martin Luther King
Forty years ago today Martin Luther King was shot dead. I remember it. I was eleven years old and King’s assassination was a bracing moment in my political socialization. My parents were both born and raised… Continue reading
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Mencius at the Federal Reserve
It may be shrouded in financial technicalities, but the action of the Federal Reserve Bank and the Treasury Department to limit the effects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis has a Mencian ring to it. Here is Timothy F.… Continue reading
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We are all Confucians now (or we can be if we want)
A reminder (ht, the Western Confucian) of the universality of Confucian ethics and thought. This is from a story on descendants of Confucius gathering at Qufu for Qingming: James Kong, 14, stood out in the crowd.… Continue reading
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Was “Lao Tzu” a Vegan?
A reader, Chris, writes in with this question. I have never really thought about it before, but I put my mind to it a bit today and the answer I came up with is "probably not." … Continue reading
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The Greatest Olympic Protest Ever
The problems in Tibet of late are linked to the Olympics. The torch relay has already been used as a site of protest. Over the next month we will likely see significant demonstrations (I am guessing in… Continue reading
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There is a Way to be Good Again
I watched The Kite Runner last night. I had not read the book when it appeared a couple of years ago but had noticed the reviews. The movie is good, if a bit unpersuasive at times. But what… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 