Latest Posts
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What Confucius Would Say To Britney Spears
Britney Spears has lost custody of her children. Confucius, if asked by some cable TV guy, might say: Duke Ching asked Confucius about governing, and Confucius said: "Ruler a ruler, minister a minister, father a father, son a… Continue reading
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The Last Thing We Forget
I have long thought about why Confucius places so much emphasis on the cultivation of our closest loving relationships. He tells us constantly to respect our elders; he also says that we should cherish the young, which I take… Continue reading
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The New York Yankees and the I Ching
There was happy and sad news last week. The happy news was that the New York Yankees qualified for the Major League Baseball playoffs, for the thirteenth consecutive year. The sad news was that they did not win… Continue reading
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Getting Confucius Wrong on his Birthday
Here is what I am up against, as I try to make ancient Chinese thought relevant to modern American life: caricatures of historical Confucianism (the ways in which "Confucianism" was appropriated and used by patriarchal state power) that… Continue reading
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Happy 2558th Birthday, Confucius!
They’re celebrating in China and Taiwan (though they say it is merely the 2557th birthday) and Hawaii (thanks Kim!). Below the fold is an excerpt from last year’s Useless Tree Confucian birthday post… Continue reading
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In Solidarity with the People of Burma
Prince T’ien asked: "What is the task of a worthy official?""To cultivate the highest of purposes," replied Mencius."What do you mean by the highest of purposes?""It’s simple: Humanity and Duty. You defy Humanity if you cause the death of a… Continue reading
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Parents and Education
Here’s something Confucius and Mencius would agree with: Children who are not learning basic skills in the home during the most important years of brain development (0-5 years) will enter kindergarten already at an educational disadvantage. Since new… Continue reading
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Are Taoists Optimistic?
Here’s a question that I have run up against in my writing. I am thinking about the Taoist rejection of general, deliberate, and conscious moral codes, as suggested, for example, in this passage in Chuang Tzu: “Can a… Continue reading
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“The War” and “No End in Sight”
Last week I went and saw the film, "No End in Sight," (Youtube trailer, here) about the deceit and dissembling that produced the war in Iraq; and this week I have been watching the TV documentary, "The War," … Continue reading
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Capitalism Kills the Elderly
That might be the conclusion Confucius and Mencius would draw from the big front page article in the NYT yesterday: More Profit and Less Nursing at Many Homes. It seems that large private investment companies have bought up… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 