The Useless Tree

Confucius/Confucianism

  • Daniel Bell: A Chinese Confucian Party?

    Daniel Bell published a piece last week in the Toronto Globe and Mail, "The Chinese Confucian Party?"  For those who know Daniel's work, the argument here is familiar.  He points to political reformers within the CCP (which is still the… Continue reading

  • Eight Rows of Dancers…and a Lamborghini

    In Analects 3.1 we read: Speaking of the Chi family patriarch, Confucius said: "Eight rows of dancers at this ancestral temple, as if he were an Emperor: if this can be endured, what can't be?" The Sage is bemoaning the… Continue reading

  • Here on Earth: Confucius v. Avatar

    Not sure how this is going to work, but below is a link to a download of a one hour radio show that I just did.  The program is called Here on Earth.  There is an audio link at their… Continue reading

  • Han Han piles on Confucius

    Chinese l'enfant terrible, Han Han, is merciless in his continuing critique of the Confucius movie.  Chinasmack has the goods: The failure of Confucius is triumphant news for Chinese cinema, and perhaps a turning point in Chinese film-making. Thank you, people… Continue reading

  • More on Confucianism and Modernity

    My last post elicited a couple of excellent responses and, instead of simply burying the exchange in the comments section, I will bring them up here for a new post. First up is Justsomeguy, who points out: Well, for starters,… Continue reading

  • Why Modernity Challenges Confucianism

    The new semester has started.  I am now busy with class preparation (I read everything that I assign for classes right before class so that it' s fresh…and that steals the time I have to read other things). And I… Continue reading

  • How Important is Confucius to the CCP?

    It seems that the movie Confucius has produced an anti-Confucius backlash in China.  At least this is what is being reported in the China Daily.  Here's Raymond Zhou: The wave of anti-Confucius sentiment following the removal of Avatar from 2D… Continue reading

  • Sondheim on Creativity

    子曰：“述而不作，信而好古，竊比於我老彭.” The Master said: "Transmitting insight, but never creating insight, standing by my words and devoted to the ancients: perhaps I'm a little like that old sage, P'eng. (7.1) Last Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Sondheim, a… Continue reading

  • Confucius, the movie….where is the love?

    Let me say right up front that I have not yet seen Confucius, the movie, which opened last weekend in China.  Somehow the theaters in my remote northwestern corner of Massachusetts have not yet screened it.  I'll likely have to… Continue reading

  • Corporations are not People

    The big Supreme Court ruling that opens the floodgates to corporate cash flowing into elections takes as its key assumption that corporations are, essentially, persons.  Or, at least, that is what five justices believe.   Four others disagreed.  Justice Steven wrote… Continue reading