The Useless Tree

Confucius/Confucianism

  • Just to be clear about it: Neither China nor the US is a Confucian country

         The annual report from Amnesty International on executions is out and, to no surprise, China leads the list with the US taking fifth place.  To me, this points to a fundamental similarity between the two places, however much… Continue reading

  • 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

  • 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

  • Do Children Need Fathers?

        That may seem an odd question to some, but it is inspired by a piece over at Slate by Emily Yoffe.  A couple of excerpts: In the last 50 years, there has been an extraordinary decoupling of marriage… Continue reading

  • Tibet

       Bad news out of Lhasa: Violent protests erupted Friday in a busy market area of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, as Buddhist monks and other ethnic Tibetans clashed with Chinese security forces. The protesters burned shops, cars, military vehicles and… Continue reading

  • The Master would not be Happy

        Another familiar story on the sexual revolution in China: The no-tell motels in Beijing’s university districts pulsate with sex. Every weekend, lusty college couples make a beeline past greasy spoon restaurants and bootleg video game shops for the… Continue reading

  • Admonish Them Gently

     Thandiwe D. Watts-Jones has a nice little piece in the Westchester section of today’s NYT about her aging mother’ habit of hoarding things: She must save everything. In the pile of dust I had gathered with a broom, she bent… Continue reading

  • The Failure of American Society

       A depressing story out today:  For the first time in the nation’s history, more than one in 100 American adults are behind bars, according to a new report. Nationwide, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it… Continue reading

  • A Great New Blog

         Just found a new Chinese philosophy blog: Manyul Im’s Chinese Philosophy Blog.   Some great discussions going on there by people who really know their texts.  Continue reading

  • Whole ‘lotta Confucians Out There

        Or at least the family tree of the man himself is growing in leaps and bounds: JINAN: Confucius, or more precisely his descendants, are alive and kicking in China, as well as the rest of the world. And… Continue reading