The Useless Tree

Current Affairs

  • Thoughts on Yu Ying-shih’s brief reflection on “Confucianism’s Kiss of Death”

    Thanks to Yaxue Cao on Twitter, I came upon some recent brief remarks by the eminent scholar Yu Ying-shih on the current revival of Confucianism in the PRC that had popped up on Weixin (wonder if it was taken down….). … Continue reading

  • A Talk with Yu Dan

    What a pleasant way to end a great month in Beijing: a conversation with Yu Dan, author of the best-selling book on Confucianism in China in recent years, or maybe ever. I have followed her work since 2006, I am… Continue reading

  • Nelson Mandela: Daoist Sage

    I'm reading obituaries of the great man, Nelson Mandela, who accomplished a transition to democracy in a divided and fraught South Africa. And I am reflecting on what I know of his life and how that experience has flowed through… Continue reading

  • Confucianism from the bottom-up

    After my most pleasant China trip, I am coming to a conclusion: Confucianism works best in the world, especially in the modern world, when it operates as a form of practical ethics, providing ideas that can inform how individuals navigate… Continue reading

  • Social Mobility as a Destroyer of Confucian Culture

    My China trip continues to go well. I'm in Shanghai now, by way of Nanjing, where I spent one night and gave a talk at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (good to see my old friend Milo!). Here in the big city… Continue reading

  • Mozi on the House Republicans

    Yesterday, as I was watching the political debacle in DC unfold on my Twitter feed, I was simultaneously proof-reading a piece for the upcoming Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography. I have written an entry for Mozi, the great pre-Qin philosopher… Continue reading

  • Daoist Gun Control Redux

    I posted this in January, but the inhuamnity of American gun culture requires us to return, again and again, to the sad topic of firearm violence:    The Daodejing takes a dim view of weapons.  Passage 31 begins (Legge translation):… Continue reading

  • Sunzi: Against US action in Syria

    The impending US strike against Syria brings Sunzi to mind. On the face of it, it appears to be a failure of strategy and policy.  The most famous aphorism from Sunzi is 3.3 (from the Griffith translation; Chinese from China… Continue reading

  • How Bo Xilai might emerge as a Latter Day Confucian Hero

    OK, this is a bit far-fetched, but bear with me…. I have been absorbed these past two days with the Bo Xilai trial (an 18 minute video backgrounder by WSJ here). On Wednesday night (Thursday morning Jinan time) I followed… Continue reading

  • What Does the Ideological Crack-Down Mean for China’s Confucians?

    The old Twitter feed lit up yesterday afternoon with links to Chris Buckley's story in the NYT: "China Takes Aim at Western Ideas."  The lede: Communist Party cadres have filled meeting halls around China to hear a somber, secretive warning… Continue reading