The Useless Tree

Current Affairs

  • A Taoist Businessman

    A great piece in Sunday's NYT Magazine on contemoprary religious Taoism in China.  It covers a lot of ground, mentions the inter-relationship of relgious and philsophical Taoism, and provides several examples of the reinvention of Taoist tradition.  But one thing… Continue reading

  • Xie Chaoping and the Impossibility of State Confucianism in China

    Can Confucianism serve as a basis for state ideology in the PRC today?  Can it be a source of principles that might guide and justify the use of state power? No, it cannot.  Long story short: given the nature of… Continue reading

  • The Tao of Burning Man

    I realize I am going a bit overboard with "Tao of…" posts.  But, hey, I'm reading the DDJ in my tutorial and Daoism is very much on my mind… Jacob Davies at Obsidian Wings has a post about Burning Man,… Continue reading

  • The Philosophic Basis for Philanthropy in China

    Billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are encouraging wealthy Chinese businessmen to take up philothropic giving.  The WaPo picks up the story and speculates on why there has not been mucn in the way of charitble donation in China.  Invariably,… Continue reading

  • Plagiarism and Confucianism

    In recent months a plagiarism scandal has roiled Chinese academia.  It seems that Wang Hui, a prominent "new left" intellectual, was accused of copying the work of others without proper attribution in his dissertation, written in 1985.  There have been… Continue reading

  • Nothing good will come of this

    That is: the destruction of the old alleyways – hutong – around Gulou (the Drum Tower) neighborhood in Beijing.  I understand the complaints of local residents, who have to put up with substandard housing, but a more organic, grass-roots process… Continue reading

  • American Paranoia and Confucius Institutes

    The Daily Show has figured out the limits of Confucian soft power, at least in the US: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Socialism Studies www.thedailyshow.com http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:311739 Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea… Continue reading

  • Torture is Un-Confucian

    Over at Frog in a Well, K.M. Lawson has a great post on the recently announced guidelines in the PRC that will exclude from trial evidence gained through torture.  He provides some historical background and a brief comparison with Japan. … Continue reading

  • Confucius: Soft Power Symbol or Historical Failure?

    An article in The National a couple of days ago repeats the "look, China is trying to gain soft power through Confucius Institutes" story.  How many times do we have to go through this?  Little has changed in the past… Continue reading

  • The Limits of Confucian Revival in China

    On Saturday the WaPo (hat tip CDT) ran a conventional restatement of the Confucian revival in China story.  Not much new reported beyond the usual observations that people, including businessmen, are embracing revised Confucian rituals.  Yet when this story is… Continue reading