The Useless Tree

Mohism

  • 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

  • Chen Guangcheng, Mozi, and Daoism

    This just in from a Reuters profile of Chen Guangcheng: From Chinese history, Chen said he admired 5th-century BC philosopher Mo Tzu, and Taoism founder Lao Tzu, the works of which had also been read aloud to him. I must… Continue reading

  • Mozi and the denial of politics

    Wow… it's been two weeks since my last post.  The blog silence is due to summer torpor (rather hot here…) and some other writing distractions (projects past due but now done – hooray!)   One of those diversions is an… Continue reading

  • Mozi and Foreign Policy

    A piece in the China Daily today invokes the great anti-Confucian, Mozi, as an inspiration for contemporary PRC foreign policy. Here's a short summary of some Mohist principles from the article: Mozi said defensive strategies are more conducive than offensive… 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

  • Mo Zi on Condemning Offensive Warfare

    I am leafing through the magnificent new complete translation of Mozi by Ian Johnston.  It will take a long time to absorb and appreciate fully this great work.  But here is a passage that caught my eye: Now suppose there… Continue reading

  • Mozi Query

    So, I read Mo Zi with a student over the past week and a half.  She wrote a nice little paper, outlining the key Mohist critiques of Confucianism – i.e the critique of partiality, the critique of elaborate funerals, the… Continue reading

  • Heavenly Balance

    Roland translates a Chinese blog post, "Is the CCTV fire an act of God?" (I would quibble here, preferring a translation: "Is the CCTV fire an act of Heaven" – original Chinese here).  The post speaks to the horrible fire… Continue reading

  • Inclusive Care

    Reading Mozi for a class and thought I should post this paragraph, as it is a sentiment always worth pondering: But how can partiality be replaced by universality?  If men were to regard the states of others as they regard… Continue reading