Taoism
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In case you were wondering…
We are reading Chuang Tzu in my tutorial this week and next. Is there any chapter greater than the second chapter of Chuang Tzu? I think not… Understanding that abides in the unknowable is realization… How do I… Continue reading
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Was “Lao Tzu” a Vegan?
A reader, Chris, writes in with this question. I have never really thought about it before, but I put my mind to it a bit today and the answer I came up with is "probably not." … Continue reading
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4000
Four thousand American soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Precise figures for the numbers of Iraqis killed are not available for political reasons – neither the US nor the current Iraqi government wants to detail the full scale… Continue reading
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An Epistemological Dissent
Over at The China Beat, David Porter has a helpful post about the cultural biases that plague American and, more generally Western, perceptions of China. It is not really a new argument, but a well stated one that… Continue reading
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Cai Guo-Qiang: Taoist?
Cai Guo-Qiang, the China born but transplanted to New York artist, has been getting a lot of attention of late: the big Guggenheim show (I saw most of this a few weeks ago while they were still installing… Continue reading
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Once More Into the Breach: The New Legalists and the Tao Te Ching
One more thing about the New Legalists (am I going on too much about this? Probably. But what the hell, it’s kind of fun….): they want to enlist the Tao Te Ching in their efforts to construct a… Continue reading
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Is the Tao Te Ching Democratic?
Another question from my tutorial (thanks Andrea!). To begin an answer we must address all the caveats. No, I do not mean "democracy" as it is currently practiced in the West. Yes, I understand that the… Continue reading
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Is the Tao Te Ching Consequentialist?
In my tutorial, which has been working through the Tao Te Ching of late, a student (thanks Raff!) suggested that the text is consequentialist. I was initially taken aback, but, upon further reflection was drawn to the possibilities… Continue reading
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The Tao Te Ching Against the Second Amendment
Perhaps that is too strong. The Second Amendment to the US Constitution is famously ambiguous (so maybe Taoists would then be comfortable with it!): does it secure an individual’s right to bear arms or the right of the… Continue reading
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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
The Useless Tree 