Category Archives: Laozi

New Book: Explaining and Illustrating the Laozi (the Han Feizi Commentary)

Although the ancient Chinese text Laozi–also known as the Daodejing–is highly popular worldwide, few Anglophone readers are familiar with the history of how the Chinese themselves have interpreted it. This volume aims to introduce students and general readers to the two earliest surviving commentaries on the Laozi, through translations that are approachable for non-specialists and can be read on their own. These two commentaries, the “Jie Lao” (Explaining the Laozi) and “Yu Lao” (Illustrating the Laozi), appear as two chapters in the book Han Feizi, traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE. They are interesting not only for showing how at least one very early reader understood the Laozi, but also for what they may reveal about the state of the Laozi itself at that time, before it achieved the form of the text that is so famous nowadays. The book also includes original essays that explore the commentaries’ relation to the rest of the Han Feizi, compare and contrast them with other Laozi commentaries, and analyze their place in the larger history of Chinese commentarial writing. The table of contents is below the fold.

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Brian Bruya in Conversation with George Thompson

George Thompson is a popularizer of philosophical Daoism. In this conversation, we discuss the concept of ziran, the science of wisdom, and the intersection of philosophy and religion.

 

Episode 25 of “This Is the Way”: Daoist Utopia

In this episode, we delve into Chapter 80 of the Daodejing, one of the most vivid portraits of Daoist social ideals. We unpack its vision of a “simple agrarian utopia,” where people live in small communities, ignore labor-saving tools, and resist the endless chase for more. Along the way, we discuss political minimalism, technological restraint, contentment in daily life, and radical localism, asking what it would mean to be satisfied even while knowing other or “better” possibilities exist. We reflect on our own consumerist culture, and probe whether Daoist utopia is naive, radical, or unexpectedly wise for our time. Continue reading →

Episode 11 of “This Is the Way”: Nonaction in the Daodejing

The concept of wuwei 無為/无为, often translated as nonaction or effortless action, is central to classical Chinese philosophy. But what exactly is the idea and what are its practical implications? What puzzles does it raise regarding the nature of human actions, purpose, and intention? We examine these questions by focusing on some central passages from the Daodejing.
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Fall 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” Free Seminars

This academic year the 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” project will be hosting 2-3 events each month. Please visit their event calendar for details.

The program is also hosting three seminars this fall, seminars are free courses that are open to anyone interested:

1. Dao and Logos: Reading the Laozi with/against Heraclitus
Led by: Dimitra Amarantidou (University of Macau) and Fabian Heubel (Academia Sinica) This course will meet on Mondays at 19:00 Beijing time. There will eight classes, starting in October 21 and ending December 9th.

2. Early Chinese Philosophy of Education
Led by: Geir Sigurðsson (University of Iceland) and Paul J. D’Ambrosio (East China Normal University)This class will meet on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm Beijing time, and starts September 24th

3. The Political Laozi
Led by: Paul J. D’Ambrosio (East China Normal University), Dimitra Amarantidou (University of Macau), and John Lombardini (College of William and Mary)This class will meet on Tuesdays at 7:45 pm Beijing time. It will begin on September 24th.

For more details and links to any of these seminars please visit: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/seminars

Episode 6 of “This Is the Way”: Partiality and Justice

Episode 6 of This Is the Way is on Tao Jiang’s book. We don’t cover every one of the fascinating issues raised in the 516 pages of Professor Jiang’s volume, but we do cover some of the core topics, including (1) tensions between impartialist justice and partialist humaneness, and (2) Zhuangzi and freedom. A short description follows, with the usual supporting materials. Continue reading →

New Book: The Daodejing Commentary of Cheng Xuanying

Oxford University Press has published The Daodejing Commentary of Cheng Xuanying, a translation of Cheng Xuanying’s 成玄英 famous and philosophically rich commentary, which in turn shaped both Daoist and Buddhist discourse thereafter. The translation is expertly elucidated with ample notes and glosses by the translator, Friederike Assandri, a leading authority on Cheng Xuanying and the Twofold Mystery School.
This is now the third translation in the Oxford Chinese Thought book series, which is devoted to providing high-quality translations of important philosophical and religious texts, for scholars and for classroom use. A short description follows below the fold.

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