Early in Chinese history, a number of political thinkers developed sophisticated arguments for relying on consistent application of laws rather than the personal discretion of political authorities to govern the state. In this episode, we explore the arguments of one of the early pioneers of this way of thinking, Shen Dao 慎到 (c. 350-275 BCE). We are joined by a leading expert on Shen Dao and Chinese Legalism, Eirik Lang Harris. Continue reading →
Category Archives: Podcast
Episode 28 of “This Is the Way”: Mencius Against Mohist Impartialism
In this episode, we continue our exploration of Mohist impartial caring (jian’ai 兼愛) by examining two of Mencius’s most influential objections: (1) the “Without a Father” Argument (Mencius 3B9) and (2) the “Two Roots” Argument (Mencius 3A5).
Along the way, we take up some important questions: Should moral values be impartial even between family members and total strangers? Is radical impartiality incompatible with being human? And should ethics be grounded in (rational) doctrine or in human nature? Continue reading →
Adamson on the lack of a word for “philosophy” outside of European contexts
Peter Adamson recently wrote on why he’s not troubled by the lack of a word for “philosophy” in Chinese and other non-European philosophical traditions. Adamson hosts History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps and co-hosts History of Philosophy in China with Karyn Lai. You can find the full essay here and the opening paragraph below the fold. Continue reading →
Episode 27 of “This Is the Way”: Mohism—Two Arguments for Impartial Caring
This episode examines the Mohist doctrine of impartial caring (jian’ai 兼愛) via two arguments in the Mozi — the Caretaker Argument and the Filial Piety Argument. We examine the arguments’ logical structure, the psychological plausibility, and practical applicability. We also discuss the importance of reciprocity and competing interpretations of “impartial caring,” from the less demanding don’t-harm-anyone interpretation to stronger equal-concern readings, setting them against the Confucian model of care-with-distinctions (graded love). We also consider what genuine filiality requires and how different moral frameworks shape familial and social practices. Continue reading →
Episode 24 of “This Is the Way”: Robber Zhi—Honor Among Thieves?
With a big assist from our guest, Stephen C. Walker, we discuss a highly unusual philosophical dialogue in classical Chinese literature, the “Robber Zhi Dialogue” (from the Miscellaneous Chapters of the Zhuangzi). This shocking story shows Confucius attempting to convince the story’s anti-hero (Robber Zhi) to give up his robber lifestyle. By the end of the story, Confucius emerges as the more naive and inauthentic of the two characters, and moral exemplars in general are called into question. Are purveyors of morality also robbers themselves?
Stephen C. Walker’s research page Continue reading →
Episode 23 of “This Is the Way”: Confucianism on the Assessment of Character
In this episode, Justin and Richard discuss how historical Confucian philosophers have proposed to recognize people of good moral character (virtue). How, exactly, did they think that we could tell the real virtues apart from the phony ones? And what did the historical Confucians think about the use of written examination essays to “test” for virtue? Continue reading →
Episode 22 of “This Is the Way”: The Good Life in the Analects
What sort of vision of the good life does Confucius recommend? In this episode, we explore one of the most intriguing passages in the Analects (11.26), where Confucius asks four disciples about their deepest aspirations. Three students offer increasingly modest political goals—from Zilu’s grand vision of governing a besieged state to Zihua’s humble wish to serve as a minor functionary in ritual ceremonies. But a fourth student, the musical Zengxi, describes something completely different: a spring day spent with friends and younger students, bathing in the Yi River, enjoying the breeze at the Rain Dance Altar, and returning home singing.
Continue reading →
This Is the Way: Live Show in San Francisco (Pacific Division meeting of the APA)
Update (17 April): Despite what the APA app might have told you, the live session will be in the Sussex Room, which is on the 2nd floor of the hotel. Looking forward to a lively discussion today at 4:00pm PST.
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This Is the Way will record an episode in person, with a live audience, at the next meeting of the American Philosophical Association (Pacific Division)!
Time:
4:00-6:00pm
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Location:
Sussex Room
The Westin St. Francis Hotel (next to Union Square)
San Francisco, California, USA Continue reading →
Episode 19 of “This Is the Way”: Zhu Xi on the Unity of the Virtues
This episode is really about two things. First, it’s about the claim that many instantiations of one virtue necessarily come packaged with other virtues. For example, you can’t have great humaneness or benevolence in your charitable giving to other people unless you also show a certain amount of ritual respect to them. Second, it’s about the view that one virtue in particular — the virtue of humaneness or good caring (ren 仁) — is more central or fundamental than the others. The Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi (1130-1200) proposes that we can understand both the unity of virtues and the central importance of humaneness (ren) by thinking about the unity of the seasons and the central importance of the spring for the other seasons. We attempt to unpack these ideas (and some of the relevant seasonal associations) as they are presented by one of the Confucian tradition’s most subtle and complicated philosophers. Continue reading →
Episode 18 of “This Is the Way”: Neo-Confucian Metaphysics
Much of the technical philosophy of Confucianism was developed by sophisticated thinkers that came well after the time of Confucius, starting in the Song dynasty. This episode is our first devoted to the foremost of these “Neo-Confucians,” Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200 CE). To help us with this introduction, we are joined by special guest Stephen C. Angle, one of the leading scholars of Neo-Confucianism. Continue reading →
