Crane on Confucianism in America

Sam Crane has just published “Prolegomenon to a Theory of Philosophical Transposition, with Reference to Confucianism in America” in Metaphilosophy 50:4. I’ve pasted the abstract below.

Abstract: What factors shape the movement of systems of thought from one historical-cultural context to another? This paper provides a preliminary answer to this question by constructing an analytic framework drawn from the sociology of philosophy, and it uses this framework to consider the prospects for the contemporary transposition of Confucianism from China to America. The central, though still provisional, conclusion is that while global power dynamics matter, the particular conditions of the “philosophical fields” of both the original and the recipient locations are of primary importance in determining the extent and significance of any particular case of philosophical transposition. Therefore, due to the dynamics of the philosophical fields in both countries, it is unlikely that Confucianism will gain greater intellectual and political influence in the United States.

3 thoughts on “Crane on Confucianism in America

  1. Sam also has a new book, basically excerpting his blog. He writes,

    “With material stretching back to 2005, I concentrated on various questions surrounding the reinvention of “tradition” in the PRC today, creating a volume focusing on ancient Chinese thought in modern Chinese life. The title might be better than most of my other efforts: Blogging China in the 21st Century: Philosophical, Historical, and Political Observations from The Useless Tree Blog.”

    https://www.amazon.com/Blogging-China-21st-Century-Philosophical-ebook/dp/B07SPF761G/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1561385892&sr=8-1

  2. Many of you associated with this blog have helped me over the past few years develop the ideas in the new article. I’d like to offer a special note of thanks, however, to Steve Angle, Sungmoon Kim, and Matt Foust.

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