Daily Archives: May 2, 2012

The Shortcomings of the Sages

I’d like to use this as an opportunity to think about depictions of sages in early Confucian texts (Mengzi in particular). I’ve thought, for better or worse, that the authors of these texts used the figures of the sages as representations of fully cultivated people. Yet I’ve noticed that these sages are sometimes described as falling short of perfection, and this gives rise to a question–in what ways can one be deficient, and yet still be considered a sage? Continue reading →

Postdoc in Asian Philosophy at Melbourne

Laura Schroeter of the philosophy department at Melbourne (and fellow Univ. of Michigan doctoral program alum!) writes that their one-year postdoc position is still open for applications (deadline is June 17) and they encourage qualified specialists in Asian Philosophy to apply. According to Laura, “The position involves teaching an Asian phil survey course (probably around 40 students) and a small 4th year undergrad seminar (5-15 students), and runs from July 2012-July 2013. It’s funded through some research money of Graham Priest’s, and Graham may want some minor admin help. But basically it’s a low-teaching postdoc position.  We’re mainly interested in getting someone who’s good to talk philosophy with.” So, if you’re within something like a 5-year period since you’ve finished your doctoral degree, consider applying to spend a year in Australia with some good philosophers. Below are the particulars for application, as they appeared in the Jobs for Philosophers ad.

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