A new CHINAFILE article: “What Does China Mean by ‘Rule of Law’? It’s more Confucianism than constitutionalism.” In my view the worries expressed in this article show all the more clearly why it is important to make clear that modern Confucianism needs to be responsive to the conditions of modernity: seeing law as independent from governmental authority is not “Western,” but good modern (progressive) Confucianism.
Commentary and relevant links here.
An interesting take on Xi Jinping’s frequent expressions of reverence for China’s past.
A significant new book has been published by Cambridge: philosopher Jiwei Ci‘s Moral China in the Age of Reform. The Amazon link gives on access to some of the book. Here’s what I say on the back cover:
“Jiwei Ci accomplishes two things in his splendid new book. First, he goes beyond the account of his seminal Dalectic of the Chinese Revolution (1994) to explore the causes and effects of the moral crisis that has accompanied China’s three decades of post-Mao reform. Second, he uses this analysis as the foundation for theories of freedom and human agency — theories that are deeply revealing not just of the possibilities and challenges faced by Chinese citizens, but also of the human condition more generally.”
An interesting article examining the CCP’s motives for promoting Confucianism has been published: Shufang Wu, “The Revival of Confucianism and the CCP’s Struggle for Cultural Leadership: a content analysis of the People’s Daily, 2000–2009,” Journal of Contemporary China 23:89 (2014), pp. 971-991. Abstract follows, with the key line in bold.
The Confucius China Studies Program provides funding for research in China for current Ph.D. Program. If anyone has any experience with this, please let us know.
Read about it here.
India in the Chinese Imagination: Myth, Religion, and Thought
John Kieschnick and Meir Shahar, Editors
Today’s the day for Calls for Proposals from big sinologocial conferences. Here’s the deal for the July, 2015 International Convention of Asian Scholars, to be held in Adelaide, Australia:
There is rarely much philosophy, or even intellectual history, at the annual Association for Asian Studies conference, but here follows the Call for Papers. Anyone interested in organizing a panel on a Chinese-philosophy related theme might want to use the comments section to seek out other interested parties.
Each spring the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) holds a four-day conference devoted to planned programs of scholarly papers, roundtable discussions, workshops, and panel sessions on a wide range of issues in esearch and teaching, and on Asian affairs in general.
The Program Committee is now accepting panel proposals for consideration to present at the 2015 AAS Annual Conference scheduled to take place March 26-29, 2015 in Chicago, IL.
For more information on submitting a proposal, please visit the AAS Call for papers webpage. www.asian-studies.org/Conference/Call-for-Papers.htm
DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS IS AUGUST 7, 2014, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
