Fudan University professor and sometime contributor to this blog, Bai Tongdong, has his own blog here, and has recently posted some essays there (in Chinese) that some readers may be interested in. The most recent is “传统正名系列3 作为普适价值的儒学” or “Rectification of Names #3: Confucianism as Universal Value.” It is a provocative and (in my view) constructive interjection into the debates that have been raging over “universal” (which often is code for “Western”) values. Enjoy
Category Archives: Chinese philosophy – 中國哲學 – 中国哲学
NECCT 2014 Call for Abstracts
We hereby request submissions of abstracts for the third Northeast Conference on Chinese Thought (NECCT), to be held at Central Connecticut State University on Saturday and Sunday, November 8-9, 2014.
Interested scholars should send an abstract of no more than one single-spaced page, plus a current CV, to Mathew Foust (foust@ccsu.edu) no later than June 1, 2014. All files should either be in Word or .pdf format.
Slingerland on the Radio
Ted Slingerland is out promoting his new book, Trying Not to Try and is on a radio talk show. I ‘m listening to it right now on public radio’s On Point. Here’s the website. Mike Csikszentmihalyi is on, as well.
New book on Zhou Dunyi and Zhu Xi
Joseph Adler’s new book on Zhu Xi’s appropriation of Zhou Dunyi, including substantial translations of Zhou’s writings and Zhu’s commentaties thereon, is now available. Congratulations, Joseph!
Neo-Confucian Seminar this Friday
The next session of the Columbia University Seminar on Neo-Confucian Studies will convene Friday, April 4 from 3:30 to 5:30pm in the Heyman Center for the Humanities at Columbia University. Ari Borrell will present “A Selected Translation of Zhu Xi’s Critique of Adulterated Learning (Zaxue bian雜學辨).” Copies of his paper and the original Chinese text are available from the organizers..
All are welcome to attend. Please join us immediately after the seminar for dinner at a location to be announced. If you have any questions, you may contact one of our organizers: Ari Borrell , Tao Jiang, On-cho Ng, or Deborah Sommer.
Lecture series on Matteo Ricci at St. Louis University
St. Louis University has announced an extended lecture series on Matteo Ricci, with the the first talks coming this month. The first two lectures will be delivered by Nicholas Standaert:
“The Spiritual Exercises in China: Displacement and Encounters in Visual Meditation”
Thursday, April 10, 2014
7:00pm
Loyola Room, Jesuit Hall
Saint Louis University
Inaugural Lecture: “The Jesuits Shaped by the Chinese: The Case of Matteo Ricci”
Friday, April 11, 2014
3:15pm
Sinquefield State Room, DuBourg Hall
Saint Louis University
Reception to follow
Columbia Society for Comparative Philosophy lecture by Joseph Chan: “Confucianism and Democracy: Uneasy Marriage or Productive Partnership?” on Friday, April 18th @5:30pm
THE COLUMBIA SOCIETY FOR COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHY
Welcomes: JOSEPH CHAN (University of Hong Kong)
With responses from: WARREN FRISINA (Hofstra University)
Please join us on Friday, April 18 at 5:30PM for his lecture entitled:
“Confucianism and Democracy: Uneasy Marriage or Productive Partnership?”
Abstract: Since the very beginning, Confucianism has been troubled by a serious gap between its political ideals and the reality of societal circumstances. Continue reading →
Taiwanese Journal Discussion of Sagehood
The latest issue of the Research Newslatter of the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy at the Academia Sinica has a special section on my 2009 book Sagehood. The issue (and all articles), including my reply to the various perspectives offered, is available here. I will also paste the Table of Contents below. My thanks to Fabien Heubel and Kai Marchal for organizing and editing this issue!
Why can’t we all agree on how to translate “xin”?
Translation of Chinese philosophical terminology is often one of the more vexed problems that we face. This is both because the interpretation and understanding of some of these terms is complicated (and controversial), and because it is rarely easy to choose a single word, or a short phrase, that readily expresses the meaning of a given term. Many potential translations carry inapt baggage with them; others can be misleading in other ways. Often we are urged to give up and leave a term romanized. I would agree that, depending on one’s specific goals, this can sometimes be the best choice, but of course to resort to it too often is to abandon the project of interpretation and translation.
Special issue of Sophia on Ritual in Chinese Philosophy
This may be old news to many of you, but until recently, I was unaware of the special issue of Sophia devoted to ritual in Chinese philosophy, which contains a number of excellent articles. Read on for the Table of Contents.
