Hans-Georg Moeller
Biographic Data
| ID | 1040643 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hans-Georg Moeller |
| GIVEN NAMES | Hans-Georg |
| FAMILY NAME | Moeller |
| SIGNATURE | MOELLER H |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Macau |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6185-3224 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 14 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 30 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 3 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Order and Truth in China and Europe
In ancient Greece, the distinction between truth and appearance attracted significant philosophical attention. Especially in Plato’s works, the philosopher is portrayed as an expert in making this distinction, and philosophy could be regarded as the pursuit of a reified Truth. Accordingly, the philosopher had the educational task of guiding others out of a world of appearances and bringing them closer to truth. This conception influenced European…
Kitsch, fandom, and the rise and fall of authenticity: An existential exploration
This essay presents a philosophical exploration of kitsch. Rather than defining it descriptively and/or normatively as cheap, unsophisticated, and deceptive art, it is approached existentially from the perspective of its experience. It is argued that kitsch is art that evokes inauthenticity. This is to say that kitsch is a modern, Western phenomenon of the age of authenticity. It presupposes the values of originality and individuality and bemoans…
Four Exemplars of Ru 儒 (Confucianism): Beyond Comparative Philosophy
Critical and Emergent Media Theory
This essay contrasts two different approaches in media theory. One approach is traced back to Immanuel Kant’s understanding of the Enlightenment as progress toward human autonomy. For Kant, the “public use of reason” in the mass media of his time (books and journals) was essential for bringing about enlightened individuals and an enlightened society. In the wake of Kant, “critical media theory” until today often normatively questions in how far t…
The State of Cultural Studies Today – Challenges and Opportunities
Short articles with no abstracts
Daoist Economic Ethics
This chapter describes an economic ethic implicit in the Daoist tradition that envisages economic health, not as synonymous with growth, but akin to stability. The Daoist notion of health aspires to achieving longevity of body, of political rule, and, in contemporary applications, of our natural environment. Longevity is possible through alignment with patterns of nature, and by shunning anthropocentric urges to dominate. In the context of contem…
Early Confucian “Human Supremacy” and Its Daoist Critique
The early Confucian texts Mengzi 孟子 and Xunzi 荀子 introduce strict distinctions between the human and non-human realms and formulate genealogies and theories of “human supremacy”. Starting from the claim that humans are superior to animals and other non-human beings, they draw the sociopolitical conclusion that the former ought to enact supremacy by dominating and domesticating the latter. Taking up non-humanist ideas formulated in the Laozi 老子, t…
Beyond Originality: The Birth of Profilicity from the Spirit of Postmodernity
This paper discusses the relation between the transition from authenticity (a technology for shaping identity through the pursuit of originality) to "profilicity" (a technology for shaping identity through the curation, display, and validation of profiles) and the transition towards postmodernist philosophy in the 19 th and 20 th century. By analyzing core passages from the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jacques Derrida, and J…
Before and After Comparative Philosophy
This paper traces the history of comparative philosophy and points to a transition toward post-comparative philosophy. It is argued that, theoretically speaking, comparative philosophy was created by making a distinction between Western and non-Western philosophy and then re-entering this distinction into one of its sides, namely non-Western philosophy. Historically speaking, comparative philosophy was preceded by Orientalist academic disciplines…
The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
For anyone working in aesthetics interested in understanding the richness of the Chinese aesthetic tradition this handbook is the place to start. Comprised of general introductory overviews, critical reflections and contextual analysis, it covers everything from the origins of aesthetics in China to the role of aesthetics in philosophy today. Beginning in early China (1st millennium BCE), it traces the Chinese aesthetic tradition, exploring the i…
Political New Sincerity and Profilicity: On the Decline of Identity Politics and Authenticity
The past few years have seen a dramatic backlash against identity politics from academics such as Michael Sandel, Kwame Appiah, Mark Lilla, and Francis Fukuyama. In the vocabulary of identity conceptions, we can classify this as a reaction to a growing dissatisfaction with the perceived hollowness and ineffectiveness of “authenticity” that calls for a return to “sincerity”—or a “Political New Sincerity.” We argue that a third identity paradigm is…
You and Your Profile: Identity After Authenticity
You and Your Profile blends social theory, philosophy, and cultural critique to unfold an exploration of the way we have come to experience the world. A deft and wide-ranging consideration of our era's identity crisis, this book provides vital clues on how to stay sane in a time of proliferating profiles
Expert vs. influencer: Philosophy presented under conditions of second-order observation
Philosophy is presented in a wide range of forms, none of which can be convincingly claimed to be the “genuine” one. Historically speaking, there is not one “proper” way of doing philosophy, evidencing what may be called the social contingency of philosophy. This paper aims to provide a “critical” philosophy of today, in the Kantian sense of a philosophy that reflects on the conditions of its possibility, and thereby acknowledges the limitations …
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity: Notes on the problem, a vocabulary and a history of identity
This essay attempts to provide a preliminary outline of a theory of identity. The first section addresses what the sociologist Niklas Luhmann has called ‘the problem of identity’, or, in other words, the mind–society (rather than the mind–body) problem: In how far can the internal (psychological) self and the external (social) persona be integrated into a unit? The second section of the essay briefly defines a basic vocabulary of a theory of iden…
From Authenticity to Profilicity
Roberto Simanowski's work reflects on how the internet transforms understandings of ourselves, others, and the world-or our "identity." Three concepts inform his analysis: instant selves, the idea that algorithms automatically create narratives for the self; episodic selves, living as tourists from one experience to the next; and Facebook eye, seeing the world in terms of garnering "likes." These notions point to a deeper change in identity const…
The Humanist Spirit of Daoism
In The Humanist Spirit of Daoism, the eminent Chinese thinker Chen Guying presents his understanding of the significance of Daoist philosophy. He conceives of Daoism as a deeply humanist way of thinking that can give rise to contemporary socio-political critiques.
Incongruent Names: A Theme in the History of Chinese Philosophy
Authority without Authenticity: The Zhuangzi's Genuine Pretending as Socio-Political Strategy
In this paper, we present a socio-political reading of the Zhuangzi based in part on a brief review of contemporary Chinese scholarship on the text. We will argue that the approach to dealing with authority in the Zhuangzi can be summarized by the phrase "externally transforming without transforming internally". When applied to situations where the individual engages with political or social authority, this idea commends the art of retaining a no…
L uhmann, N iklas
Niklas Luhmann (1927–1998) was a German social theorist who developed a theory of society as a complex system of communication evolving over time. He presented a highly detailed and conceptually elaborated general description of the functioning of contemporary world society and its various subsystems. Luhmann's social systems theory incorporates elements from a wide spectrum of intellectual traditions including cybernetics, logic, German idealism…
Hundun’s Mistake: Satire and Sanity in the Zhuangzi
This paper discusses various interpretations of the narrative of Hundun’s death which concludes the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi. First, it recapitulates readings of the story from mythological and medicinal as well as from metaphysical and moral perspectives. Then it presents a reading of the story as a satirical parody of failed Confucian and Daoist sages. It is argued that in this way, too, the story addresses medicinal issues of sanity and …
Zhuangzi and the Happy Fish
The Zhuangzi is a deliciously protean text: it is concerned not only with personal realization, but also (albeit incidentally) with social and political order. In many ways the Zhuangzi established a unique literary and philosophical genre of its own, and while clearly the work of many hands, it is one of the finest pieces of literature in the classical Chinese corpus. It employs every trope and literary device available to set off rhetorically c…
Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi
This book presents an innovative reading of Daoist philosophy that highlights the critical and therapeutic functions of satire and humor. Moeller and D'Ambrosio show how the Zhuangzi expounds the Daoist art of "genuine pretending": the paradoxical skill of enacting social roles without submitting to them or letting them define one's identity
On second-order observation and genuine pretending: Coming to terms with society
This paper discusses the meaning of the concept of 'second-order observation' used by Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998). Luhmann identifies second-order observation as a defining characteristic of modern world society. According to Luhmann, all social systems construct a social reality on the basis of the observation of observations. Rating agencies in the economy or the peer-review process in the academic system are examples of social mechanisms manife…
Mutual Cultivation of Self and Things: A Contemporary Chinese Philosophy of the Meaning of Being
Basic aspects of daoist philosophy
Before and After Comparative Philosophy
This paper traces the history of comparative philosophy and points to a transition toward post-comparative philosophy. It is argued that, theoretically speaking, comparative philosophy was created by making a distinction between Western and non-Western philosophy and then re-entering this distinction into one of its sides, namely non-Western philosophy. Historically speaking, comparative philosophy was preceded by Orientalist academic disciplines…
From Authenticity to Profilicity
Roberto Simanowski's work reflects on how the internet transforms understandings of ourselves, others, and the world-or our "identity." Three concepts inform his analysis: instant selves, the idea that algorithms automatically create narratives for the self; episodic selves, living as tourists from one experience to the next; and Facebook eye, seeing the world in terms of garnering "likes." These notions point to a deeper change in identity const…
On second-order observation and genuine pretending: Coming to terms with society
This paper discusses the meaning of the concept of 'second-order observation' used by Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998). Luhmann identifies second-order observation as a defining characteristic of modern world society. According to Luhmann, all social systems construct a social reality on the basis of the observation of observations. Rating agencies in the economy or the peer-review process in the academic system are examples of social mechanisms manife…
Expert vs. influencer: Philosophy presented under conditions of second-order observation
Philosophy is presented in a wide range of forms, none of which can be convincingly claimed to be the “genuine” one. Historically speaking, there is not one “proper” way of doing philosophy, evidencing what may be called the social contingency of philosophy. This paper aims to provide a “critical” philosophy of today, in the Kantian sense of a philosophy that reflects on the conditions of its possibility, and thereby acknowledges the limitations …
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity: Notes on the problem, a vocabulary and a history of identity
This essay attempts to provide a preliminary outline of a theory of identity. The first section addresses what the sociologist Niklas Luhmann has called ‘the problem of identity’, or, in other words, the mind–society (rather than the mind–body) problem: In how far can the internal (psychological) self and the external (social) persona be integrated into a unit? The second section of the essay briefly defines a basic vocabulary of a theory of iden…
O paradoxo da teoria: Interpretando Niklas Luhmann
O artigo discute o papel do paradoxo na teoria social de Niklas Luhmann a partir de uma perspectiva hermenêutica "autológica": uma tentativa de interpretação "ortodoxa" da teoria de Luhmann, incluindo sua teoria do paradoxo, descobrirá que esta teoria não se presta a uma interpretação ortodoxa. Assim, mesmo que o paradoxo da teoria de Luhmann só possa ser compreendido por meio de uma interpretação ortodoxa, os fundamentos mesmos de tal abordagem …
Before and after representation
New Confucianism and the semantics of individuality. a Luhmannian analysis
This article discusses New Confucian views on individuality and related philosophical problems. Special emphasis is given to the position of Tu Wei‐Ming (Du Weiming), a foremost living New Confucian thinker. It is pointed out that many New Confucian philosophers share a vision of a Confucian ‘ideal’ individuality or selfhood based on social integration – as opposed to a Western type of individuality sometimes portrayed as an individuality by isol…
The philosophy of the Daodejing
Human Rights Fundamentalism« The Late Luhmann on Human Rights
s The essay starts by discussing the question if the debate between Luhmann and leftist social theory was primarily ideological in nature or not. It is stated that Luhmann’s own interest in the debate was not so much to pursue a political dialogue, but rather to expose the theoretical flaws of his opponents in order to provoke a paradigm shift in social theory. By referring to Luhmann’s treatment of the issue of human rights in his later works, I…
Philosophy and Literature: Rorty and Confucianism
The Radical Luhmann
PrefaceI. Introduction1. The Trojan Horse: Luhmann's (Not So) Hidden Radicalism2. Why He Wrote Such Bad BooksII. From Philosophy to Theory3. The Fourth Insult: A Refutation of Humanism4. From Necessity to Contingency: A Carnivalization of Philosophy5. The Last Footnote to Plato: A Solution to the Mind-Body Problem6. Ecological Evolution: A Challenge to Social Creationism7. Constructivism as Postmodernist Realism: A Teaching of Differences8. Democ…
Laughter in Eastern and Western Philosophies: Proceedings of the Académie du Midi
This anthology looks at laughter through intercultural and interdisciplinary perspectives. It focuses on humoristic aspects of East-Asian philosophies such as Daoism and Zen Buddhism as well as on the use of irony and wit by Western authors ranging from ancient Greece to contemporary Newfoundland.
Basic aspects of daoist philosophy
O paradoxo da teoria: Interpretando Niklas Luhmann
O artigo discute o papel do paradoxo na teoria social de Niklas Luhmann a partir de uma perspectiva hermenêutica "autológica": uma tentativa de interpretação "ortodoxa" da teoria de Luhmann, incluindo sua teoria do paradoxo, descobrirá que esta teoria não se presta a uma interpretação ortodoxa. Assim, mesmo que o paradoxo da teoria de Luhmann só possa ser compreendido por meio de uma interpretação ortodoxa, os fundamentos mesmos de tal abordagem …
Mutual Cultivation of Self and Things: A Contemporary Chinese Philosophy of the Meaning of Being
L uhmann, N iklas
Niklas Luhmann (1927–1998) was a German social theorist who developed a theory of society as a complex system of communication evolving over time. He presented a highly detailed and conceptually elaborated general description of the functioning of contemporary world society and its various subsystems. Luhmann's social systems theory incorporates elements from a wide spectrum of intellectual traditions including cybernetics, logic, German idealism…
Hundun’s Mistake: Satire and Sanity in the Zhuangzi
This paper discusses various interpretations of the narrative of Hundun’s death which concludes the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi. First, it recapitulates readings of the story from mythological and medicinal as well as from metaphysical and moral perspectives. Then it presents a reading of the story as a satirical parody of failed Confucian and Daoist sages. It is argued that in this way, too, the story addresses medicinal issues of sanity and …
Zhuangzi and the Happy Fish
The Zhuangzi is a deliciously protean text: it is concerned not only with personal realization, but also (albeit incidentally) with social and political order. In many ways the Zhuangzi established a unique literary and philosophical genre of its own, and while clearly the work of many hands, it is one of the finest pieces of literature in the classical Chinese corpus. It employs every trope and literary device available to set off rhetorically c…
Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi
This book presents an innovative reading of Daoist philosophy that highlights the critical and therapeutic functions of satire and humor. Moeller and D'Ambrosio show how the Zhuangzi expounds the Daoist art of "genuine pretending": the paradoxical skill of enacting social roles without submitting to them or letting them define one's identity
On second-order observation and genuine pretending: Coming to terms with society
This paper discusses the meaning of the concept of 'second-order observation' used by Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998). Luhmann identifies second-order observation as a defining characteristic of modern world society. According to Luhmann, all social systems construct a social reality on the basis of the observation of observations. Rating agencies in the economy or the peer-review process in the academic system are examples of social mechanisms manife…
The Humanist Spirit of Daoism
In The Humanist Spirit of Daoism, the eminent Chinese thinker Chen Guying presents his understanding of the significance of Daoist philosophy. He conceives of Daoism as a deeply humanist way of thinking that can give rise to contemporary socio-political critiques.
Incongruent Names: A Theme in the History of Chinese Philosophy
Authority without Authenticity: The Zhuangzi's Genuine Pretending as Socio-Political Strategy
In this paper, we present a socio-political reading of the Zhuangzi based in part on a brief review of contemporary Chinese scholarship on the text. We will argue that the approach to dealing with authority in the Zhuangzi can be summarized by the phrase "externally transforming without transforming internally". When applied to situations where the individual engages with political or social authority, this idea commends the art of retaining a no…
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity: Notes on the problem, a vocabulary and a history of identity
This essay attempts to provide a preliminary outline of a theory of identity. The first section addresses what the sociologist Niklas Luhmann has called ‘the problem of identity’, or, in other words, the mind–society (rather than the mind–body) problem: In how far can the internal (psychological) self and the external (social) persona be integrated into a unit? The second section of the essay briefly defines a basic vocabulary of a theory of iden…
From Authenticity to Profilicity
Roberto Simanowski's work reflects on how the internet transforms understandings of ourselves, others, and the world-or our "identity." Three concepts inform his analysis: instant selves, the idea that algorithms automatically create narratives for the self; episodic selves, living as tourists from one experience to the next; and Facebook eye, seeing the world in terms of garnering "likes." These notions point to a deeper change in identity const…
The Bloomsbury Research Handbook of Chinese Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
For anyone working in aesthetics interested in understanding the richness of the Chinese aesthetic tradition this handbook is the place to start. Comprised of general introductory overviews, critical reflections and contextual analysis, it covers everything from the origins of aesthetics in China to the role of aesthetics in philosophy today. Beginning in early China (1st millennium BCE), it traces the Chinese aesthetic tradition, exploring the i…
Political New Sincerity and Profilicity: On the Decline of Identity Politics and Authenticity
The past few years have seen a dramatic backlash against identity politics from academics such as Michael Sandel, Kwame Appiah, Mark Lilla, and Francis Fukuyama. In the vocabulary of identity conceptions, we can classify this as a reaction to a growing dissatisfaction with the perceived hollowness and ineffectiveness of “authenticity” that calls for a return to “sincerity”—or a “Political New Sincerity.” We argue that a third identity paradigm is…
You and Your Profile: Identity After Authenticity
You and Your Profile blends social theory, philosophy, and cultural critique to unfold an exploration of the way we have come to experience the world. A deft and wide-ranging consideration of our era's identity crisis, this book provides vital clues on how to stay sane in a time of proliferating profiles
Expert vs. influencer: Philosophy presented under conditions of second-order observation
Philosophy is presented in a wide range of forms, none of which can be convincingly claimed to be the “genuine” one. Historically speaking, there is not one “proper” way of doing philosophy, evidencing what may be called the social contingency of philosophy. This paper aims to provide a “critical” philosophy of today, in the Kantian sense of a philosophy that reflects on the conditions of its possibility, and thereby acknowledges the limitations …
Beyond Originality: The Birth of Profilicity from the Spirit of Postmodernity
This paper discusses the relation between the transition from authenticity (a technology for shaping identity through the pursuit of originality) to "profilicity" (a technology for shaping identity through the curation, display, and validation of profiles) and the transition towards postmodernist philosophy in the 19 th and 20 th century. By analyzing core passages from the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jacques Derrida, and J…
Philosophy (23 works) · Epistemology (22 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Chinese history and philosophy (14 works) · Political science (14 works) · Law (12 works) · Politics (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Aesthetics (7 works) · Art (6 works)