Paul J D’ambrosio
Biographic Data
| ID | 2893101 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul J D’ambrosio |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul J |
| FAMILY NAME | D’ambrosio |
| SIGNATURE | D’AMBROSIO P J |
| AFFILIATIONS | East China Normal University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
The Zhuangzi Is Political
Four Exemplars of Ru 儒 (Confucianism)
Broadening the Way
Littlejohn, Ronnie, Chinese Philosophy and Philosophers
On the philosophical function of the ‘sage’ in the Laozi
In philosophical interpretations of the Laozi the function of the ‘sage’ is a relatively under concentrated on topic. Although nearly every scholar does have something to say about the sage, comments are usually brief and often revolve around the sage as some particular character-type; for example highlighting the sage as a ‘sage-ruler’. In this article we will argue that the sage serves as a tool for understanding the major concepts, thinking, a…
Political New Sincerity and Profilicity
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
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
Non-humans in the Zhuangzi
Some argue that animals and non-human figures in the Zhuangzi help displace the significance of humans. According to others the Zhuangzi suggests a certain time of ‘animalism,’ asking us to be more like various types of fauna and flora that do not share our self-centeredness. In this paper the use of non-human characters in the Zhuangzi will be examined through a survey of traditional Chinese commentary, comparisons with the Lunyu, and placing th…
The Zhuangzi on Coping with Society
Stories in the Zhuangzi detailing expert artisans and other extraordinary people are often read as celebrations of “skills” or “knacks.” In this paper, I will argue that they would be more accurately understood as “coping” stories. Taken as a celebration of one’s “skill” or “knack” they transform the Zhuangzi into an implicit advocate of conforming to, or even identifying with, one’s social roles. I will argue that the stories of artisans and ext…
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity
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…
Incongruent Names
Encountering China
In the West, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel is a thinker of unusual prominence. In China, he's a phenomenon, greeted by vast crowds. China Daily reports that he has acquired a popularity "usually reserved for Hollywood movie stars." China Newsweek declared him the "most influential foreign figure" of the year. In Sandel the Chinese have found a guide through the ethical dilemmas created by the nation's swift embrace of a market economy - a gu…
The China Model
Regardless of whether or not Daniel Bell is an apologist for the Chinese Communist Party – a claim I have heard often, made behind not-so-closed doors around the world – he certainly owes academic ...
Imagination in the Zhuangzi
This paper examines the role of the imagination in the Zhuangzi. There are many avenues through which the various types of imaginations in the Zhuangzi could be investigated, but this paper will concentrate on only one, namely the use of imagination to criticize Confucius’ way. Specifically, the Zhuangzi finds Confucius’ views on virtuosity, moral cultivation, and social roles to include exceedingly limited imagined restrictions. The Daoist class…
Approaches to Global Ethics
In his most recent book, Huiying Sangde’er ji qita 回應桑德爾及其他 (A response to Sandel and other matters), Li Zehou 李澤厚, one of China’s most prominent living scholars, opposes certain aspects of Michael Sandel’s theory of justice. However, despite Li’s claim that his philosophical approach differs from Sandel’s, there are actually quite a number of parallels between the two. This essay explores some similarities in their respective critiques of tradit…
On Li Zehou’s Philosophy
This introduction offers a short account of Li Zehou’s philosophical influence in China and abroad. A lexicon is included that briefly explains some of Li’s own concepts, mentioned in his text A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters . Many of Li’s writings are drawn on, with a particular focus on explaining his ideas according to how they are employed in his Response .
A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters
A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters Li Zehou, 李泽厚 (bio) Translated by Paul J. D'Ambrosio and Robert A. Carleo III Section One: Reason and Emotion 1.1. Starting from the Beginning interviewer: Are you familiar with Michael Sandel's work? li zehou: Yes I am. In the nineties I read several books on communitarianism, including Michael Sandel's Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy. interviewer: What do you think …
Guo Xiang on Self-so Knowledge
The perspective on zhi 知 (‘knowledge’) is often identified as a key distinction between the Zhuangzi 莊子 and its most famous commentator, Guo Xiang 郭象. Many scholars who recognize this distinction observe that zhi almost always has negative connotations in Guo Xiang’s writing, whereas certain types of knowledge can be positive in the Zhuangzi (e.g. da zhi 大知 ‘greater knowledge’ or zhen zhi 真知 ‘genuine knowledge’.) In this way, Guo Xiang’s comments…
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…
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity
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…
Approaches to Global Ethics
In his most recent book, Huiying Sangde’er ji qita 回應桑德爾及其他 (A response to Sandel and other matters), Li Zehou 李澤厚, one of China’s most prominent living scholars, opposes certain aspects of Michael Sandel’s theory of justice. However, despite Li’s claim that his philosophical approach differs from Sandel’s, there are actually quite a number of parallels between the two. This essay explores some similarities in their respective critiques of tradit…
On Li Zehou’s Philosophy
This introduction offers a short account of Li Zehou’s philosophical influence in China and abroad. A lexicon is included that briefly explains some of Li’s own concepts, mentioned in his text A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters . Many of Li’s writings are drawn on, with a particular focus on explaining his ideas according to how they are employed in his Response .
A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters
A Response to Michael Sandel and Other Matters Li Zehou, 李泽厚 (bio) Translated by Paul J. D'Ambrosio and Robert A. Carleo III Section One: Reason and Emotion 1.1. Starting from the Beginning interviewer: Are you familiar with Michael Sandel's work? li zehou: Yes I am. In the nineties I read several books on communitarianism, including Michael Sandel's Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy. interviewer: What do you think …
Guo Xiang on Self-so Knowledge
The perspective on zhi 知 (‘knowledge’) is often identified as a key distinction between the Zhuangzi 莊子 and its most famous commentator, Guo Xiang 郭象. Many scholars who recognize this distinction observe that zhi almost always has negative connotations in Guo Xiang’s writing, whereas certain types of knowledge can be positive in the Zhuangzi (e.g. da zhi 大知 ‘greater knowledge’ or zhen zhi 真知 ‘genuine knowledge’.) In this way, Guo Xiang’s comments…
The China Model
Regardless of whether or not Daniel Bell is an apologist for the Chinese Communist Party – a claim I have heard often, made behind not-so-closed doors around the world – he certainly owes academic ...
Imagination in the Zhuangzi
This paper examines the role of the imagination in the Zhuangzi. There are many avenues through which the various types of imaginations in the Zhuangzi could be investigated, but this paper will concentrate on only one, namely the use of imagination to criticize Confucius’ way. Specifically, the Zhuangzi finds Confucius’ views on virtuosity, moral cultivation, and social roles to include exceedingly limited imagined restrictions. The Daoist class…
Incongruent Names
Encountering China
In the West, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel is a thinker of unusual prominence. In China, he's a phenomenon, greeted by vast crowds. China Daily reports that he has acquired a popularity "usually reserved for Hollywood movie stars." China Newsweek declared him the "most influential foreign figure" of the year. In Sandel the Chinese have found a guide through the ethical dilemmas created by the nation's swift embrace of a market economy - a gu…
Sincerity, authenticity and profilicity
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 Zhuangzi on Coping with Society
Stories in the Zhuangzi detailing expert artisans and other extraordinary people are often read as celebrations of “skills” or “knacks.” In this paper, I will argue that they would be more accurately understood as “coping” stories. Taken as a celebration of one’s “skill” or “knack” they transform the Zhuangzi into an implicit advocate of conforming to, or even identifying with, one’s social roles. I will argue that the stories of artisans and ext…
Political New Sincerity and Profilicity
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
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
Non-humans in the Zhuangzi
Some argue that animals and non-human figures in the Zhuangzi help displace the significance of humans. According to others the Zhuangzi suggests a certain time of ‘animalism,’ asking us to be more like various types of fauna and flora that do not share our self-centeredness. In this paper the use of non-human characters in the Zhuangzi will be examined through a survey of traditional Chinese commentary, comparisons with the Lunyu, and placing th…
On the philosophical function of the ‘sage’ in the Laozi
In philosophical interpretations of the Laozi the function of the ‘sage’ is a relatively under concentrated on topic. Although nearly every scholar does have something to say about the sage, comments are usually brief and often revolve around the sage as some particular character-type; for example highlighting the sage as a ‘sage-ruler’. In this article we will argue that the sage serves as a tool for understanding the major concepts, thinking, a…
Littlejohn, Ronnie, Chinese Philosophy and Philosophers
Four Exemplars of Ru 儒 (Confucianism)
Broadening the Way
The Zhuangzi Is Political
Chinese history and philosophy (14 works) · Philosophy (14 works) · Epistemology (12 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Law (7 works) · Philosophy (7 works) · Political science (7 works) · Aesthetics (5 works) · Politics (5 works) · Computer Science (4 works)