Paul J D''Ambrosio
Biographic Data
| ID | 984425 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul J D''Ambrosio |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul J |
| FAMILY NAME | D''Ambrosio |
| SIGNATURE | AMBROSIO P J D |
| AFFILIATIONS | East China Normal University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2574-2927 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 24 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 47 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Heterodoxicial philosophizing: Comparing treatments of the Western cannon to early Chinese thought
In this paper we look at the Chinese tradition as offering approaches to philosophical reflection which provides distinct alternatives to those which predominate in the contemporary Anglophone academic philosophy. In particular, the contrast with Confucian and Daoist classics unveils that much of what counts as (Western) philosophy must engage in the clarification of concepts—which demands high levels of abstraction—and is coupled with distinguis…
The Zhuangzi Is Political: A Review of Recent Monographs by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein and Chen Yun
Surveillance is only a symptom: Artificial intelligence and the systematic enforcement of profile-based identity
This article argues that in current surveillance studies, too much emphasis is placed on authenticity-based ideas, and this is done at the expense of recognizing that surveillance also results in an enforcement of profile-based identity, which is changing how society operates. In other words, surveillance is not merely about seeing and observing people (invading their privacy) and then, on the basis of these observations, steering them without co…
Broadening the Way: Flexibility in Early Confucianism
Irony in the Analects
The 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” project is a free online academic forum that hosts over 20 events annually.1 The sixth roundtable, “Irony in the Analects,” brought together leading experts in Confucianism, including Huaiyu Wang, Dimitra Amarantidou, and Brook Ziporyn. This event aimed to challenge the overly serious caricature of the Analects and Confucius found in many contemporary discussions. Scholars often treat the Analects as a solemn, mo…
Reconsidering the Context of Crisis: A Response From Early Chinese Thought
A Daoist-Inspired Critique of AI's Promises: Patterns, Predictions, Control
Contemporary discussions of AI are often framed according to generally held assumptions which have largely escaped serious critical analysis. For instance, those who promote AI tout its predictive prowess: powerful algorithms fed massive amounts of data are able to discover knowable patterns that can accurately forecast the behaviors in anything from individual movie preferences to financial markets. Armed with this type of knowledge we can then …
Harmonizing Openness in the Zhuangzi: A Critique of Respecting Diversity
In contemporary societies, increasing diversity is often accompanied by intensified conflicts across various public domains. While respecting differences is commonly proposed as a solution, this necessarily narrows the scope of shared values, which correspondingly decreases the chances of developing harmony. Indeed, harmony is frequently criticized for potentially requiring uniformity, which would undermine diversity. This article addresses this …
Responsibility over Rules: A Confucian-Inspired Approach to Post-Comparative Ethics
As cultures become increasingly involved, attempts are made to find productive lines along which ethical understandings can be developed which respect diversity and yet go beyond simplistic comparisons. Much of the discussion in this area is squarely situated within existing religious or philosophical frameworks-and these, in turn, are in the aggregate decidedly based on Western traditions. This paper proposes a philosophical-religious reading of…
How Confucius Seeks to Convince Others: Contrasting an One-World Analects with Two-World Theories
Western thinkers have often seen Confucianism as unique in that it does not fit well into standard categories of either religion or philosophy. In terms of how this difficulty is reflected in academia, it seems that Confucianism is simultaneously both a religion and a philosophy, and neither. This paper attempts to begin a discussion of a related issue, which has been relatively underappreciated; namely, how does Confucianism attempt to convince …
Intention, ethics, and convention in Daoism: Guo Xiang on ziran (self-so) and wuwei (non-action)
Much contemporary scholarship on ziran and wuwei views these concepts, which are often coupled, as being 1) anti-intention, effort, purpose, and self-consciousness; 2) indicative of a distinct type of ethics and/or morality; and 3) a rejection of following custom and convention. This paper will draw largely on the philosophy of Guo Xiang to demonstrate that these widely agreed upon avenues of interpretation are limited and run contrary to other m…
AI Ethics Beyond the Anglo-Analytic Approach: Humanistic Contributions from Chinese Philosophy
That artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and related technologies could use a few good booster shots of “humanism” is widely apparent. In both program code and implementation, AI and algorithms have been accused of harbouring deep-seated flaws that conflict with human values. They are prime examples of the skew towards white, Western, men and demonstrate the bankruptcy in the face of neoliberalist, profit- and market-oriented social paradig…
Boundary of the Sky: Environmentalism, Daoism, and the Logic of Increase
There are three good reasons why Daoism is a bad candidate for addressing contemporary environmental issues. First, the Laozi and Zhuangzi do not contain a concept of “nature” akin to ours today. Second, the philosophies of the Laozi and Zhuangzi are anything but revolutionary in spirit—and we need some revolutions. Finally, we need big changes from the top, and early Chinese thinkers did not conceive of political institutions in the way that we …
Ritualized world relations: A Confucian critique of Rosa’s limitations on resonance
Hartmut Rosa argues that our modern and post-modern societies can be understood through the notion of dynamic stabilization-institutions require growth to maintain themselves. Part of the impetus behind the acceleration that drives dynamic stabilization is the desire to make the world more available, attainable, and accessible. On both the institutional and individual levels, this is translated into making the world more within our reach, more en…
Guo Xiang's Metaphysics of Being and Action: On the Importance of Xing 性
Guo Xiang 郭象 (d. 312) holds a unique place in the history of Chinese thought. The only Zhuangzi we have access to is the version heavily edited, likely changed, and perhaps even rewritten by Guo Xiang. However, his commentary on this Daoist classic is not simply an explanation of what the Zhuangzi says, and in many ways, it is not even a development of the thought found within this text-though at times it is indeed both. Reading Guo's work reveal…
The Ethics of Contingency: An Alternative (to) Morality in the Analects
An appreciation of the emphasis on flexibility in the Analects is one of the most consistent motifs in the various interpretations of this text. When applied specifically to normative readings, embracing adaptability, having malleable standards, and taking particulars into account are both promising and challenging ways to think about whether something might be moral or ethical. This paper attempts to deconstruct this familiar discussion along no…
Littlejohn, Ronnie, Chinese Philosophy and Philosophers: An Introduction
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…
Philosophy Pizza: On the Possibility of Trans-Cultural Pizzas and/or Philosophy
The history of pizza is shrouded in mystery. Competing interpretations of the exact origin, development, and even etymology are as diverse as pizzas themselves. What is certain, however, is that from various types of flatbread meals popular among soldiers and poor workers emerged some standards. Certain experts were then able to refine the process and carefully combine ingredients. The key to this tradition, as well as its popularity around the w…
Approaches to ethics in the Laozi (Lao-Tzu)
This paper will look at five major approaches to interpreting "ethics" in theLaozi. There is a good deal of controversy over what type of ethics might be promoted in theLaoziand additional discussions of whether or not any the text includes ethical concerns at all. We begin with a basic introduction todao道 (way) and certain patterns of thinking in theLaozibefore moving on to a sketch ofziran自然 or "self-so" andwuwei無為 or "nonaction." The first app…
Wang Bi's "Confucian" Laozi: Commensurable Ethical Understandings in "Daoist" and "Confucian" Thinking
Wang Bi's work is often used as evidence for "Confucian" interpretations and translations of the Laozi. Those who argue that the explicit rejections of Confucian values in chapters 5, 18, 19, and 38 should actually be read as admonishing hollow imitation and the mere appearance of Confucian morality often cite Wang Bi. Additionally, this great philosopher is normally taken as a mere commentator who simply sought to synthesize Confucian and Daoist…
Daoist Reflections on the See-Saw of Contingency and Autonomy: The Laozi and Zhuangzi in Dialogue with Sandel, Rosa, Rorty, Gray
Nearly all philosophical inquiry is rooted in contingency. From ontology and theories of God to politics and ethics, dealing with, explaining, planning for, or even following contingency is a consistent theme. In the background of their recent works, Michael Sandel, Hartmut Rosa, John Gray, and Richard Rorty all see contingency and autonomy in a see-saw relationship: more of one correspondingly results in less of the other. Daoist philosophical r…
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
Non-humans in the Zhuangzi: Animalism and anti-anthropocentrism
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 Ethics of Contingency: An Alternative (to) Morality in the Analects
An appreciation of the emphasis on flexibility in the Analects is one of the most consistent motifs in the various interpretations of this text. When applied specifically to normative readings, embracing adaptability, having malleable standards, and taking particulars into account are both promising and challenging ways to think about whether something might be moral or ethical. This paper attempts to deconstruct this familiar discussion along no…
Wang Bi's "Confucian" Laozi: Commensurable Ethical Understandings in "Daoist" and "Confucian" Thinking
Wang Bi's work is often used as evidence for "Confucian" interpretations and translations of the Laozi. Those who argue that the explicit rejections of Confucian values in chapters 5, 18, 19, and 38 should actually be read as admonishing hollow imitation and the mere appearance of Confucian morality often cite Wang Bi. Additionally, this great philosopher is normally taken as a mere commentator who simply sought to synthesize Confucian and Daoist…
Wei-Jin PeriodXuanxue'Neo-Daoism: Re-working the Relationship Between Confucian and Daoist Themes
In recent years, philosophical ideas developed during the Wei-Jin period, broadly referred to asxuanxue(玄學) in Chinese and 'Neo-Daoism' or 'Dark Learning' in English, have been accorded increasing attention in academia. This article provides an introduction to some major thinkers of the Wei-Jin period, addressing both their original writings and recent scholarly interpretations. The article aims to demonstrate that many Wei-Jin period intellectua…
Responsibility over Rules: A Confucian-Inspired Approach to Post-Comparative Ethics
As cultures become increasingly involved, attempts are made to find productive lines along which ethical understandings can be developed which respect diversity and yet go beyond simplistic comparisons. Much of the discussion in this area is squarely situated within existing religious or philosophical frameworks-and these, in turn, are in the aggregate decidedly based on Western traditions. This paper proposes a philosophical-religious reading of…
Boundary of the Sky: Environmentalism, Daoism, and the Logic of Increase
There are three good reasons why Daoism is a bad candidate for addressing contemporary environmental issues. First, the Laozi and Zhuangzi do not contain a concept of “nature” akin to ours today. Second, the philosophies of the Laozi and Zhuangzi are anything but revolutionary in spirit—and we need some revolutions. Finally, we need big changes from the top, and early Chinese thinkers did not conceive of political institutions in the way that we …
Approaches to ethics in the Laozi (Lao-Tzu)
This paper will look at five major approaches to interpreting "ethics" in theLaozi. There is a good deal of controversy over what type of ethics might be promoted in theLaoziand additional discussions of whether or not any the text includes ethical concerns at all. We begin with a basic introduction todao道 (way) and certain patterns of thinking in theLaozibefore moving on to a sketch ofziran自然 or "self-so" andwuwei無為 or "nonaction." The first app…
From present to presentation: "A philosophical critique of Hartmut Rosa's "situational identity
Hartmut Rosa classifies modernity and late modernity in terms of the "speeding up" or "acceleration" of society. External institutions require constant development in order to maintain themselves, including material growth, technological acceleration, and cultural innovation. As has been widely noted, this is reflected internally by subjects whose thoughts and attitudes revolve around obsessive calculation, teleological thinking, and desires for …
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…
Ritualized world relations: A Confucian critique of Rosa’s limitations on resonance
Hartmut Rosa argues that our modern and post-modern societies can be understood through the notion of dynamic stabilization-institutions require growth to maintain themselves. Part of the impetus behind the acceleration that drives dynamic stabilization is the desire to make the world more available, attainable, and accessible. On both the institutional and individual levels, this is translated into making the world more within our reach, more en…
Guo Xiang's Metaphysics of Being and Action: On the Importance of Xing 性
Guo Xiang 郭象 (d. 312) holds a unique place in the history of Chinese thought. The only Zhuangzi we have access to is the version heavily edited, likely changed, and perhaps even rewritten by Guo Xiang. However, his commentary on this Daoist classic is not simply an explanation of what the Zhuangzi says, and in many ways, it is not even a development of the thought found within this text-though at times it is indeed both. Reading Guo's work reveal…
Li Zehou’s “Harmony is Higher than Justice”: Context and a Collaborative Future
In this paper I will delve into Li Zehou’s idea that “harmony is higher than justice (hexie gaoyu zhengyi 和諧高於正義)”. Firstly, I will situate this proposal within the context of the contemporary debate on harmony and justice in Western and Chinese traditions. The position Li holds generally belongs to those who see justice and harmony as representative of a West-East difference. However, it can be developed to promote a more nuanced understanding. …
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…
Rethinking Environmental Issues in a Daoist Context: Why Daoism Is and Is Not Environmentalism
As the extent our impact on the environment becomes ever more clear, the search for ways to limit or even remedy some negative effects of our actions broadens. From science to religion, scholars in almost every field have been working hard to try to contribute to a healthier relationship between human beings and the natural world. In the humanities the issue is somewhat difficult. Because the topic is relatively new, there are few thinkers or tra…
Worlds of Art. Worlds Apart
Rethinking Environmental Issues in a Daoist Context: Why Daoism Is and Is Not Environmentalism
As the extent our impact on the environment becomes ever more clear, the search for ways to limit or even remedy some negative effects of our actions broadens. From science to religion, scholars in almost every field have been working hard to try to contribute to a healthier relationship between human beings and the natural world. In the humanities the issue is somewhat difficult. Because the topic is relatively new, there are few thinkers or tra…
Blending Dao: An Analysis of Images in the Daode jing
The well-known ambiguity surrounding the concept of Dao, especially in the Daode jing, has led some scholars to argue for “religious” interpretations. They find the difficultly in defining Dao intentional and argue that Dao cannot be appreciated through language, but requires some personal change. In this essay I will argue that these types of interpretations, generally speaking, reduces the text to a mainly religious (i.e. faith based) thought b…
Approaches to Global Ethics: Michael Sandel’s Justice and Li Zehou’s Harmony
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: An Introduction by Three Translators
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…
Wei-Jin PeriodXuanxue'Neo-Daoism: Re-working the Relationship Between Confucian and Daoist Themes
In recent years, philosophical ideas developed during the Wei-Jin period, broadly referred to asxuanxue(玄學) in Chinese and 'Neo-Daoism' or 'Dark Learning' in English, have been accorded increasing attention in academia. This article provides an introduction to some major thinkers of the Wei-Jin period, addressing both their original writings and recent scholarly interpretations. The article aims to demonstrate that many Wei-Jin period intellectua…
The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy
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: The madman of Chu’s alternative to Confucian cultivation
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: 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…
On the difficulty interpreting He Yan’s ‘emotionless sage’
This paper examines the debate surrounding He Shao’s account that ‘He Yan thinks the sage is without pleasure, anger, sorrow and grief.’ The point of controversy surrounds squaring a perspective on the sage as emotionless with a thinker who otherwise largely expounds values and political views found in the Lunyu and the Laozi. Since proper management of emotions is important in both texts, it is difficult to imagine how He Yan could hold such a r…
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 present to presentation: "A philosophical critique of Hartmut Rosa's "situational identity
Hartmut Rosa classifies modernity and late modernity in terms of the "speeding up" or "acceleration" of society. External institutions require constant development in order to maintain themselves, including material growth, technological acceleration, and cultural innovation. As has been widely noted, this is reflected internally by subjects whose thoughts and attitudes revolve around obsessive calculation, teleological thinking, and desires for …
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 Annotated Critical Laozi: With Contemporary Explication and Traditional Commentary
"Chen Guying's Laozi dissects different versions of the Laozi and provides close readings of traditional and contemporary commentaries, from Han Fei, Wang Bi, and Heshang Gong through to Shi Deqing, Xu Kangsheng and Ding Yuanzhi. This book completely changed Laozi studies in China, where no serious student or scholar can ignore Chen's amazing work. It is the standard interpretation of the Laozi at nearly every Chinese university. The English tran…
Reading the Zhuangzi playfully: Stepping back from ‘Ancient Chinese Wisdom’
Playfulness and humor are often recognized as key components of the Zhuangzi. Despite this, the text itself is rarely read in a playful or humorous manner. It is commonly treated, even in its most jesting moments, as representative of solemn “Ancient Chinese Wisdom.” This paper seeks to recognize the playfulness and humor in the Zhuangzi not simply as a means or method for elaborating some more grave philosophical message; playfulness itself is b…
The Zhuangzi on Coping with Society: Misreading the “Skill” Stories with Modern (and) Religious Overtones
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…
Li Zehou’s “Harmony is Higher than Justice”: Context and a Collaborative Future
In this paper I will delve into Li Zehou’s idea that “harmony is higher than justice (hexie gaoyu zhengyi 和諧高於正義)”. Firstly, I will situate this proposal within the context of the contemporary debate on harmony and justice in Western and Chinese traditions. The position Li holds generally belongs to those who see justice and harmony as representative of a West-East difference. However, it can be developed to promote a more nuanced understanding. …
Confucianism and Daoism: On the relationship between theAnalects,Laozi, andZhuangzi, Part I
TheLunyu論語 (Analectsof Confucius),Daodejing道德經 (Classic of the Way and Virtuosity) orLaozi老子 (Book of Master Lao), and theZhuangzi莊子 (Book of Master Zhuang) have been broadly classified as representative of Confucianism (Lunyu) and Daoism (LaoziandZhuangzi). This loose grouping, and the similarities and differences associated with these "schools" include some of the most telling and simultaneously misleading generalizations about Chinese philosop…
Confucianism and Daoism: On the relationship between theAnalects, Laozi,andZhuangzi, Part II
This article is a continuation of Part I, which looked at the relationship between Confucianism and Daoism by first introducing general approaches, before moving on to (1) perspectives on names and actualities; (2) cultivation, learning, the natural; and (3) conceptions of the person. Continuing with the theme-based comparison of Confucianism and Daoism by looking specifically at theLunyu論語 (Analects of Confucius),Daodejing道德經 (Classic of the Way…
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
Non-humans in the Zhuangzi: Animalism and anti-anthropocentrism
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…
Philosophy (39 works) · Epistemology (36 works) · Chinese history and philosophy (34 works) · Sociology (28 works) · Political science (20 works) · Law (18 works) · Philosophy (17 works) · Computer Science (15 works) · Psychology (14 works) · History (12 works)