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Full-Text Articles in Ethics and Political Philosophy
Translating And Interpreting The Mengzi: Virtue, Obligation, And Discretion, Stephen C. Angle
Translating And Interpreting The Mengzi: Virtue, Obligation, And Discretion, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
The essay focuses on two aspects of the translation and interpretation of Mengzi in Bryan Van Norden’s new translation. First, I argue that Van Norden’s explanation of virtues in terms of obligations is potentially problematic, and show instances in which this unusual understanding of virtue influences the translation itself. Second, I highlight the ways in which Van Norden’s translation and commentary have effectively thematized the role of “discretion (quan 權)” in Mengzi’s text, and make some suggestions for how we can arrive at an even deeper understanding of this important concept.
A Reply To Ruiping Fan, Stephen C. Angle
A Reply To Ruiping Fan, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
I have been offered the chance for a brief reply to Professor FAN’s response to my review, and would like to make just two points. In the penultimate paragraph of his response, Professor FAN raises the question of the efficacy of Confucian moral commitments in contemporary China, and suggests that we can get evidence of this efficacy by comparing China with Eastern Europe. I agree that such a comparison may be very helpful, but suggest that it cannot be undertaken in a superficial way. For one thing, the differences between the two regions are more complicated than …
Review Of Ruiping Fan- Reconstructionist Confucianism, Stephen C. Angle
Review Of Ruiping Fan- Reconstructionist Confucianism, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
Reconstructionist Confucianism is fascinating, provocative, and in several ways novel. It is the first English-language, full-length effort to re-articulate Confucianism so that it speaks to the specific ethical challenges of the contemporary world. Fan’s background as a bioethicist enables him to enter deeply into a series of moral and political issues. Furthermore, FAN’s methodology is distinctive and his conclusions are quite at odds with much that has been written about contemporary Confucianism. As such, the book deserves broad attention: readers with a wide range of backgrounds and research agendas will find stimulating arguments to engage them. Having found …
Wang Yangming As Virtue Ethicist, Stephen C. Angle
Wang Yangming As Virtue Ethicist, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
Three ideas are implicit in the title of this chapter. To begin with, it is constructive to view
WANG Yangming 王陽明 (1472-1529), widely acknowledged as the most influential Confucian
thinker of the Ming dynasty, as a virtue ethicist. Second, because Wang has much in common with many other Neo-Confucian philosophers, the Neo-Confucian approach to ethics quite generally can be fruitfully understood as a type of virtue ethics. If this is true, then a third idea also follows, namely that Western virtue ethicists should pay attention to Wang and to Neo- Confucian philosophy, because here is a new (to the …
Rethinking Confucian Authority And Rejecting Confucian Authoritarianism, Stephen C. Angle
Rethinking Confucian Authority And Rejecting Confucian Authoritarianism, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
Early Confucianism saw "Tian" 天 or Heaven as the source of authority, as kings ruled in accord with its "mandate." The clearest communication of Tian's intentions comes through the actions of the "people" (min 民), whose well beingthus forms the bedrock of Confucian politics. The essay begins by rehearsing the strengths and the limitations of such a framework, as well as pointing to a tnesion concerning the status of "the people" that runs throughout traditional Confucianism. Next, I analyze Kang Xiaoguang's 康小光 contemporary Chinese effort to justify an authoritarian state by means of an only modestly revised version of …
Rethinking Confucian Authority And Rejecting Confucian Authoritarianism, Stephen C. Angle
Rethinking Confucian Authority And Rejecting Confucian Authoritarianism, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
Early Confucianism saw "Tian" 天 or Heaven as the source of authority, as kings ruled in accord with its "mandate." The clearest communication of Tian's intentions comes through the actions of the "people" (min 民), whose well beingthus forms the bedrock of Confucian politics. The essay begins by rehearsing the strengths and the limitations of such a framework, as well as pointing to a tnesion concerning the status of "the people" that runs throughout traditional Confucianism. Next, I analyze Kang Xiaoguang's 康小光 contemporary Chinese effort to justify an authoritarian state by means of an only modestly revised version of …
Wang Yangming As Virtue Ethicist, Stephen C. Angle
Wang Yangming As Virtue Ethicist, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
Three ideas are implicit in the title of this chapter. To begin with, it is constructive to view
WANG Yangming 王陽明 (1472-1529), widely acknowledged as the most influential Confucian
thinker of the Ming dynasty, as a virtue ethicist. Second, because Wang has much in common with many other Neo-Confucian philosophers, the Neo-Confucian approach to ethics quite generally can be fruitfully understood as a type of virtue ethics. If this is true, then a third idea also follows, namely that Western virtue ethicists should pay attention to Wang and to Neo- Confucian philosophy, because here is a new (to the …
Confucianism On The Comeback: Current Trends In Culture, Values, Politics, And Economy, Stephen C. Angle
Confucianism On The Comeback: Current Trends In Culture, Values, Politics, And Economy, Stephen C. Angle
Stephen C. Angle
There is ample evidence that Confucianism is undergoing a multi-faceted revival in contemporary China. We see this in government slogans, in a runaway best-seller on the Analects, in educational experiments, and in academic activities. There are many motivations for the renewed interest in Confucianism and many different ways that self- avowed proponents of Confucianism understand their ultimate goals. As we seek to understand and teach about China, we need to keep these complexities in mind as we convey the multiple sides of a rapidly changing society.