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Constructive Engagement Between Ecological Thoughts Of Karl Marx And Lao Zi, Hongyin Zhou, Yuqi Chen Aug 2024

Constructive Engagement Between Ecological Thoughts Of Karl Marx And Lao Zi, Hongyin Zhou, Yuqi Chen

Comparative Philosophy

The global ecological crisis has posed unprecedented survival challenges to human being. Consequently, ecological issues have naturally become central concerns in philosophy. From the methodological perspective of constructive engagement in comparative philosophy, we have chosen to compare the ecological thoughts of two thinkersKarl Marx and Lao Zi (老子)who are separated by vast spans of time and cultural tradition. We argue that Karl Marx holds a mild anthropocentric ecological view, while Lao Zi holds a transcendental ecological view. In addressing ecological issues, Lao Zi’s transcendental methodological guiding principles can provide negative methodological constraints for Karl …


Global Metaphors For Wisdom: Philosophy As A Species Of The Genus Hao-Xue, Joshua Mason Aug 2024

Global Metaphors For Wisdom: Philosophy As A Species Of The Genus Hao-Xue, Joshua Mason

Comparative Philosophy

Many philosophers have refused to recognize Chinese traditions as genuinely philosophical. The conceptual foundations of these exclusionary efforts appear in Aristotle’s dividing philosophy from rhetoric, then associating philosophy with truth, and rhetoric with metaphor. The Chinese have frequently been defined as metaphorical thinkers, in contrast with the logical, scientific, or literal pursuits of Occidental traditions. Because metaphor is classed with rhetoric, and Chinese was associated with metaphor, critics had a way to say that the Chinese weren’t participating in philia-sophia as rational inquiry into truth. I draw on two strands of 20th century philosophy to move us beyond this …


A New Look At The Debate Between Confucian Soft-Power And Legalist Hard-Power Statecrafts And Its Contemporary Significance, Shirong Luo Aug 2024

A New Look At The Debate Between Confucian Soft-Power And Legalist Hard-Power Statecrafts And Its Contemporary Significance, Shirong Luo

Comparative Philosophy

In recent years, comparative scholars and commentators have attempted to find ways to best characterize the opposition between Confucianism and Legalism. For example, it has been argued that Confucianism exemplifies “idealism”, whereas Legalism is a version of “realism” and that their dispute can be construed as a clash between the broader philosophical frameworks of idealism and realism. While casting these opposing political philosophies as such can shed some light on the differences between the two schools of classical Chinese philosophy, these conceptual labels are too broad to capture their fundamental differences, which in my view are their different understandings of …


Confucianism Embodied: An “Interdisciplinary” Approach To Comparative Political Theory, Qi Jing Aug 2024

Confucianism Embodied: An “Interdisciplinary” Approach To Comparative Political Theory, Qi Jing

Comparative Philosophy

This article articulates and defends an “interdisciplinary” approach to Confucian political theory and presents Confucianism as a living, dynamic entity rather than merely a reservoir of ideas contained within a set of texts. It argues for a methodology that transcends traditional textual analysis, advocating for an intersectional approach that melds normative, emancipatory, and practical dimensions. This approach seeks to capture the evolving essence of Confucianism as influenced by cultural, institutional, and individual interactions. It also promotes a “distant reading” to examine not only texts and historical debates but also institutional changes, power dynamics, and guiding principles within Confucianized societies. The …


From Contemplation To Counseling: Exploring Philosophical Practice By Constructive-Engagement Strategy Of Comparative Philosophy, Xiaojun Ding, Chao Yang, Peter Harteloh, Feng Yu Aug 2024

From Contemplation To Counseling: Exploring Philosophical Practice By Constructive-Engagement Strategy Of Comparative Philosophy, Xiaojun Ding, Chao Yang, Peter Harteloh, Feng Yu

Comparative Philosophy

This paper applies Bo Mou’s Constructive-Engagement Strategy of Comparative Philosophy (CESCP) to explore philosophical practice as a novel paradigm that applies philosophy to everyday life. The study advocates for a transformative methodology that seeks truth through critical engagement, joint contributions, and diverse methodological tools, advancing the discipline towards a comprehensive world philosophy. Philosophical practice, characterized by its engagement with human experience and existential inquiries, integrates Eastern and Western philosophies to guide individuals in the art of living. It offers a philosophical alternative to psychological counseling, focusing on reasoning to address life’s challenges and ethical dilemmas. The paper examines the integration …


Chinese Feminist Philosophy: Philosophizing Chinese Feminism In Transcultural Contexts, Yuanfang Dai Aug 2024

Chinese Feminist Philosophy: Philosophizing Chinese Feminism In Transcultural Contexts, Yuanfang Dai

Comparative Philosophy

This paper aims to develop a Chinese feminist philosophy while positioning a transcultural approach as an alternative to transnational and national feminism. It focuses on Chinese feminist scholarship from the mid-1990s to the present. My main argument is that the intellectual development of Chinese feminist scholarship in the past three decades has been significantly influenced by U.S.-centric global feminism and international feminism, while at the same time being drawn from an existing history of feminism in China and reflections on the complicated relationship between global influences and local Chinese conditions. Transcultural feminism is something I see emerging out of the …


A Realist Daoism: Reading The Zhuang-Zi With Lao Zi's Daoist Realism, Wai Lok Cheung Aug 2024

A Realist Daoism: Reading The Zhuang-Zi With Lao Zi's Daoist Realism, Wai Lok Cheung

Comparative Philosophy

A realist Daoism is best illustrated through contrasting with something less robust. Chad Hansens Daoism may be understood as a linguistic constructivism and is thus a good candidate. I challenge his interpretation of the Zhuang-Zi and respond with a realist understanding of daos. The resultant realist Daoism is to be understood given a Daoist realism from Lao Zis Dao-De-Jing, whose realist flavour is constituted by some dao sometimes, if not always, outrunning us. The present paper thus situates Zhuang Zi better as inheriting Daoism from Lao Zi, contributing to classical Daoism with a relativity …


Righteousness Versus Yi: Two Senses Of Justice, Cuiting Chen Aug 2024

Righteousness Versus Yi: Two Senses Of Justice, Cuiting Chen

Comparative Philosophy

The narratives of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac in the Old Testament and Shun’s renunciation of the throne to save his father, who had committed a crime in Meng-Zi, have had a profound influence on Western and Chinese culture. The two stories are widely known and referenced due to their cultural significance, which is evident in various artistic, literary, religious, and philosophical forms. While the two narratives may be viewed as murder and corruption from a universal ethical standpoint, historical traditions interpret them differently. Abraham’s actions are revered as the epitome of righteousness, while Shun’s actions exemplify the most appropriate ( …


Preface, Wei Sun Aug 2024

Preface, Wei Sun

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Editor's Words: On Constructive-Engagement Character Of Comparative Studies Of Chinese Philosophy Toward World Philosophy—In View Of Iscwp’S Two-Decade Development, Bo Mou Aug 2024

Editor's Words: On Constructive-Engagement Character Of Comparative Studies Of Chinese Philosophy Toward World Philosophy—In View Of Iscwp’S Two-Decade Development, Bo Mou

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Semantic Correctness And The Normativity Of Logic, Jordan Ramirez Apr 2024

Semantic Correctness And The Normativity Of Logic, Jordan Ramirez

McNair Research Journal SJSU

No abstract provided.


Genius, Instrumental Music, And “Great Mistakes”: Amadeus Wendt And Beethoven’S Ninth Symphony, Sarah Clemmens Waltz Apr 2024

Genius, Instrumental Music, And “Great Mistakes”: Amadeus Wendt And Beethoven’S Ninth Symphony, Sarah Clemmens Waltz

Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies

The author attributes the anonymous 1826 Berliner allegemeine musikalische Zeitung (BamZ) review of the Leipzig performances of Beethoven’s Ninth, which suggests removal of the choral finale and inspires A.B. Marx to a passionate defense, to the critic Amadeus Wendt. The career of Wendt as a philosophy professor is firmly established, as is his criticism for the BamZ, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (AmZ), Cäcilia, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung mit besonderer Rucksicht auf den österreichischen Kaiserstaat (WamZ), and other journals. Wendt’s Hoffmannesque opinions of instrumental music are contextualized via his extensive criticism of opera and vocal music, highlighting themes such as inappropriate virtuosity, (im)proper …


Book Review On Kyoto School Philosophy In Comparative Perspective: Ideology, Ontology, Modernity (By Bernard Stevens), Dennis Stromback Jan 2024

Book Review On Kyoto School Philosophy In Comparative Perspective: Ideology, Ontology, Modernity (By Bernard Stevens), Dennis Stromback

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Xun Zi On Desiring To Be Good: Desire As The Necessary Condition For The Transformation Of Nature, Angel Ting Jan 2024

Xun Zi On Desiring To Be Good: Desire As The Necessary Condition For The Transformation Of Nature, Angel Ting

Comparative Philosophy

There are various discussions on the role of desires in the Xun-Zi and how the transformation of nature takes place. Some scholars hold that the heart-mind can override inborn human desires, a view that is analogous to externalism; others maintain the internalism view that desires are essentially motivating in the Xun-Zi. This paper aims to resolve this seeming conflict between externalism and internalism. By introducing David B. Wong's model of being an internalist about duty and an externalist about reason, I will show that desires in the Xun-Zi are necessarily motivating because of their direction of fit, and …


A Comparative Study Of Emotion In Indian And Western Philosophy, Prasasti Pandit, William Krieger Jan 2024

A Comparative Study Of Emotion In Indian And Western Philosophy, Prasasti Pandit, William Krieger

Comparative Philosophy

This paper aims to develop a comparative analysis of the place of emotion from Indian and Western philosophical perspectives. Both Eastern and Indian philosophy consider three mental states as being involved with the arousal of emotions, i.e., cognitive (epistemic), conative (desire), and affective. In Indian philosophy, there is no such single term or specific equivalent definition to the Western term ‘emotion.’ Further, there is no clear dichotomy (cognitive & non-cognitive) between reason and emotion in Indian culture. In Indian scriptures, there are various, at times intermingled conceptions of emotion. From a religious standpoint, emotion can be an expression of religious …


Golden Rule Ethics And Complementary Learning Process With The Other: From Confucius’ And Christian Approaches To Hatatas’ Approach, Fasil Merawi Jan 2024

Golden Rule Ethics And Complementary Learning Process With The Other: From Confucius’ And Christian Approaches To Hatatas’ Approach, Fasil Merawi

Comparative Philosophy

Through the development of a comparative analysis that explores the conceptions of the Golden Rule that are expressed in the teachings of Confucius, Christianity and the Hatatas, the article shows that the combined insights that emerge from these three teachings have a contemporary significance in the attempt to develop a complementary learning process with the Other. Throughout its variations, the Golden Rule is grounded on the need to treat others as how we want to be treated. Such a moral vision occupies a central importance in Confucius’s ren, Christianity’s Gospel of Matthew and the commandments, and the Hatatas’ principle of …


A Madhyamaka Critique Of Jaegwon Kim's Supervenience Argument, Tyler J. Jungbauer Jan 2024

A Madhyamaka Critique Of Jaegwon Kim's Supervenience Argument, Tyler J. Jungbauer

Comparative Philosophy

Jaegwon Kim’s supervenience argument objects to the possibility of emergent causation (both downward and same-level) based on both (1) the causal overdetermination of both (a) higher-level emergent events and (b) lower-level basal events, and (2) the causal closure principle of the physical domain. Kim argues that emergent causation entails epiphenomenalism. Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy skeptically critiques the primary (ultimate) existence of causal phenomena and instead suggests that all such phenomena may only be secondarily (conventionally) existent. Mādhyamikas acknowledge that, conventionally, emergent phenomena appear to cause both basal phenomena and other emergent phenomena. However, contra Kim, Mādhyamikas doubt that causal relations ultimately …


Intersecting Perspectives: A Comparative Dialogue On Respect In Confucian And Western Philosophies, Chuan Chih Hsu, Antonio Calderón, Chia Shih Su Jan 2024

Intersecting Perspectives: A Comparative Dialogue On Respect In Confucian And Western Philosophies, Chuan Chih Hsu, Antonio Calderón, Chia Shih Su

Comparative Philosophy

Present study analyzes the concept of respect in both Confucius' and Western philosophical traditions. It reveals the differences in interpretation and practice of respect due to their distinctive cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts. Confucius' philosophy emphasizes respect towards authority, traditions, and the elderly through dedication and commitment, while Western philosophy, primarily Aristotle's perspective, emphasizes reciprocal respect and the inherent rights of individuals. Both systems of thought, although contrasting, seek to promote values fostering cooperation, understanding, and peaceful coexistence. Despite their varied conceptualizations of respect, the ultimate goal remains the same – to provide ethical and moral guidance for a harmonious …


The Social Relevance Of Comparative Philosophy, Timothy Connolly Jan 2024

The Social Relevance Of Comparative Philosophy, Timothy Connolly

Comparative Philosophy

Early proponents of comparative philosophy believed that the dissemination of comparative methods would lead to step forward in human consciousness and contribute to a more peaceful world. Can comparative philosophy today still aspire to such goals? On the one hand, the aims of the field have narrowed, so that comparative philosophy is seen as a method of interpreting particular thinkers and texts or as a tool for addressing specific philosophical problems. On the other hand, critics argue that comparative philosophy is an outmoded enterprise that should give way to more pluralistic forms of inquiry. In this paper, I examine three …


Heraclitus And The Rig Veda: A Cross-Tradition Engaging Examination, Eleni Chronopoulou Jan 2024

Heraclitus And The Rig Veda: A Cross-Tradition Engaging Examination, Eleni Chronopoulou

Comparative Philosophy

As early as the 18th century, the similarities between Greek and Iranian thought have raised questions about the origins of Greek philosophy and a possible Oriental influence many have ventured to highlight parallels and to explain this proximity of ideas. However, although it is very well-known that Iranian philosophy is influenced by the early Hindu thought, and there are studies on the analogies between the Greek and the Indian philosophy only few scholars have studied the closeness of the Heracletean philosophy with the early Indian thinking. This article attempts to compare some fragments of the Ionian philosopher on fire …


The Hand Of Thought: A Cross-Tradition Examination Of Kosho Uchiyama And Martin Heidegger, Gregory Burgin Jan 2024

The Hand Of Thought: A Cross-Tradition Examination Of Kosho Uchiyama And Martin Heidegger, Gregory Burgin

Comparative Philosophy

This paper presents how the Sōtō Zen priest, Kōshō Uchiyama, and the mercurial and polarizing German philosopher, Martin Heidegger, approach what the former calls “opening the hand of thought” (omoi no te banashi). For Uchiyama, the metaphoric opening of our mental hand requires the meditative practice of zazen or “just sitting” (shikantaza) and is said to mean that we avoid the act of thinking. Conversely, Heidegger maintains that the “releasement” (Gelassenheit) of our conceptual grasp is the basis of a more essential and “meditative” mode of thinking and discourse (besinnliches Denken). While Uchiyama and Heidegger appear to be at odds, …


Being Curious With Secrecy, Clare Stevens, Elspeth Van Veeren, Brian Rappert, Owen D. Thomas Aug 2023

Being Curious With Secrecy, Clare Stevens, Elspeth Van Veeren, Brian Rappert, Owen D. Thomas

Secrecy and Society

This article contributes to ongoing attempts to broaden out theorizations of secrecy from an intentional and willful act of concealment to a cultural and structural process. We do so by fostering a conversation between secrecy and curiosity. This conversation is enabled through a review of central themes in secrecy studies and curiosity studies, but also through an examination of a collaboration between the science center “We the Curious” and a network of academic researchers. In doing so, this article makes a case for the benefits of paying more attention to curiosity as a means of facilitating a multifaceted understanding of …


Book Review On Methods, Methodologies, And Perspectives In The Humanities And Social Sciences: With Particular Reference To Islamic Studies - A Critical Rationalist Interpretation (By Ali Paya), Nevad Kahteran Jul 2023

Book Review On Methods, Methodologies, And Perspectives In The Humanities And Social Sciences: With Particular Reference To Islamic Studies - A Critical Rationalist Interpretation (By Ali Paya), Nevad Kahteran

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Book Review On Creating A Shared Morality: The Feasibility Of Ethical Constructivism (By Heather Salazar), Karin Brown Jul 2023

Book Review On Creating A Shared Morality: The Feasibility Of Ethical Constructivism (By Heather Salazar), Karin Brown

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Causality, Agency, And Moral Responsibility In Nikaya Buddhism, Soo Lam Wong Jul 2023

Causality, Agency, And Moral Responsibility In Nikaya Buddhism, Soo Lam Wong

Comparative Philosophy

In this paper, I aim to examine the relationship between the Buddhist notions of causality and agency, the questions of whether the Buddhist notion of causality affirms causal determinism and whether the Buddhist notion of agency affirms libertarian free will, the implications of the Buddhist notions of causality and agency for moral responsibility, and the implications of the Buddhist rejection of the metaphysical self for agency and moral responsibility. My claim is that although the question of whether the early Buddhist notions of causality and agency affirm causal determinism and libertarian free will respectively remains open, they are compatible with …


Zhuang Zi And The “Greatest Joyousness”: Wang Fuzhi’S Approach, John R. Williams Jul 2023

Zhuang Zi And The “Greatest Joyousness”: Wang Fuzhi’S Approach, John R. Williams

Comparative Philosophy

The present article presents Wang Fuzhi 王夫之 (1619-1692 C.E.)’s reading of the eighteenth chapter of the Zhuang-Zi 莊子 (ZZ) by looking at his entry from Zhuang-Zi-Tong 莊子通 and other key glosses from Zhuang-Zi-Jie 莊子解. The philosophical upshot, I aim to show, is that Wang takes ZZ as presenting the consummation of “the greatest joyousness” (zhi-le 至樂) as requiring getting rid of joyousness as one’s desideratum. Using Derek Parfit’s work as a point of reference, I aim to show that this is not paradoxical or even inconsistent or even (directly or indirectly) self-defeating but is instead an interesting instance of …


Daoist Freedom, Psychological Hygiene, And Social Criticism, Yun Tang Jul 2023

Daoist Freedom, Psychological Hygiene, And Social Criticism, Yun Tang

Comparative Philosophy

The article explores the inner logic and defining features of Daoist freedom. It argues that Daoist freedom can be meaningfully understood as psychological hygiene, and it suggests that Daoist xuan-jie (懸解) can be rendered possible only if one can rid oneself of intensional suffering—an idea ultimately inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche. This comparative approach enables the article contribute to the received way of understanding Daoist freedom by stressing its dialectics: by being at ease with one’s social and political environment, Daoist freedom demands social criticism, calling for room for people to be able to act spontaneously so that …


The Dangers Of Re-Colonization: Possible Boundaries Between Latin American Philosophy And Indigenous Philosophy From Latin America, Jorge Sanchez-Perez Jul 2023

The Dangers Of Re-Colonization: Possible Boundaries Between Latin American Philosophy And Indigenous Philosophy From Latin America, Jorge Sanchez-Perez

Comparative Philosophy

The field of Latin American philosophy has established itself as a relevant subfield of philosophical inquiry. However, there might be good reasons to consider that our focus on the subfield could have distracted us from considering another subfield that, although it might share some geographical proximity, does not share the same historical basic elements. In this paper, I argue for a possible and meaningful conceptual difference between Latin American Philosophy and Indigenous philosophy produced in Latin America. First, I raise what I call Mariátegui’s Solidarity Challenge to show that there might be some neglectful treatment of the philosophical views of …


No Place Like Home? A Dialogical Journey With Shlomo Biderman, Daniel Raveh Jul 2023

No Place Like Home? A Dialogical Journey With Shlomo Biderman, Daniel Raveh

Comparative Philosophy

This paper aims to think or rethink the concept of home as the contemporary avatar of the age-old question of self-identity. In dialogue with Shlomo Biderman, a comparative philosopher without borders who feels at home both in Jewish and Indian sources, the author assembles a philosophical jigsaw-puzzle made of different materials from different thinking traditions in attempt to reveal a new picture of home (and self) compatible with the changing world of immigration, relocation, dislocation and displacement, a world of emigrants, refugees and exiles, in which we live. The puzzle pieces include Plato’s cave, Isaiah Berlin’s “inner citadel”, Shmuel Yosef …


Desc(Art) Or The 21st Century Cartesian Meditator, Andreea Mihali Jul 2023

Desc(Art) Or The 21st Century Cartesian Meditator, Andreea Mihali

Comparative Philosophy

In this paper I argue that the continued relevance of Descartes' philosophy for present-day concerns can be demonstrated by bringing to bear on his Meditations state-of-the-art developments in Informal logic and Argumentation theory, specifically Leo Groarke’s approach to multimodal arguments. I show that the meditative exercises that Descartes viewed as preconditions of establishing the metaphysical tenets of his system can be recast in present-day form using technological tools and media that we are familiar with. We will see that, due to the different historical and cultural contexts, the 21st century Cartesian meditating process can be: 1) technology-enhanced (a customizable, multimodal …