Mario Wenning

This essay offers a comparative analysis of the notion of trust in Hegel and Confucius. It shows that Hegel’s two senses of trust depend upon his theory of recognition and recognitive struggle. The competitive thrust of Hegel’s account of trust, it argues, introduces a series of problems that cannot be adequately resolved within his theory, since it presupposes the kinds of trusting relations—self-, intersubjective- and world-trust—that it purports to explain. This essay then turns to the Confucian notions of xin 心 and li 理 to address the problems in the Hegelian account. It concludes by outlining the Confucian account’s salience for critical social theory.

Confucian Marxism: A Reflection on Religion and Global Justice by Chen Weigang is part of the series “Ideas, History, and Modern China.” As the title suggests, Chen establishes a constructive encounter between Confucianism and Marxism, two schools of thought that are too rarely seated at the same table. By way of laying out a sociologically and philosophically informed framework, Chen develops a challenging and densely argued interpretation of what he aptly refers to as “peripheral liberal deformation”. Western capitalism has expanded globally without bringing about the normative ethos that has accompanied it in the advanced capitalist center in the West. If Weber, the author’s overarching...

This book explores the contributions of East Asian traditions, particularly Buddhism and (Euro)Daoism, to environmental philosophy. It critically examines the conceptions of human responsibility toward nature and across time presented within these traditions as well as in European philosophy. The volume rethinks human relationships to the natural world by focusing on three main themes: Daoist and Eurodaoist perspectives on nature, human responsibility toward nature, and Buddhist perspectives on life and nature. By way of discussing East Asian traditions and European thinkers, this collection reveals that the impact of humanity on the environment is shaped not only by distinctive modes of economic production, but also by cultural beliefs and practices. Representing a unique constellation of environmental and intercultural philosophy, the contributions present systematic approaches to the global need for cultivating environmental responsibility across cultures and generations to address the political, ethical, and aesthetic challenges arising from humanity’s transformative impact on the natural world.

Fabian Heubel is intellectually situated in both Frankfurt and Taipei. He also embarks on regular excursions to Paris and Beijing. Due to this rare combination of influences, he has managed to square a philosophical circle that comprises Critical Theory in the Frankfurt-School tradition, contemporary French philosophy as well as classical and modern Chinese philosophy in the PRC and Taiwan. Heubel's approach reflects the experience of being existentially immersed in Chinese language as well as academic life at his academic home, the Academia Sinica in Taipei, for significant periods of his life, without thereby losing touch with Western academic discourse. One of the chapters of his two most recent books discussed...

While ancient civilizations worshipped strong, active emotions, modern societies have favored more peaceful attitudes, especially within the democratic process. We have largely forgotten the struggle to make use of _thymos_, the part of the soul that, following Plato, contains spirit, pride, and indignation. Rather, Christianity and psychoanalysis have promoted mutual understanding to overcome conflict. Through unique examples, Peter Sloterdijk, the preeminent posthumanist, argues exactly the opposite, showing how the history of Western civilization can be read as a suppression and return of rage. By way of reinterpreting the _Iliad_, Alexandre Dumas's _Count of Monte Cristo_, and recent Islamic political riots in Paris, Sloterdijk proves the fallacy that rage is an emotion capable of control. Global terrorism and economic frustrations have rendered strong emotions visibly resurgent, and the consequences of violent outbursts will determine international relations for decades to come. To better respond to rage and its complexity, Sloterdijk daringly breaks with entrenched dogma and contructs a new theory for confronting conflict. His approach acknowledges and respects the proper place of rage and channels it into productive political struggle

El artículo se centra en el imaginario europeo sobre China durante la Edad Moderna temprana y su contribución al pensamiento ilustrado. Parto recordando la precaria condición del misionero jesuita en cuanto “medio complejo” de intercambio intercultural. Luego abordo la misión jesuita desde la perspectiva de la filosofía de los medios de comunicación e investigo la forma específica de subjetividad que fomentó. Finalmente, analizo las disputas intestinas de la Iglesia Católica y el protagonismo del misionero Domingo Navarrete, quien contribuyó al desarrollo de un discurso misionero ilustrado y crítico, el cual culminó en una política de tolerancia y en el surgimiento del secularismo europeo.

El artículo se centra en el imaginario europeo sobre China durante la Edad Moderna temprana y su contribución al pensamiento ilustrado. Parto recordando la precaria condición del misionero jesuita en cuanto “medio complejo” de intercambio intercultural. Luego abordo la misión jesuita desde la perspectiva de la filosofía de los medios de comunicación e investigo la forma específica de subjetividad que fomentó. Finalmente, analizo las disputas intestinas de la Iglesia Católica y el protagonismo del misionero Domingo Navarrete, quien contribuyó al desarrollo de un discurso misionero ilustrado y crítico, el cual culminó en una política de tolerancia y en el surgimiento del secularismo europeo.

El presente artículo examina los discursos histórico-geográficos sobre América transmitidos en China por misioneros jesuitas entre los siglos XVI y XVIII. Este busca demostrar el modo en que misioneros y sus colaboradores chinos crearon, cuidadosa y estratégicamente, sus informaciones sobre el continente con el fin de apoyar su agenda política y misional. El texto comienza con una descripción general de las estrategias de la misión en China y su relación con la producción geográfica sino-jesuita, para luego ejemplificar a través de un análisis de los contenidos sobre la geografía, etnografía y el “descubrimiento” del continente, la conexión de estas informaciones con los planes de la misión. El artículo concluye que las representaciones sobre la geografía, gentes e historia de América reflejan tres intereses interrelacionados: atraer la atención de los literatos chinos; resaltar el alto desarrollo de la civilización europea; y comunicar mensajes religiosos.