•  83
    Human Nature and Moral Sprouts: Mencius on the Pollyanna Problem
    Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 99 (1): 140-162. 2016.
    This article responds to a common criticism of Aristotelian naturalism known as the Pollyanna Problem, the objection that Aristotelian naturalism, when combined with recent empirical research, generates morally unacceptable conclusions. In developing a reply to this objection, I draw upon the conception of human nature developed by the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius, and build up an account of ethical naturalism that provides a satisfying response to the Pollyanna Problem while also preserv…Read more
  •  51
    Early Confucianism and Contemporary Moral Psychology
    Philosophy Compass 11 (9): 473-485. 2016.
    The aim of this essay is to introduce scholars to recent discussions of early Confucian ethics that intersect with contemporary moral psychology. Given the early Confucian tradition's intense focus on the cultivation of virtue, there are a number of ways in which early Confucian thinkers – as represented in the texts of the Analects, the Mencius, and the Xunzi – fruitfully engaged in a range of topics that are closely connected to live issues in moral psychology. Not only did they anticipate som…Read more
  •  38
    Human Nature and Animal Nature: The Horak Debate and Its Philosophical Significance
    International Philosophical Quarterly 55 (4): 437-456. 2015.
    Philosophical investigation of human nature has a long, distinguished, and multifaceted history. In the East some of the most heated philosophical disputes pertaining to issues concerning moral self-cultivation centered on disagreements about human nature. Within the Neo-Confucian tradition that developed out of Korea, issues concerning human nature took center stage in a dispute now known as the “Horak Debate” that began in the eighteenth century. In this paper I seek to introduce the Horak Deb…Read more
  •  17
    Natural Law in Mencius and Aquinas
    In Michael R. Slater, Erin M. Cline & Philip J. Ivanhoe (eds.), Confucianism and Catholicism Reinvigorating the Dialogue, . 2020.
  •  12
    Skill, Practice, and Virtue: Some Questions and Objections for Aaron Stalnaker
    Philosophy East and West 71 (2): 520-524. 2021.
    It is a pleasure to be a part of such great intellectual company in discussing Professor Stalnaker's very rich and insightful book. It is practically impossible not to be impressed by Stalnaker's breadth of knowledge, deep understanding of early Chinese texts, and keen observations about how the early Chinese philosophers offer intellectual resources still very much relevant to us today. My comments will focus on the relationship between skill and virtue. I'll ask one clarificatory question and …Read more
  •  8
    Well-being is topic of perennial concern. It has been of significant interest to scholars across disciplines, culture, and time. But like morality, conceptions of well-being are deeply shaped and influenced by one's particular social and cultural context. We ought to pursue, therefore, a cross-cultural understanding of well-being and moral psychology by taking seriously reflections from a variety of moral traditions. This book develops a Confucian account of well-being, considering contemporary …Read more
  •  4
    The Role of Human Nature in Moral Inqiury: MacIntyre, Mencius, and Xunzi
    History of Philosophy Quarterly 32 (4): 313-333. 2015.
    Appeals to human nature in normative inquiry have fallen out of favor among contemporary philosophers. There are a variety of reasons frequently cited by those who see appeals to human nature as deeply problematic: (a) that the notion of human nature, which conceives nature as having a teleological direction, is incompatible with evolutionary biology; (b) that the manifest diversity of cultural values and traditions falsify any essentialist claims involving a common nature necessarily shared by …Read more
  •  3
    Confucian Virtue Ethics and Business
    with Javier Cuervo, Richard Roque, and Reuben Mondejar
    In Ignacio Ferrero, Gregorio Guitian & Alejo Jose G. Sison (eds.), Business Ethics: A Virtue Ethics and Common Good Approach, Routledge. 2018.
    Confucian Virtue Ethics and Business
  •  1
    Filial Piety and Business Ethics: A Confucian Reflection
    with Reuben Mondejar and Chris Chu
    In Alejo José G. Sison, Gregory Beabout & Ignacio Ferrero (eds.), Handbook on Virtue Ethics in Business and Management, . 2016.
    Filial Piety and Business Ethics: A Confucian Reflection
  • Aquinas: The Ultimate End
    Philosophical Forum 42 (3): 283-284. 2011.