Westchester, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
PhilPapers Editorships
Chinese Feminism
  •  612
    Di er ci Qimeng (The second Enlightenment), by Wang Zhihe and Fan Meijun, is a timely book in Chinese about constructing a philosophical and practical way to contend with China's postmodernization. It combines Whitehead's process philosophy with a focus on Chinese modernity in order to map out a desirable postmodern society. It addresses the problem on several dimensions from policy making to basic value systems. The range of themes can be seen from the topics of the book's twelve chapters: (1) …Read more
  •  360
    Dong Zhongshu (Tung Chung-shu) (179-104 B.C.E.) was the first prominent Confucian to integrate yin-yang theory into Confucianism. His constructive effort not only generates a new perspective on yin and yang, it also involves implications beyond its explicit contents. First, Dong changes the natural harmony (he ネᄆ) of yin and yang to an imposed unity (he 合). Second, he identifies yang with human nature (xing) and benevolence (ren), and yin with emotion (qing) and greed (tan). Taken together, thes…Read more
  •  71
    Kundao坤道: A lived body in female daoism
    Journal of Chinese Philosophy 36 (2): 277-292. 2009.
    No Abstract
  •  65
    Ideal womanhood in chinese thought and culture
    Philosophy Compass 5 (8): 635-644. 2010.
    Based on original texts this essay attempts to describe two main conceptual constructions and practices of ideal womanhood in the Chinese tradition: Lienu (exemplary women) as the Confucian social inspirations for women and Kundao (way of female) as the Daoist commitment to bodily and spiritual transformation.
  •  60
    Dong zhongshu's transformation of
    Philosophy East and West 55 (2): 209-231. 2005.
    : Dong Zhongshu (Tung Chung-shu) (179–104 B.C.E.) was the first prominent Confucian to integrate yin-yang theory into Confucianism. His constructive effort not only generates a new perspective on yin and yang, it also involves implications beyond its explicit contents. First, Dong changes the natural harmony of yin and yang to an imposed unity Second, he identifies yang with human nature (xing) and benevolence (ren), and yin with emotion (qing) and greed (tan). Taken together, these two noveltie…Read more
  •  51
    The Virtuous Body at Work: The Ethical Life as Qi 氣 in Motion
    Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 9 (3): 339-351. 2010.
    This essay argues that moral self-cultivation as described in the Confucian tradition involves the cultivation of the body. Preparing the body in certain ways, perhaps by making it healthy, is a necessary part of moral self-cultivation. This claim includes: (a) nourishing the body in a proper way is a first step in moral self-cultivation, and the bodily care is instrumentally valuable to one’s flourishing life; (b) making and keeping a healthy body is partly constitutive of a moral well-being …Read more
  •  44
    Chinese philosophy in an era of globalization (edited book)
    State University of New York Press. 2004.
    This book treats Chinese philosophy today as a global project, presenting the work of both Chinese and Western philosophers.
  •  33
    Yinyang (yin-yang)
    Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006.
  •  26
    Exemplary Women of Early China: The “Lienü zhuan” of Liu Xiang. Translated and edited by Anne Behnke Kinney. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014. Pp. lvi + 323. $105 ; $35.
  •  24
    Leibniz and China: A Commerce of Light (review) (review)
    Philosophy East and West 57 (1): 111-114. 2007.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Reviewed by:Leibniz and China: A Commerce of LightRobin R. WangLeibniz and China: A Commerce of Light. By Franklin Perkins. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Pp. xvi + 224.In December 1697, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) wrote to a Jesuit friend in China, praising the Jesuit mission there as "the greatest affair of our time" (p. 42). The purpose of that mission, in Leibniz's view, was not simply to glorify God and t…Read more
  •  23
    This essay explores the epistemological implications of the Daoist concept of rou 柔 or “suppleness” and its related notion rouzhi 柔知 or the “supple way of knowing.” It is comprised of three interrelated parts. Part one starts with a brief introduction to rou and its usage in early Chinese texts, where it outlines three important ways to approach it. In part two, it moves to a careful reading of female Daoist Cao Wenyi’s 曹文逸 Lingyuan Dadaoge 《靈源大道歌》 (The Song of the Ultimate Source of Great Dao o…Read more
  •  22
    The concept of yinyang lies at the heart of Chinese thought and culture. The relationship between these two opposing, yet mutually dependent, forces is symbolized in the familiar black and white symbol that has become an icon in popular culture across the world. The real significance of yinyang is, however, more complex and subtle. This brilliant and comprehensive analysis by one of the leading authorities in the field captures the richness and multiplicity of the meanings and applications of yi…Read more
  •  22
    Littlejohn, Ronnie L. , daoism: An introduction (review)
    Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 9 (2): 241-244. 2010.
  •  20
    This question might seem odd, but it is, nevertheless, directly relevant to our life today. My intention is to bring ancient Daoist philosophy into a conversation about the challenges that technology poses. Today, cutting-edge technologies do not exist just in research labs but have already easily penetrated all aspects of our lives. It is difficult to argue that we do not yet inhabit a world with Artificial Intelligence, for it has become a pervasive and effective technology woven into the fabr…Read more
  •  13
    The Yi River Commentary on the Book of Changes
    with Cheng Yi and L. Michael Harrington
    Yale University Press. 2019.
    This book is a translation of a key commentary on the Book of Changes, or Yijing, perhaps the most broadly influential text of classical China. The Yijing first appeared as a divination text in Zhou-dynasty China and later became a work of cosmology, philosophy, and political theory as commentators supplied it with new meanings. While many English translations of the Yijing itself exist, none are paired with a historical commentary as thorough and methodical as that written by the Confucian scho…Read more
  •  12
    In the Shadows of the Dao: Laozi, the Sage, and the Daodejing by Thomas Michael
    Philosophy East and West 68 (2): 654-656. 2018.
    The Daodejing is a fascinating text that has captivated scholarly minds and the popular imagination for centuries. Is it a manual for self-cultivation and government, a work of philosophy providing a metaphysical account of reality, or a treatise for deep mystical insight? Is it perhaps an ethical masterpiece intended for the ruling class, with concrete strategic suggestions aimed at remedying the moral and political turmoil surrounding Warring States China? Or is it a way of life characterized …Read more
  •  8
    Book Reviews (review)
    with Yiwei Zheng, Matthew Morgan, Xiaomei Yang, Kuang-Ming Wu, Siu-fu Tang, Zhiping Yu, Hongsheng Hu, and Sky Liu
    Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 1 (2): 277-299. 2002.
  •  3
    Cao Wenyi of China 曹文逸 1039–1119
    In Mary Ellen Waithe & Therese Boos Dykeman (eds.), Women Philosophers from Non-western Traditions: The First Four Thousand Years, Springer Verlag. pp. 271-289. 2023.
    Eleventh-century Daoist Master Cao Wenyi’s Song of Ultimate Source of the Great Dao is presented for the first time in English translation. It is a philosophy lecture in verse format. Both technical terms and allegorical references, as well as the relevant parts of Daoist philosophy are explained. Cao, who is sometimes referred to as Cao Xiwen, discusses the emerging Daoist concept of inner harmony as a methodology for controlling one’s interaction with the external world as well as for controll…Read more
  • Yinyang narrative of reality: Chinese metaphysical thinking
    In Chenyang Li & Franklin Perkins (eds.), Chinese Metaphysics and its Problems, Cambridge University Press. 2015.