Episodes

4 days ago
4 days ago
An interview on the contrasting views of Mohists and Confucians on ethical duties and warfare.

Sunday Apr 06, 2025
HPC 27. Give Peace a Chance: the Mohists on War and Politics
Sunday Apr 06, 2025
Sunday Apr 06, 2025
How the Mohist principle of “inclusive care” leads to political order and (mostly) forbids the fighting of wars.

Sunday Mar 23, 2025
HPC 26. Culture Wars: Mohist and Confucian Debates
Sunday Mar 23, 2025
Sunday Mar 23, 2025
Disagreements between the Mohists and the Confucians: is seeking benefits the right way to approach life? What motivates us to act morally, care for our loved ones or a doctrine of impartiality?

Sunday Mar 09, 2025
HPC 25. Benefit, Then Stop: Mohism and Impartial Care
Sunday Mar 09, 2025
Sunday Mar 09, 2025
How did the Mohists establish their consequentialist ethic of “impartial care (jian ’ai)”? Was this theory ultimately grounded in the will of Heaven?

Sunday Feb 23, 2025
HPC 24. Measuring Up: Mohist philosophy
Sunday Feb 23, 2025
Sunday Feb 23, 2025
An introduction to the Mozi, the founding text of an anti-elitist school of thought that tests social and political practices by the measure of “benefit.”

Sunday Feb 09, 2025
HPC 23. Amy Olberding on Confucian Ethics
Sunday Feb 09, 2025
Sunday Feb 09, 2025
In our final episode on classical Confucianism, our interview guest tells us about the surprising moral depth of the concept of "etiquette"

Sunday Jan 26, 2025
HPC 22. Inside Job: Women in Confucianism
Sunday Jan 26, 2025
Sunday Jan 26, 2025
Can classical Confucianism be redeemed from its reputation for rigidly hierarchical thinking when it comes to the relationship between men and women?

Sunday Jan 12, 2025
HPC 21. Sor-Hoon Tan on Confucian Democracy
Sunday Jan 12, 2025
Sunday Jan 12, 2025
Can classical Confucian ideas be adapted to produce a theory of democracy fit for today's world?

Sunday Dec 29, 2024
HPC 20. Heaven Can Wait: Ritual and Religion in Confucianism
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Were Confucian ideas about Heaven, ritual, and fate driven by a religious attitude, or a naturalistic one?

Sunday Dec 15, 2024
HPC 19. The Kingly Way: Confucian Political Philosophy
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Mengzi and Xunzi show that a Confucian political theory need not be idealistic.