History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China

HPC 013. The Trembling Ox: Mengzi and the Compassionate Heart

In the Mengzi, the text that bears his name, Mengzi ("Mencius") holds that the human heart-mind is the wellspring of goodness.

HPC 12. Gentlemen’s Agreement: Confucian Virtue Ethics

Should the remarkable parallels between Aristotelian and Confucian ethics lead us to classify Confucianism as a type of “virtue ethics”?

HPC 011. Mark Csikszentmihalyi on Early Confucianism

In this interview, we learn how Kongzi become the pivotal sage of early Chinese history, and what new discoveries teach us about the Confucian tradition.

HPC 10. We’re a Pack Animal: Individual and Society in Confucianism

What does the Analects say about living as a human being? How are individuals embedded in society, and how do they develop their unique identities?

HPC 09. Family Values: Confucian Role Ethics

Confucianism puts relationships with family members at the core of their ethical thinking. Is this a strength or a weakness?

HPC 08. Confucius Says: Reading the Analects

Lessons we can take from the teachings of Kongzi (Confucius) in the Analects: challenging authorities, adhering to “benevolence (ren),” and practicing “propriety (li)” in ritual and everyday life.

HPC 07. Uncrowned King: Kongzi (Confucius) and the Analects

An introduction to Kongzi, the founder of Confucianism, and to the text that has come to represent his thought, the Lunyu (Analects).

HPC 06. Franklin Perkins on Excavated Texts

In this interview, we learn how newly discovered texts are changing our understanding of Warring States period philosophy.

HPC 05. Going Paperless: Ancient Chinese Texts

What were ancient Chinese philosophical texts written on? How did writing relate to orally transmitted wisdom? How were texts read and used? And what even counted as a “text” in ancient China?

HPC 04. Open Season: the Historical Context

The historical context of classical Chinese philosophy, and how ancient Chinese historical works themselves became works of philosophy.