Kirill O. Thompson

Mozi's Teaching of Jianai (Impartial Regard): A Lesson for the Twenty-First Century?

In response to the waste, violence, and destruction of his times, Mozi began teaching jianai 兼愛 (impartial regard), a reflection on Confucius’ Silver Rule (SR) and teaching of ren 仁 (humaneness). Mozi regarded the negative formulation of the SR as too passive, and the concomitant expressions of ren conduct as circumscribed by the li 禮 (ritual action) that supported hierarchical elite clans and courts. Accordingly, it is argued here that SR and ren practice contributed to harmony and stability within the elites but not among them. Jianai thus reflects a positive Golden Rule (GR) and enjoins a mutual concern that crosses hierarchical levels and clusters, involving a notion of justice as fairness and equity. As an ethical precept of both intrinsic validity and practical efficacy for Mozi’s chaotic world, jianai sits well with our human intuition of fairness and equity, and empirically is shown conducive to fair and positive outcomes. Today, we are increasingly aware of other peoples around the world but also know that our interconnected global village is radically imbalanced. Most of the wealth entering impoverished areas is siphoned off to elites and does not contribute adequately to disadvantaged communities. Could jianai, as corollary of the GR, provide a missing link in contemporary arguments for viewing justice as equity? It expresses a clear and compelling moral truth that encourages empathy and consideration toward others, and the sort of human intuition that economic and business theory attempt to conceal, to the advantage of the vested interests. Mozi saw jianai as a moral theme conducive to a harmonious, win-win society and world.

Relational Self in Classical Confucianism: Lessons from Confucius' Analects

Abstract: The present essay argues that early Confucian texts, notably the Analects, present a relational view of self, together with relational virtues, ethics, et cetera. The recent rise of relational psychology adds empirical support to the Confucian view. This essay then elucidates the relational character of Confucius’ teachings, and reflects on the promise of the relational view for grasping the character of human life and revitalizing educational and social institutions and services.

Agricultural Ethics in Early Chinese Perspective: Some Issues

What sort of concepts do East Asian philosophical traditions offer in response to ethical issues in agriculture? Rather than sketch out general traditional East Asian views of humanity, nature, other species, etc., the present discussion considers a nest of issues faced by some American farmers, and considers how East Asian traditions would grapple with these issues. Early East Asian thinkers grapple with some parallel issues. Confucius (551–479 B.C.) diagnoses the breakdown of Zhou dynasty as owing to people losing sight of their inherent relatedness and interpersonal ties, responsibilities and interests. Mozi’s (fl. 479–438 B.C.E.) teaching of impartial regard (jianai) warns against overly prioritizing one’s own homestead and kin over and against others, urges taking one’s neighbor’s legitimate concerns and interests as seriously as one’s own, and finally working together to reap the win-win rewards. The Daoist views of Laozi (fifth cent. B.C.E.) and Zhuangzi (fl. 370–300 B.C.E.) involve earth-centered ethics by conceiving human relationality as extending beyond the family and social spheres to the natural and ontological spheres. These early East Asian philosophical positions give interesting alternative ways to conceptualize ourselves, our existence in the world, and our agrarian practices on land in ecosystems in nature and alongside other farmers, which warrant further inquiry.

The Humanities in Higher Education and Research in Taiwan: Current State and Challenges

Serving as both a humanities faculty member and a humanities advanced research administrator, I witnessed a sort of renaissance of humanities instruction and research at various levels of higher education in Taiwan during the past ten years—followed, unfortunately, by a current sense of vertigo. The following reflections are based on my observations of the recent and current state of, and the growing challenges faced by, humanities faculty and researchers in higher education in Taiwan. Although I cannot claim my observations and reflections are fully representative, they accurately reflect my experiences at the national universities and research institutes in northern Taiwan.

Fox Koan and Dream: Dogen's New Light on Causality and Purity

The consummate Soto Zen master, Dogen (1200–1253), expressed himself in creative ways that reflected fundamental insights of Chan/Zen Buddhism while responding to the needs of his time and place, i.e., Kamakura era Japan. His early training in Tendai and Rinzai Zen lent rigor and force to his Soto Zen experiences and expressions. This paper explores Dogens new light on causality and morality purity, vis-à-vis Song dynasty Chan approaches by examining (1) his comments, early (1244) and late (ca. 1252), on the Fox Koan, and (2) his discussions about Dream and ‘veridical’ experience. By showing the inexorability of causality, Dogen revealed the need for moral purity in achieving enlightenment qua freedom. Even in the vertigo of emptiness, the purified Soto Zen Buddhist adept discerns and effects equilibrium and, by extension, fairness, in experience, practice and affairs, as ongoing endeavors, as skilful means to impact and transform, not just Buddhist adepts, but ones world.