The Différance that Makes All the Difference: A Comparison of Derrida and ŚaṅkaraOlson, Carl.
2011 Philosophy East and West
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Abstract: This essay compares Śaṅkara and Jacques Derrida on the issue of difference. This hermeneutical dialogue compares the two thinkers with respect to the following items: différance and nonduality; presence and trace; being and alterity; and truth, meaning, and reality. This essay intends to compare Śaṅkara and Derrida on what the latter calls différance because it is a central notion in his postmodern philosophy, whereas nondualism is stressed by the former philosopher. Therefore, this comparison engages two philosophies that move in completely different directions.
The Différance that Makes All the Difference: A Comparison of Derrida and Åaá¹
karaOlson, Carl.
2011 Philosophy East and West
doi:
This essay compares Åaá¹
kara and Jacques Derrida on the issue of difference. This hermeneutical dialogue compares the two thinkers with respect to the following items: <i>différance</i> and nonduality; presence and trace; being and alterity; and truth, meaning, and reality. This essay intends to compare Åaá¹
kara and Derrida on what the latter calls <i>différance</i> because it is a central notion in his postmodern philosophy, whereas nondualism is stressed by the former philosopher. Therefore, this comparison engages two philosophies that move in completely different directions.
Mou Zongsan, Hegel, and Kant: The Quest for Confucian ModernitySchmidt, Stephan.
2011 Philosophy East and West
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This essay discusses the New Confucian philosopher Mou Zongsan (1909â1995), who in a number of highly influential writings in the 1970s attempted a kind of Confucian <i>Aufhebung</i> of Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy. Section 1 analyzes Mou's hybrid terminology and demonstrates how his use of Kantian concepts such as intellectual intuition <i>(zhi de zhijue)</i> and autonomy <i>(zi lu)</i> significantly altered the meaning of these terms without making the differences explicit. By relating this particular brand of Kantian Confucianism to the Chinese discourse on modernizationâin which New Confucians took a stand against May Fourth iconoclasmâsection 2 brings to light the inner strategic logic of Mou Zongsan's approach, namely a two-step argument for both the possibility and the necessity of Confucian Modernity. The concluding third section traces Mou's strategic appropriation of Kantian philosophy to his brief but momentous encounter with Hegel's metaphysics of history in the 1950s. Although Mou Zongsan himself never fully acknowledged his indebtedness to Hegel, the essay demonstrates that it was Hegel who first provided Mou with an understanding of how to enlist Kant's services in his quest for Confucian Modernity.
Mou Zongsan, Hegel, and Kant: The Quest for Confucian ModernitySchmidt, Stephan.
2011 Philosophy East and West
doi:
Abstract: This essay discusses the New Confucian philosopher Mou Zongsan (1909–1995), who in a number of highly influential writings in the 1970s attempted a kind of Confucian Aufhebung of Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy. Section 1 analyzes Mou's hybrid terminology and demonstrates how his use of Kantian concepts such as intellectual intuition (zhi de zhijue) and autonomy (zi lu) significantly altered the meaning of these terms without making the differences explicit. By relating this particular brand of Kantian Confucianism to the Chinese discourse on modernization—in which New Confucians took a stand against May Fourth iconoclasm—section 2 brings to light the inner strategic logic of Mou Zongsan's approach, namely a two-step argument for both the possibility and the necessity of Confucian Modernity. The concluding third section traces Mou's strategic appropriation of Kantian philosophy to his brief but momentous encounter with Hegel's metaphysics of history in the 1950s. Although Mou Zongsan himself never fully acknowledged his indebtedness to Hegel, the essay demonstrates that it was Hegel who first provided Mou with an understanding of how to enlist Kant's services in his quest for Confucian Modernity.
Sarkar on the Buddha's Four Noble TruthsKang, Chris.
2011 Philosophy East and West
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Abstract: This is a critical comparison of two important figures, one ancient and one contemporary, in the Indian religious landscape: Gotama Buddha and Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. Such comparison of their key ideas and practices is warranted for two reasons. First, Sarkar, a neo-Hindu thinker and reformer, has both praised the Buddha's humanism and criticized the Buddhist doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, and it is of interest to examine exactly where Sarkar stands in relation to the Buddha and to Buddhism as a whole. It is particularly interesting to examine in what ways Sarkar's teachings are an attempt to find an alternative to Buddhism. Second, it is of academic interest to explore the accuracy of Sarkar's interpretations of the Buddha's teachings and the problem of their acceptability to Buddhists. This essay argues for the commensurability of the Sarkarian and Buddhist emancipatory ethic despite real doctrinal and practical differences, and suggests that Sarkarian and Buddhist approaches can each contribute to the alleviation of human suffering both individual and collective.
Sarkar on the Buddha's Four Noble TruthsKang, Chris.
2011 Philosophy East and West
doi:
This is a critical comparison of two important figures, one ancient and one contemporary, in the Indian religious landscape: Gotama Buddha and Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. Such comparison of their key ideas and practices is warranted for two reasons. First, Sarkar, a neo-Hindu thinker and reformer, has both praised the Buddha's humanism and criticized the Buddhist doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, and it is of interest to examine exactly where Sarkar stands in relation to the Buddha and to Buddhism as a whole. It is particularly interesting to examine in what ways Sarkar's teachings are an attempt to find an alternative to Buddhism. Second, it is of academic interest to explore the accuracy of Sarkar's interpretations of the Buddha's teachings and the problem of their acceptability to Buddhists. This essay argues for the commensurability of the Sarkarian and Buddhist emancipatory ethic despite real doctrinal and practical differences, and suggests that Sarkarian and Buddhist approaches can each contribute to the alleviation of human suffering both individual and collective.
The Concept of Zhen 真 in the ZhuangziChong, Kim Chong.
2011 Philosophy East and West
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Abstract: The term zhen in the Zhuangzi is commonly associated with the zhen ren or the "true person," who is described, for example, as capable of going through fire and water unharmed. Some scholars take this as typifying a mystical element in the Zhuangzi . This essay investigates the various meanings and uses of zhen in the Zhuangzi and reaches a broader understanding of the zhen ren in various contexts.
The Concept of Zhen ç in the ZhuangziChong, Kim Chong.
2011 Philosophy East and West
doi:
The term <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> is commonly associated with the <i>zhen ren</i> or the "true person," who is described, for example, as capable of going through fire and water unharmed. Some scholars take this as typifying a mystical element in the <i>Zhuangzi</i>. This essay investigates the various meanings and uses of <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> and reaches a broader understanding of the <i>zhen ren</i> in various contexts.
Mozi's Moral Theory: Breaking the Hermeneutical StalemateJohnson, Daniel M.
2011 Philosophy East and West
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Abstract: The most significant contemporary controversy surrounding the thought of Mozi is the debate over his ultimate criterion of right action—whether he should be interpreted as a divine-will theorist or as a utilitarian. It is possible, at least on the surface, to interpret him either way. I consider arguments designed to break this hermeneutical stalemate and argue that the divine-will interpretation comes out ahead. I conclude by responding to an argument by Xiufen Lu that the debate is misguided.
Mozi's Moral Theory: Breaking the Hermeneutical StalemateJohnson, Daniel M.
2011 Philosophy East and West
doi:
The most significant contemporary controversy surrounding the thought of Mozi is the debate over his ultimate criterion of right actionâwhether he should be interpreted as a divine-will theorist or as a utilitarian. It is possible, at least on the surface, to interpret him either way. I consider arguments designed to break this hermeneutical stalemate and argue that the divine-will interpretation comes out ahead. I conclude by responding to an argument by Xiufen Lu that the debate is misguided.