This Is The Way: Chinese Philosophy Podcast
This Is The Way is a podcast on Chinese philosophy, exploring philosophical themes by reflecting on significant Chinese texts and through interviews with scholars of Chinese thought. We aim to offer discussions that are informative and accessible to a broad audience.
Please email us at: ChinesePhilosophyPodcast@gmail.com and follow us on X @ChinesePhilPod
Episodes
19 episodes
Episode 19: Zhu Xi on the Unity of the Virtues
Today's topic is really about two things. First, it's about the claim that many instantiations of one virtue necessarily come packaged with other virtues. For example, you can't have great humaneness or benevolence in your charitable giving to ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:26:29
Episode 18: Neo-Confucian Metaphysics
Much of the technical philosophy of Confucianism was developed by sophisticated thinkers that came well after the time of Confucius, starting in the Song dynasty. This episode is our first devoted to the foremost of these "Neo-Confucians," Zhu ...
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1:31:15
Episode 17: The Mohist State of Nature Argument
In this episode, we delve into the Mozi’s "state of nature argument," a vision of human life before political order and an explanation of how humans left that state. The Mohists were history’s first consequentialists and an important a...
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1:19:33
Episode 16: Zhuangzi on Uselessness
In this episode, we talk about the theme of uselessness in the Zhuangzi, one of the great foundational texts of philosophical Daoism. What exactly determines whether something is useful or useless? Is usefulness largely or fundamentall...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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1:19:41
Episode 15: Ritual in the Analects
It is indisputable that ritual is at the heart of Confucianism—buy why? In this episode we examine Analects 3.17 in which Confucius seems keen to defend a ritual sacrifice of a lamb which his student regards as excessive. We discuss th...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:14:14
Episode 14: Women in the Analects
In the received version of the Analects, it’s quite apparent that all of Confucius’s disciples were men. So one might wonder: is this an ethics built just for men? Today we are happy to be joined by Professor Erin Cline, Tagliabue Prof...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:04:34
Episode 13: Family Before State
Confucianism is well known for prioritizing familial responsibilities and love over other competing demands such as public interest or duties to the state. In this episode we explore two of the best known passages from early Confucianism that s...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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57:20
Episode 12: Play
Play seems to constitute an important part of a flourishing human life. Most of us experience play through things like simple childhood games of hide-and-go-seek or more intellectual activities like chess or go. What these experiences of play h...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:36:33
Episode 11: Nonaction
The concept of wu-wei, often translated as nonaction or effortless action is central to classical Chinese philosophy. But what exactly is the idea and what are its practical implications? What puzzles does it raise regarding the nature...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:11:48
Episode 10: Mencius on Moral Development
How do we become good? What is the process by which we acquire the virtues? We examine these question by focusing on some key concepts in Mencius's account of moral development such as reflection and extension. This discussion also centers on <...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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1:29:58
Episode 9: Moral Sprouts
What is the nature and source of morality? Are human beings naturally inclined toward moral goodness? The early Confucian thinker Mencius (Mengzi) believed that human beings by nature possessed certain moral sprouts that could be nurtured and d...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:26:30
Episode 8: The Golden Rule
Across different religious and moral traditions we often find some version of the Golden Rule. In this episode we explore the Golden Rule as formulated in the Analects and explore questions such as how fundamental it is to the Confucia...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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1:38:50
Episode 7: The Butcher
Certain allegories and myths offer profound philosophical insights. In the West, Plato's Allegory of the Cave occupies a key role in the history of philosophy with its marvelous representation of the quest for knowledge and the distinction betw...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:34:48
Episode 6: Partiality and Justice
It seems clear that special relationships give rise to strong attachments and responsibilities that are at the heart of human lives. But it also seems that considerations of justice can require us to give equal consideration to a stranger. What...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:25:55
Episode 5: Cultivation and the Autobiography of Confucius
In this episode we discuss Confucius's autobiography as found in Analects 2.4, one of the most famous passages in the Analects and a rich resource for reflection on the process of moral self-cultivation. Among the many topics ...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:28:13
Episode 4: Persuasion
In this episode we discuss the topic of persuasion by exploring a dialogue between Confucius and his disciple Yan Hui in Chapter Four of the Zhuangzi. Among the questions we explore are: (1) Is persuading someone who disagrees ...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:36:28
Episode 3: Oneness
In this episode we explore the fascinating topic of Oneness with our guest Philip J. Ivanhoe, a distinguished scholar and translator of East Asian philosophy. Join
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:27:05