Podcast Episodes

Episode 19: Zhu Xi on the Unity of the Virtues

Season 1 Episode 19

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…

Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago

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…

Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago

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 …

Published on 10 months, 1 week ago

Episode 16: Zhuangzi on Uselessness

Season 1 Episode 16

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? I…

Published on 11 months ago

Episode 15: Ritual in the Analects

Season 1 Episode 15

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…

Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Episode 14: Women in the Analects

Season 1 Episode 14

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 …

Published on 1 year ago

Episode 13: Family Before State

Season 1 Episode 13

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 …

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Episode 12: Play

Season 1 Episode 12

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 …

Published on 1 year, 1 month ago

Episode 11: Nonaction

Season 1 Episode 11

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 puzzle…

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago

Episode 11: Nonaction

Season 1 Episode 11

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 puzzle…

Published on 1 year, 2 months ago