It was pointed out in a discussion here that Valentin Tomberg wrote the following on “exteriorization”, summarizing the respective attitudes of Buddha and Christ to the vision of a damaged world: The Buddha saw the true nature of the world and that it was sick. Considering it incurable he instituted … Continue reading
The Political Philosophy of Confucianism (III-IV)
In Part III, OKAWA Shumei takes out the big guns, attacking the founder of Legalism as impeding the cultivation of virtue, and by implication Western political theories which aim for the same legalistic goal. What the reader might not realize is that in denouncing Han Fei, who lived in the … Continue reading
The Political Philosophy of Confucianism (II)
In part II of his 1930 essay, OKAWA Shumei begins to make his departure from the basic principles of Western political thought obvious, deploying a slightly Hobbesian character from the 3rd century B.C., and demonstrating his Confucian orthodoxy. It is interesting to consider this contrast of rules vs. rulers in … Continue reading
The Political Philosophy of Confucianism (I)
To aspire to Confucianism is without a doubt to make clear the Tao. And since the Tao is nothing if not a principle for individual life, Confucianism is an attempt to expound how men might live a righteous life. Continue reading
God Made a Shudra
During the Super Bowl they aired a car commercial called “God Made a Farmer”. It was a pleasant reminder that in this age of revolt, there is still a class of Americans, however tiny, that does manual labor every day with no hope of “career building”, and is somewhat respected … Continue reading
Players and Pugilists
It is of considerable significance that the profession considered most sinful in classical, medieval, and even early modern European society was the actor, that theater was consistently denounced by both civil and religious authorities, and that actors were not considered citizens in France until the great turning point of 1789. … Continue reading