History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China
Peter Adamson teams up with Jonardon Ganeri, Chike Jeffers, and Karyn Lai to explore the philosophical traditions of ancient India, Africa and the African diaspora, and classical China. The podcast covers a wide range of thinkers and ideas from these regions, offering insights into their historical and cultural contexts. Listeners can expect in-depth discussions on topics such as ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology from non-Western perspectives. The show aims to broaden the understanding of philosophy by including voices often marginalized in mainstream narratives.
Episodes
HPC 59. Forget Me Not: Han History Writing
How historians like Sima Qian and Ban Gu have shaped our understanding of ancient Chinese history, including the history of philosophy.
HPC 58. Historical Fiction? Texts in the Han
How were the texts of the Han dynasty different from those in the Warring States period? How historical circumstances shaped philosophical writing, and how texts in turn shaped Han political culture.
HPC 57. Rise and Fall, and Rise and Fall: the Han Dynasty
The relationship between philosophy and politics in the Han Dynasty, focusing on the example of Huang-Lao, a typically “eclectic” tradition of thought.
HPC 56. Yuri Pines on Legalism
An interview about fa-thinkers like Shang Yang and Han Feizi, exploring their relationship to the Qin dynasty and to other schools of thought.
HPC 55. More Gain, Less Pain: the Legalists on Human Nature
Did the fa-thinkers recognize that human beings natural have moral capacities or dispositions? How did they try to manipulate human nature?
HPC 54. Learning to Unlearn: Han Feizi and Confucianism
Does Han Feizi’s focus on “standards” allow him to provide a more realistic political theory than the Confucian focus on moral cultivation?
HPC 53. A Worm Riding Clouds: Standards, Strategy and Power in the Han Feizi
The Han Feizi and its “three pillars” of Legalist philosophy: fa (standards), shu (strategy), and shi (positional power).
HPC 52. The Empire State: the Qin Dynasty
Was the short-lived Qin empire, which unified China to put an end to the Warring States period, Legalism in action?
HPC 51. Standard Bearers: What is “Legalism"?
The “fa-thinkers” Shang Yang and Han Feizi encourage the rigorous application of “standards,” including law, reward, and punishment.
HPC 50. Bryan Van Norden on Warring States Philosophy
To celebrate reaching 50 episodes in this series, Karyn and Peter both chat to a leading scholar of Warring States philosophy.
HPC 49. Hans-Georg Moeller on the Zhuangzi
An interview on humor and amoral ethics in a Daoist classic, the Zhuangzi - and its relation to Confucianism and Legalism.
HPC 48. Off the Beaten Path: Wandering in the Zhuangzi
How is it possible to walk two roads simultaneously? And where does wandering lead us?
HPC 47. Live and Let Die: the Zhuangzi on Death
Why does the Zhuangzi tell us that death is nothing to fear, to the point that it recommends celebrating the death of loved ones?
HPC 46. Turning the Tables: Confucius in the Zhuangzi
How are we to make sense of the different images of Kongzi (Confucius) in the Zhuangzi?
HPC 45. Practice Makes Perfect: Skill Stories in the Zhuangzi
In addition to sages who show us the way, the Zhuangzi features people taking on daily activities such as woodworking and butchering: we discuss how these figures serve as counterpoints to officials in the Zhuangzi’s time.
HPC 44. Like a Fish Out of Water: Animal Stories in the Zhuangzi
The many stories about animals in the Zhuangzi encourage us to adopt a perspective that goes beyond the human point of view.
HPC 43. Chiu Wai-Wai on the Zhuangzi and Mohism
An interview on debates over language and reasoning between the Mohists and the Daoist classic, the Zhuangzi.
HPC 42. A Black and White World: the Zhuangzi on Shi-Fei Dogmatism
The Zhuangzi’s critique of dogmatic approaches to argumentation and governing the state.
HPC 41. To Speak or Not to Speak: Skepticism in the Zhuangzi
We introduce the second great classic of Warring States Daoism, the Zhuangzi, and ask whether it adopts a position of radical skepticism.
HPC 40. Antiheroes: Sunzi’s Art of War
Are the methods of warfare proposed in the famous Art of War an example of “applied Daoism”?
HPC 39. Robin Wang on Yin-Yang Thinking
An interview on the pervasive use of the yin-yang relational pair in classical Chinese thought generally, and in Daoism in particular.
HPC 38. Easy Does It: Non-Action in the Laozi
The concept of wuwei or “non-action”: does it mean that the perfect sage or political ruler simply never does anything?
HPC 37. She Stoops to Conquer: Femininity in the Laozi
How the Laozi (Daodejing) applies the lessons of complementarity to the contrast between male and female.
HPC 36. Fishing for Complements: Polarities in Daoism
The significance of the Laozi’s use of opposing pairs, which are treated as complementary rather as exclusive dichotomies.
HPC 35. Way Better than Greenwashing: Daoism on Nature
The Laozi (Daodejing) refers to the winds, the rain and the waters. We discuss how these ideas express the Laozi’s views on nature.
HPC 34. You Don’t Say! the Dao That Cannot Be Told
The first rule of dao is: don’t talk about dao. We do so nonetheless, focusing on its role in metaphysics and language.
HPC 33. Let Us Count the Ways: What is Daoism?
What does “Daoism” refer to in a range of contexts, and how have excavated texts changed our understanding of the tensions between Daoism and Confucianism?
HPC 32. Chris Fraser on Mohism
We conclude our series on Mohism with an interview that looks at the Mohists' dialectic and its relationship to their ethics.
HPC 31. Push and Pull: Mohist Dialectic
Later Mohists explained in the Canons how to provide compelling philosophical arguments, and how to avoid mistakes in argumentation. Does this count as “logic”?
HPC 30. Horse of a Different Color: the Mohists on Language and Knowledge
What Mohist dialectics and Gongsun Long’s “White Horse Not Horse” argument tell us about the connection between language and knowledge.
HPC 29. Ghost Writers: the Mohists on Religion
Did Mozi tell people that ghosts exist and that we can change our fate because he thought these things are true, or because it would be beneficial for people to believe them?
HPC 28. Ting Mien Lee on Mohism and Confucianism
An interview on the contrasting views of Mohists and Confucians on ethical duties and warfare.
HPC 27. Give Peace a Chance: the Mohists on War and Politics
How the Mohist principle of “inclusive care” leads to political order and (mostly) forbids the fighting of wars.
HPC 26. Culture Wars: Mohist and Confucian Debates
Disagreements between the Mohists and the Confucians: is seeking benefits the right way to approach life? What motivates us to act morally, care for our loved ones or a doctrine of impartiality?
HPC 25. Benefit, Then Stop: Mohism and Impartial Care
How did the Mohists establish their consequentialist ethic of “impartial care (jian ’ai)”? Was this theory ultimately grounded in the will of Heaven?
HPC 24. Measuring Up: Mohist philosophy
An introduction to the Mozi, the founding text of an anti-elitist school of thought that tests social and political practices by the measure of “benefit.”
HPC 23. Amy Olberding on Confucian Ethics
In our final episode on classical Confucianism, our interview guest tells us about the surprising moral depth of the concept of "etiquette"
HPC 22. Inside Job: Women in Confucianism
Can classical Confucianism be redeemed from its reputation for rigidly hierarchical thinking when it comes to the relationship between men and women?
HPC 21. Sor-Hoon Tan on Confucian Democracy
Can classical Confucian ideas be adapted to produce a theory of democracy fit for today's world?
HPC 20. Heaven Can Wait: Ritual and Religion in Confucianism
Were Confucian ideas about Heaven, ritual, and fate driven by a religious attitude, or a naturalistic one?
HPC 19. The Kingly Way: Confucian Political Philosophy
Mengzi and Xunzi show that a Confucian political theory need not be idealistic.
HPC 18. Erica Brindley on Music and the Cosmos in Confucianism
An interview about the "resonant cosmos" in early Confucianism, and the role played by music in linking sages to the universe.
HPC 17. Knowing Me, Knowing You: Confucian Epistemology
The role of knowing in Confucian ethics: should it be understood as “knowing how,” or even “knowing to,” rather than “knowing that”?
HPC 16. To Become or Not to Become: the Confucians on Our Moral Natures
Morality is what makes us humans, for the Confucians. But does morality come from inside us, outside us, or both?
HPC 15. Flexing Your Moral Muscles: Xunzi on Moral Cultivation
Xunzi, a thinker who shaped the course of Confucian philosophy by showing how deliberate effort can overcome our wicked natural tendencies.
HPC 14. Every Man for Himself: Virtue and the Body
Several ancient Chinese texts speak of an egoist and hedonist known as Yang Zhu: did he pose a coherent challenge to the Confucians and other ethicists?
HPC 13. The Trembling Ox: Mengzi and the Compassionate Heart
In the Mengzi, the text that bears his name, Mengzi ("Mencius") holds that the human heart-mind is the wellspring of goodness.
HPC 12. Gentlemen’s Agreement: Confucian Virtue Ethics
Should the remarkable parallels between Aristotelian and Confucian ethics lead us to classify Confucianism as a type of “virtue ethics”?
HPC 11. Mark Csikszentmihalyi on Early Confucianism
In this interview, we learn how Kongzi become the pivotal sage of early Chinese history, and what new discoveries teach us about the Confucian tradition.
HPC 10. We’re a Pack Animal: Individual and Society in Confucianism
What does the Analects say about living as a human being? How are individuals embedded in society, and how do they develop their unique identities?
HPC 09. Family Values: Confucian Role Ethics
Confucianism puts relationships with family members at the core of their ethical thinking. Is this a strength or a weakness?
HPC 08. Confucius Says: Reading the Analects
Lessons we can take from the teachings of Kongzi (Confucius) in the Analects: challenging authorities, adhering to “benevolence (ren),” and practicing “propriety (li)” in ritual and everyday life.
HPC 07. Uncrowned King: Kongzi (Confucius) and the Analects
An introduction to Kongzi, the founder of Confucianism, and to the text that has come to represent his thought, the Lunyu (Analects).
HPC 06. Franklin Perkins on Excavated Texts
In this interview, we learn how newly discovered texts are changing our understanding of Warring States period philosophy.
HPC 05. Going Paperless: Ancient Chinese Texts
What were ancient Chinese philosophical texts written on? How did writing relate to orally transmitted wisdom? How were texts read and used? And what even counted as a “text” in ancient China?
HPC 04. Open Season: the Historical Context
The historical context of classical Chinese philosophy, and how ancient Chinese historical works themselves became works of philosophy.
HPC 03. Karyn Lai on Classical Chinese Philosophy
Co-host Karyn introduces herself to the listeners and talks about the challenges of tackling classical Chinese philosophical texts.
HPC 02. The Only Constant: Change and the "Yi Jing"
Early Chinese philosophers were deeply aware of a world that is constantly changing: we look at how Confucians, Legalists, and Daoists responded to this challenge.
HPC 01. Journey of a Thousand Li: Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
Introducing Chinese philosophy through the concept of "dao," a fundamental word in classical Chinese philosophy, with a range of meanings across its different traditions.
HAP 142 - Final Chat with Chike Jeffers
How Africana philosophy looked to a young Chike Jeffers, coming into the field in the early 21st century.
HAP 141 - Job Openings - the Rise of Africana Professional Philosophy
The key events and figures in philosophy as an academic discipline, in both Africa and the diaspora.
HAP 140 - Cornel West on Himself
Cornel West joins us to look back on the development of his thought and the many authors who have inspired him.
HAP 139 - A Love Supreme - Cornel West
An introduction to Cornel West, focusing on his early essay “Philosophy and the Afro-American Experience.”
HAP 138 - Taking it Out of Neutral - Critical Race Theory
A movement of legal scholars diagnoses the limitations of merely “formal” measures against discrimination, a point they connect to issues like affirmative action, democratic process, and intersectionality.
HAP 137 - Asante Sana - Molefi Asante’s Afrocentricity
What inspired Asante's controversial philosophy of Afrocentricity, and its relationship to religion, nationalism, and feminism.
HAP 136 - Civilization Reclaimed - African-Centered Thought
How writers like George G.M. James, John Henrik Clarke, Cheikh Anta Diop, Yosef ben-Jochannan, and Chancellor Williams prepared the way for the Afrocentricity of Molefi Asante and captured the imaginations of hip hop artists and intellectuals like Ta-Nehisi Coates.
HAP 135 - Mastering Ceremonies - Sylvia Wynter
Sylvia Wynter offers a bold and provocative assessment of the role of the humanities in understanding humankind.
HAP 134 - The Marx Brothers - Cedric J. Robinson
Cedric J. Robinson reflects on the power and limitations of Marxism while charting the past and prospects of black radical thought.
HAP 133 - John Drabinski on Edouard Glissant
The author of an important book on Glissant joins us to talk about his approach to this major Caribbean thinker.
HAP 132 - French Creolizing - Edouard Glissant and the Creolité Movement
Poet, novelist, playwright and philosopher Edouard Glissant, his theory of "creolization", and the Creolists who were influence by him.
HAP 131 - Mixed Messages - Black British Cultural Studies
Stuart Hall pioneers “cultural studies,” offering tools for analysis of films, television, fiction and music that were put to use by followers like Paul Gilroy and Hazel Carby.
HAP 130 - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on... Himself!
The great Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o joins us to speak about his career, his influences, and the power and politics of language.
HAP 129 - Afrophone Home - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
How one of Kenya's greatest writers came to argue that African literature should be written in African languages.
HAP 128 - Marginal Comments - bell hooks and Patricia Hill Collins
We bring the story of black feminism up to the turn of the century with the incisive works of bell hooks and Patricia Hill Collins.
HAP 127 - Knowing the Difference - Audre Lorde
In poetry and prose, especially her collection "Sister Outsider," Audre Lorde explores ideas of difference, eroticism, and feminist theory.
HAP 126 - Fugitive for Justice - Angela Davis
The eventful life and penetrating philosophy of Angela Davis, an icon of resistance deeply informed by Marxism and influential on black feminist thought.
HAP 125 - Phenomenal Woman - The Black Women’s Literary Renaissance
Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker explore the themes of black feminism (or “womanism”) in their fiction. Warning: this episode contains discussion of sexual violence and suicide.
HAP 124 - Double Jeopardy - Black Feminism
1970s black feminists like Toni Cade Bambara, the Combahee River Collective, and Awa Thiam critique white feminist and black nationalist failures to recognize the unique struggle of the black woman.
HAP 123 - History Teaches Us - Walter Rodney
Another Caribbean thinker, Walter Rodney of Guyana, explores Africana history from a Marxist perspective.
HAP 122 - A More Human Face - Steve Biko
Famous for his killing at the hands of the Apartheid government in South Africa, Steve Biko was also a deep thinker, who introduced the notion of Black Consciousness.
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