New Zhuangzi Book

My new monograph Zhuangzi: Ways of Wandering the Way has just been published in the UK by Oxford University Press. It is scheduled to ship in North America on August 1. A 30% discount is available by ordering online at https://global.oup.com/academic/ using promotion code AAFLYG6.

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New Books Network Interview

Malcolm Keating recently interviewed me about Late Classical Chinese Thought for the New Books Network. It was a pleasure to discuss the book with such a careful reader. A podcast of the interview is here. Be sure also to check out Malcolm’s fascinating work on language and argumentation in Sanskrit philosophy. 

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Chinese Philosophy Seminar Series at Warwick

I’ll be speaking on line Nov 11 as part of the Chinese Philosophy Seminar Series at the University of Warwick. A list of speakers and registration links is posted here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/research/worldphilosophies/activities/chinese_philosophy_seminar_series/ I’ll be reprising the topic of my recent McGill talk, “The Xunzian Critique of Legalism and Its Contemporary Significance.”

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McGill Lecture: Xunzi’s Critique of Legalism

On October 4 I’ll be speaking at a colloquium in the Department of East Asian Studies at McGill University in Montreal. I’m grateful to Professors Jeehee Hong and Robin Yates for arranging this event. My topic is “The Xunzian Critique of Legalism and Its Contemporary Significance.” This presentation is a preliminary selection from my work…

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Hokudai Talk: “A Path with No End”

I recently had a productive and enjoyable visit with colleagues from the Center for Human Nature, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience and the Center for Applied Ethics and Philosophy at Hokkaido University. The title of my talk was “A Path with No End: Skill and Ethics in Zhuangzi and Mozi.” The event announcement is here and…

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Emotions in China and Greece

Congratulations to Douglas Cairns and Curie Virag, who are putting the finishing touches on a novel, collaborative anthology that brings together specialists in early Chinese and ancient Greek thought to explore various understandings of emotion in the Chinese and Hellenistic traditions. The title of this volume, forthcoming from Oxford University Press, is In the Mind,…

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New Essay: Zhuangzi and Particularism

I’ve been intrigued for years by the possibility that a Zhuangist stance toward dao might overlap considerably with the standpoint of contemporary moral particularism, primarily as defended in the work of Jonathan Dancy. This year I finally had a chance to look into this issue carefully, reading up on Dancy’s work and that of his…

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