Michael Slote Encountering Chinese Philosophy: A Cross-Cultural Approach to Ethics and Moral Philosophy (Fudan Studies in Encountering Chinese Philosophy)

Michael Slote is one of the most prominent philosophers working in the discipline today. By creating a two-way dialogue between philosophers specializing in Chinese philosophy and a central thinker from the Anglo-American tradition, this volume brings cross-cultural philosophy to life. From his early contributions in ethics, metaethics, philosophy of mind, moral psychology and epistemology to his recent investigations into the relationship between Western philosophy and Chinese philosophy, an international team of scholars of Chinese philosophy cover Slote's sentimentalism, his understanding of Chinese concepts Yin and Yang and explores the role Early Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism can play in his work. Each chapter extends Slote's ideas by considering them from a Chinese philosophical perspective and Slote is given the opportunity to respond to each of the contributors' interpretation of his work. Applied to Classical works such as the Zhuangzi and the Yijing , his ground-breaking thoughts on morality, care ethics and empathy are taken in new, exciting directions. Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 Notes on Contributors 7 1 Michael Slote Encounters Chinese Philosophy An Introduction 10 1 Introduction 10 2 Slote as a Philosophical Sentimentalist 10 3 Slote’s Encounters with Chinese Philosophy 14 4 Looking Forward 18 5 Conclusion 24 Notes 25 References 26 2 Receptivity, Reason, and Responsiveness From Feeling and Thinking to Action 28 1 Introduction 28 2 Slote’s Yin-Yang Morality 28 3 Responsiveness in the Zhuangzi 30 4 Agency in Responsiveness 34 5 Conclusion 38 Notes 38 References 40 3 Michael Slote on Yin/Yang and Chinese Philosophy 42 1 Introduction 42 2 Michael Slote’s Philosophy of Yin and Yang 42 3 Fang Yizhi, Chinese Predecessor of Michael Slote in Dealing with Philosophies of East and West 45 4 Yin and Yang Unified by the Great Ultimate: Zhou Dunyi 47 5 A Philosophy of Contrast 49 6 Conclusions 52 Notes 54 References 54 4 Slote’s Sentimentalist Theory of the Mind versus A Neo-Confucian Unified Theory of the Mind 56 1 Introduction 56 2 A Sentimentalist Theory of the Mind 57 3 A Critique of Slote’s Sentimentalist Theory of the Mind 59 4 Neo-Confucian Unifi ed Theory of the Mind 61 5 Comparing the Two Unified Theories of the Mind 9 67 6 Conclusion 68 Notes 69 References 71 5 Two Paths to One Goal The Unity of the Heart-Mind in Michael Slote and Wang Yangming 72 1 Introduction 72 2 Slote’s Sentimentalist Unity of the Mind 73 3 Yin-yang and the Unity of the Heart-mind 75 4 Unity of Xin in Chinese Philosophy 78 5 Convergence and Divergence 81 6 Conclusion 84 Notes 87 References 87 6 Belief, Desire, and Besire Slote and Wang Yangming on Moral Motivation 90 1 Introduction 90 2 The Humean Belief-Desire Model 90 3 Slote’s Besire 92 4 Wang Yangming’s Besire 97 5 Conclusion 104 Notes 105 References 106 7 The Value of Receptivity and Yin/Yang Clusters for Philosophy 108 1 Introduction 108 2 From the Genealogy of Yinyang to the Value of Receptivity: The Conceptual and Practical Origin 109 3 The Yinyang Clusters and Yinyang Epistemology 113 4 Conclusion 118 Notes 120 References 121 8 Empathy, Meaning, and Approval in the Mencius and Michael Slote 124 1 Introduction 124 2 Baptism, Definition, and Examples 126 3 A Term for Empathy in the Mencius, Buren􀐽􁗽? 127 4 Establishing the Meaning of “a Heart that Does not Bear the Suffering of Others” 131 5 What Is Empathy? 132 6 Sympatheia—Cosmic Sympathy? 136 7 Finally, to Virtue 136 Acknowledgments 139 Notes 139 References 140 9 Moral Therapy and the Imperative of Empathy Mencius Encountering Slote 142 1 Introduction 142 2 Moral Therapy and Human Relations 143 3 Mencius’ Therapeutic Approach to Problematic Desires 145 4 Moral Script 147 5 From the Personal to the Political 150 6 Mencius Meets Slote: Empathy in Moral Therapy 153 7 Conclusion 159 Notes 160 Bibliography 161 10 Slote’s Moral Sentimentalism and Confucian Qing-ism 164 1 Introduction 164 2 Slote’s Sentimentalism 164 3 Confucian Qing-ism 167 4 Juxtaposing Slote’s Sentimentalism and Confucian Qing-ism 178 5 Conclusion 183 Notes 183 References 184 11 Striving for the Impossible Early Confucians on Perfect Virtue in an Imperfect World 188 1 Introduction 188 2 Value Pluralism, Conflict, and Harmony with regard to Virtue 189 3 Accidental and/or Tragic Conflicts among Values 197 4 Striving, Happiness, and Despair 201 Notes 205 References 206 12 Virtue Ethics, Symmetry, and Confucian Harmonious Appropriation of Self with Others 208 1 Introduction 208 2 Slote’s Idea of the Symmetric Nature of Commonsense Virtue Ethics 209 3 Possible Problems with Slote’s Position 211 4 An Analysis of a Confucian Cardinal Virtue of Xiao 􁆍 (Yang 􄼺) as Taking Respectful Care of One’s Elderly Parents 213 5 Confucian Virtue Ethics: A Symmetrical Morality between Self and Others or a Harmonious Morality of Self with Others? 215 6 Conclusion 218 Notes 219 References 219 13 Replies to Commentators 222 1 Introduction 222 2 Reply to Karyn Lai 225 3 Reply to Vincent Shen 227 4 Reply to JeeLoo Liu 231 5 Reply to Xinzhong Yao and Yan Zhang 234 6 Reply to Yong Huang 237 7 Reply to Robin Wang 238 8 Reply to R. A. H. King 239 9 Reply to Tao Jiang 240 10 Reply to On-cho Ng 243 11 Reply to Aaron Stalnaker 246 12 Reply to Qingjie James Wang 248 13 Conclusion 249 Index 252 Notes on Contributors -- 1. Michael Slote Encounters Chinese Philosophy: An Introduction, Yong Huang -- 2. Receptivity, Reason, and Responsiveness: From Feeling and Thinking to Action, Karyn Lai -- 3. Michael Slote on Yin/Yang and Chinese Philosophy, Vincent Shen -- 4. Slote's Sentimentalist Theory of the Mind versus A Neo-Confucian Unified Theory of the Mind, JeeLoo Liu -- 5. Two Paths to One Goal: The Unity of the Heart-Mind in Michael Slote and Wang Yangming, Xinzhong Yao and Yan Zhang -- 6. Belief, Desire, and Besire: Slote and Wang Yangming on Moral Motivation, Yong Huang -- 7. The Value of Receptivity and Yin/Yang Clusters for Philosophy, Robin R Wang -- 8. Empathy, Meaning and Approval in the Mencius and Michael Slote, R.A.H. King -- 9. Moral Therapy and the Imperative of Empathy: Mencius Encountering Slote, Tao Jiang -- 10. Slote's Moral Sentimentalism and Confucian Qing-ism, On-cho Ng -- 11. Striving for the Impossible: Early Confucians on Perfect Virtue in an Imperfect World, Aaron Stalnaker -- 12. Virtue Ethics, Symmetry and Confucian Harmonious Appropriation of Self with Others, Qingjie James Wang -- 13. Replies to Commentators, Michael Slote -- Index "By creating a two-way dialogue between philosophers specializing in Chinese philosophy and Michael Slote, a central thinker from the Anglo-American tradition, this volume brings cross-cultural philosophy to life. From his early contributions in ethics, metaethics, philosophy of mind, moral psychology and epistemology to his recent investigations into the relationship between Western philosophy and Chinese philosophy, an international team of scholars of Chinese philosophy cover Slote's sentimentalism, his understanding of Chinese concepts Yin and Yang and explores the role Early Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism can play in his work"-- Provided by publisher