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”?
Themes:
• R. Ames and D. Hall, Focusing the Familiar: A Translation and Philosophical Interpretation of the Zhongyong (Honolulu: 2001).
• W. Brys, “The Epistemology of Mengzian Extension,” in K. Lai (ed.), Knowers and Knowledge in East-West Philosophy: Epistemology Extended (Cham: 2022), 43-61.
• C. Hansen, A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought (Oxford: 1992).
• C. Harbsmeier, “Conceptions of Knowledge in Ancient China,” in H. Lenk and G. Paul (eds.), Epistemological Issues in Classical Chinese Philosophy (Albany: 1996), 11-30.
• S. Hetherington and K. Lai, “Practising to Know: Practicalism and Confucian Philosophy,” Philosophy 87 (2012), 375-39.
• K. Lai, “Knowing to Act in the Moment: Examples from Confucius’ Analects,” Asian Philosophy 22 (2012), 347-64.
• K. Lai, “Learning to be Reliable: Confucius’ Analects,” in K. Lai, R. Benitez, and H.J. Kim (eds), Cultivating a Good Life in Early Chinese and Ancient Greek Philosophy: Perspectives and Reverberations (London: 2018), 193-207.
• L. Raphals, Knowing Words: Wisdom and Cunning in the Classical Traditions of China and Greece (Ithaca: 1992).
• G. Ryle, “Knowing How and Knowing That,” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 46 (1946), 1-16.
Comments
This episode is missing tags + Intro/Outro song
This episode is missing tags such as Epistemology also for the first time, doesn't have an intro/outro music theme being played.
Also are we getting an interview in the next episode (been a while) or another scripted episode as the end of the episode did not indicate what we're getting.
In reply to This episode is missing tags + Intro/Outro song by dukeofethereal
Music
Oops, thanks for pointing out this glitch! It's because we did an edit on an earlier version and forgot to put the music back in. We'll upload a new one.
In reply to Music by Peter Adamson
Ethics tag to be added + Confucian Interviews
I see, no worries !
Also this episode could also do with an Ethics tag added.
Your excerpt 'The role of knowing in Confucian ethics: should it be understood as “knowing how,” or even “knowing to,” rather than “knowing that”?
Also the practicality of said knowledge in leading lives and which leads to cultivation
Also there wasn't a teaser at the end of the episode that would have indicated if we're getting a scripted episode or interview so the next episode will it be an interview ? (been a while since we had one) or a scripted episode?
In reply to Ethics tag to be added + Confucian Interviews by dukeofethereal
Next episode
Right the next one is an interview - I left the teaser vague just in case, because that wasn't recorded yet, but it is now.
Kong Qiu in the Temple
How could Kong Qiu's asking questions fittingly display reverence if someone watching him had no idea what he was up to?
In reply to Kong Qiu in the Temple by Berel Dov Lerner
At the temple
I think the idea is that the critic is showing a lack of sensitivity: the officials at the temple would appreciate Kongzi's respect and deference, and the critic is misinterpreting the situation. Your point draws attention to a feature of the passage which is that not everyone can appreciate ritual; perhaps one needs to be expert in ritual to understand (fully) what it is and when it is being observed, especially because as we see in other passages, ritual is more than just carrying out certain actions or knowing certain things, it is also about having correct motivations, and perceiving this in others, as we often see in Kongzi's judgments about his students.
Knowing-to in western philosophy
I really like Karyn Lai's formulation of Kongzi's approach as knowing-to. Does anyone know whether any western philosophers have conceived of knowledge in this way?
In reply to Knowing-to in western philosophy by Pat McConville
Knowing to
I think Karyn's point was actually that this suggestion could expand on the European discussion of knowing that vs how, so the whole idea is that this concept has not been part of that discussion so far. But I might be wrong!
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