14. Every Man for Himself: Virtue and the Body

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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?

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Further Reading

• A. Chang, “A Comparative Study of Yang Zhu and the Chapter on Yang Zhu,” Chinese Culture 12 (1971), 49-69 and 13 (1972), 44-84.

• K. Chong, “Egoism in Chinese Ethics,” in A. Cua (ed.), Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy (New York: 2003), 241-6.

• M. Csikszentmihalyi, Material Virtue: Ethics and the Body in Early China (Leiden: 2004).

• C. Defoort, “Five Visions of Yang Zhu Before He Became a Philosopher,” Asian Studies 8 (2020), 235-56.

• C. Defoort and T. Lee (eds), The Many Lives of Yang Zhu: a Historical Overview (Albany: 2022).

• J. Emerson, “Yang Chu’s Discovery of the Body,” Philosophy East and West 46 (1996), 533-66.

• A.C. Graham, Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China (La Salle: 1989), ch.3.

Comments

Neville Park on 9 October 2024

"The truly good have a…

"The truly good have a facial complexion comparable to jade in warmth and smoothness. Mèngzǐ says that the benevolence of the exemplary person manifests itself in his face, giving it a sleek appearance." 

Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In my lane. Focused. Flourishing. 

In reply to by Neville Park

Peter Adamson on 9 October 2024

Moisturized

I believe the kids are saying "very mindful, very demure" so you can add those.

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