Does it turn you on...

For all things philosophical.

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marjoram_blues
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Does it turn you on...

Post by marjoram_blues »

or off, when you see the words 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?

What would make it sexy for you ?
Would it be mental torture for you to even try?

What is the first thing that comes into your mind about China and its culture?
Is it negative, positive, ambivalent ?

Why is there more focus on America and Philosophy of Religion in this forum?
Because these subjects are comfortably argumentative?
Because it is easier to start and continue an argument...for 30 plus pages?

I have to say I've noticed a bit more on logic lately; I enjoy seeing those minds at work.
Hmmm. Where can I see Chinese logic at work...
It wouldn't be any different, would it.
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Necromancer
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by Necromancer »

Aren't they without Human Rights (UDHR)? That is, they do not enforce human rights as declared by UDHR?

And their fledgling democracy has some distance to go until modernity...

I want to have something philosophically interesting from them before "I dive in". :)

However, I find Ai Weiwei worth the interest so I'm just waiting... 8)
Walker
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by Walker »

marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm ... 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm ... 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
Myth. Roads in the desert are far more visible. The Great Wall isn't visible from even low orbit.
Walker
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by Walker »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:40 pm
Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm ... 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
Myth. Roads in the desert are far more visible. The Great Wall isn't visible from even low orbit.
I acquiesce to your un-factchecked trifle with an edit.

World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
marjoram_blues
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by marjoram_blues »

Necromancer wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:12 pm Aren't they without Human Rights (UDHR)? That is, they do not enforce human rights as declared by UDHR?

And their fledgling democracy has some distance to go until modernity...

I want to have something philosophically interesting from them before "I dive in". :)

However, I find Ai Weiwei worth the interest so I'm just waiting... 8)
The wiki article on Ai Weiwei would suggest there is plenty of philosophical interest there.
I mean from a cat's perspective alone...

The San Hua video - the public debate is on whether one should be eating cats or not. Whether it is a Chinese tradition or not. Whether any call to stop cat-eating is imposing the will of the minority on the majority. Yet the majority don't understand the complete truth of the industrial chain of cat abuse, trafficking, theft, killing, skinning...


'The degree of civilisation of a country can be seen from its attitude to animals'.

From reading another PN article, it seems that there is no concept of 'human rights'.
'Hens, ducks and human rights in China'
marjoram_blues
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by marjoram_blues »

Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm ... 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, [...] as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
Thanks for those lines from Bowie - do you think this is a warning about globalisation. And, if China would be the new world leader - then the lyrics would be pretty similar. Is there an equivalent artist in China - or creative active philosopher ?

I have no in-depth knowledge of China; its history, culture or philosophy - either transformational, traditional or anti-traditional.
I wonder what a 'Philosophy Now' * magazine ( Chinese version ) would contain.

* Rick, now there's an idea - get Anja on the case !

And would it shed any light at all on how the various philosophies affect the main parts of the population ? I'm thinking not.
I don't know about anyone else - but I tend to view the ancients as relatively benign and yet effective in promoting new thinking and change.
And I know that can't be right...in a general sense...there is always a struggle between competing views. Who wins ?

Perhaps, no matter who wins - having one's own philosophy of life is what is important...to deal with any fall-out?
marjoram_blues
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by marjoram_blues »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:40 pm
Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm ... 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
Myth. Roads in the desert are far more visible. The Great Wall isn't visible from even low orbit.
So, having corrected Walker on that single point - does that mean you are in agreement with the rest of his post. I'd be interested to hear your take.
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

marjoram_blues wrote: Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:20 am
vegetariantaxidermy wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:40 pm
Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm
World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.

My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world

- David Bowie
Myth. Roads in the desert are far more visible. The Great Wall isn't visible from even low orbit.
So, having corrected Walker on that single point - does that mean you are in agreement with the rest of his post. I'd be interested to hear your take.
Odd sort of logic, that I must agree with what I don't comment on. Actually that was the only bit I read. The word 'orbit' jumped out at me. :)
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FlashDangerpants
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by FlashDangerpants »

marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
What would be the point in writing any? If it's any good the author will lose his job, if it's very good he will go to prison.

When China is no longer a censorious single party state which throws dissenters into prison, perhaps the question will become worth a revisit.
marjoram_blues
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by marjoram_blues »

FlashDangerpants wrote: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:00 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
What would be the point in writing any? If it's any good the author will lose his job, if it's very good he will go to prison.

When China is no longer a censorious single party state which throws dissenters into prison, perhaps the question will become worth a revisit.
So, how far is their reach?
Would Anja and Rick be in danger, pants ?
Walker
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by Walker »

marjoram_blues wrote: Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:18 am Thanks for those lines from Bowie - do you think this is a warning about globalisation. And, if China would be the new world leader - then the lyrics would be pretty similar. Is there an equivalent artist in China - or creative active philosopher ?
He’s saying that because of corrupted human nature, when West and East meet, West will subsume the East. Of course, this is happening. This has happened, in all but the hinterlands.
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Arising_uk
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by Arising_uk »

Walker wrote: World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land. ...
Not so, estimates are that China used to be one if not the world market and producer of goods in the world, they are just returning to that state.

Oh! And the visible from orbit bit, myth.
thedoc
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by thedoc »

Walker wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:18 pm World conquest would be a rather new philosophy for China hiding behind their Great Wall, visible from orbit, as seen by jumping the wall and gobbling up Tibet for the natural resources required to manufacture junk, a relatively new event for an ancient land.
You really don't understand much about China's wall. The claim of being visible from orbit has been disputed and is false. The wall does not exist between China and Tibet, it was to keep the Mongols in China so that they would not escape into Mongolia.
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FlashDangerpants
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Re: Does it turn you on...

Post by FlashDangerpants »

marjoram_blues wrote: Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:12 pm
FlashDangerpants wrote: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:00 pm
marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:01 pm 'modern Chinese philosophy' ?
What would be the point in writing any? If it's any good the author will lose his job, if it's very good he will go to prison.

When China is no longer a censorious single party state which throws dissenters into prison, perhaps the question will become worth a revisit.
So, how far is their reach?
Would Anja and Rick be in danger, pants ?
Have you noticed how much anger there is on this forum when people get to discussing Political Correctness? My mere mention of the phrase is liable to spark a rant from some quarter no matter the context. We have people here who suffer indescribable anguish just because it is no longer polite to call each other spastics, retards, wetbacks and chinks (Limeys, Frogs, Yanks and Huns still seems ok though).

The modern Chinese system, whether in academia, the press or just on internet discussion sites, is organised around a principle of routine self-censorship which is only quite rarely reinforced by actual oppression. We're a society that barely tolerate being frowned at if we use a handful of racial slurs and a little casual misogyny, having to stop and wonder if it is politically safe to use the phrase "empty chair" today would break us.

So those people you mention likely wouldn't emerge uncompromised in China, they would surely have a set of questions never to address, and a few assumptions that must never be challenged. If they did respond with actual open thinking, there probably wouldn't be a large or responsive audience. But if there were, then folks start losing their jobs and going to prison.
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