PRESENTER: Michael Ing (Religious
Studies, IU Bloomington)
TOPIC: “Good Confucians Behaving Badly: Thoughts on the
Vulnerability of Integrity”
DATE: Friday, March 29, 2013
DATE: Friday, March 29, 2013
TIME:
12:00-1:15 p.m.
LOCATION: Seminar Room, Center for the Study of Global Change (201 N. Indiana)
LOCATION: Seminar Room, Center for the Study of Global Change (201 N. Indiana)
Many early
Confucian texts describe how the profound figures of the past were willing to
go to extremes for the sake of constructing an ordered world. The sage Yu,
while working to push back the floodwaters, was so dedicated that he refrained
from entering his home despite hearing the cry of his young child; King Wu,
without waiting to finish the mourning rites for his father, attacked and
killed the emperor of his time so that he could establish a new dynasty; and
Confucius colluded with immoral rulers for a chance to implement his Way.
This presentation
will explore the following question from the perspective of several early
Confucian texts and commentaries: Is the integrity of the moral agent
vulnerable to unfortunate circumstances? Professor Michael Ing will demonstrate
that a variety of responses to this kind of question emerge within early
Confucianism. In particular he will detail one position that attempts to
restrict the degree to which the integrity of the moral agent is compromised.
Variations of this position become dominant in Confucian ethical discourse; and
despite alternative positions found in the early texts, most contemporary
scholars tacitly accept the traditional position.
Michael Ing (Ph.D. Harvard
University, 2011) is an assistant professor in the Department of Religious
Studies at Indiana University. He is the author of The Dysfunction of Ritual
in Early Confucianism (Oxford University Press, 2012); and is currently
working on a project exploring issues of vulnerability in early Confucianism.
Persons with disabilities
interested in attending our events who may require assistance, please contact
us in advance at (812)
855-3765.
East
Asian Studies Center
Indiana
University
1021
East Third Street
Memorial
Hall West 207
Bloomington,
IN 47405
Phone:
(812) 855-3765
Fax:
(812) 855-7762
E-mail:
easc@indiana.edu
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