On Thursday October 24, 2008, Congress grilled Alan Greenspan about the latest financial meltdown. Here are some quotes from the Wall Street Journal, Friday October 25, 2008.
On the front page, "Greenspan Admits Errors to Hostile House Panel," by Kara Scannell and Sudeep Reddy.
"Mr. Greenspan maintained that no regulator was smart enough to foresee the 'once in a life-time credit tsunami.'"
and
"Anticipating such a crisis 'is more than anybody is capable of judging."
Yet the same issue of the WSJ ran an article on page C1, "Paulson & Co. Scores Again This Year," by Gregory Zuckerman, describing how Paul Johnson was able to foresee the tsunami, anticipate the crisis, and profit from it. Last year Mr. Johnson made $3 Billion personally from the meltdown. His hedge fund, Paulson & Co., made $15 Billion last year.
Clearly, Greenspan is lying to us again.
Robert Canright
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Malcolm Gladwell Insults Asians
The New York Times, in "Sociology of Success" by Stephen Kotkin, November 2, 2008, reviews the latest book by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell's previous two books became best sellers by taking ideas were already well known and established, repackaging them as though he had discovered something new, and writing in a light, breezy style meant to be skimmed quickly rather than read carefully.
Now Gladwell, in his latest book, "Outliers: the Story of Success", ventures into a topic broader and more complex than his previous work. Now he fails. He also insults all Asians, as the following quote from this article about his book (paragraph 9): The Sociology of Success by Stephen Kotkin, NYT, Nov. 1, 2008.
"If some points border on the obvious, others seem a stretch. Asian children’s high scores at math, Mr. Gladwell would have us believe, derive from work in rice paddies. Never mind that few of the test takers or their urban parents in Hong Kong, Singapore or Tokyo have ever practiced wet-rice agriculture. Noting that math test scores correlate with how long students will sit for any kind of exam, Mr. Gladwell points to an Asian culture of doggedness, which he attributes to cultural legacies of rice cultivation. (Paddies require constant effort.)"
Asians owe their success to rice paddies?
It would seem Malcolm Gladwell has no understanding of the Confucian influence on Asian cultures, where studying has been highly regarded for thousands of years.
CONFUCIAN ANALECTS.
BOOK I. HSIO R.
CHAPTER I
1. The Master said, 'Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?'
2. 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?'
3. 'Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?'
Let's look at this again:
Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?
This attitude, coupled with the financial rewards and public honors bestowed by Chinese Emperors upon the winners of their national examinations, has over the ages developed the "culture of doggedness" puzzling Gladwell.
The belief that only students who are quick studies can succeed in school is the lazy person's excuse.
Ascribing the academic success of Asians to rice paddies is lazy thinking at best, and racism at worst.
Robert Canrigh
Now Gladwell, in his latest book, "Outliers: the Story of Success", ventures into a topic broader and more complex than his previous work. Now he fails. He also insults all Asians, as the following quote from this article about his book (paragraph 9): The Sociology of Success by Stephen Kotkin, NYT, Nov. 1, 2008.
"If some points border on the obvious, others seem a stretch. Asian children’s high scores at math, Mr. Gladwell would have us believe, derive from work in rice paddies. Never mind that few of the test takers or their urban parents in Hong Kong, Singapore or Tokyo have ever practiced wet-rice agriculture. Noting that math test scores correlate with how long students will sit for any kind of exam, Mr. Gladwell points to an Asian culture of doggedness, which he attributes to cultural legacies of rice cultivation. (Paddies require constant effort.)"
Asians owe their success to rice paddies?
It would seem Malcolm Gladwell has no understanding of the Confucian influence on Asian cultures, where studying has been highly regarded for thousands of years.
CONFUCIAN ANALECTS.
BOOK I. HSIO R.
CHAPTER I
1. The Master said, 'Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?'
2. 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?'
3. 'Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?'
Let's look at this again:
Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?
This attitude, coupled with the financial rewards and public honors bestowed by Chinese Emperors upon the winners of their national examinations, has over the ages developed the "culture of doggedness" puzzling Gladwell.
The belief that only students who are quick studies can succeed in school is the lazy person's excuse.
Ascribing the academic success of Asians to rice paddies is lazy thinking at best, and racism at worst.
Robert Canrigh
Monday, October 20, 2008
Leadership Crisis in America: Texas Contributes to Housing Debacle
The Sunday, October 19, 2008 New York Times describes how Henry Cisneros of San Antonio contributed to the housing debacle and the sub-prime mortgage disaster. In "Building Flawed American Dreams" by David Streitfeld and Gretchen Morgenson, we can read how Henry G. Cisneros, as Secretary of HUD (Housing and Urban Development) under Clinton pushed sub-prime mortgages. Then he left the government and got on the Board of Directors of KB Home and Countrywide Mortgages, both involved in sub-prime housing.
He made millions on the board of Countrywide. Then he became a developer and sold homes to people who could not afford them.
This is exactly the kind of disastrous leadership Texas needs to eradicate. America is now in a financial crisis because we have been in a leadership crisis for many years. Yes, some Texans have contributed to our economic meltdown. Cisneros is not the only one. Phil Gramm wrecked American banking.
Yet, Texas can take the lead in restoring capable leadership in America. That is the point of the Texas Ascendancy Project: setting a new standard for leadership with integrity.
Robert Canright
He made millions on the board of Countrywide. Then he became a developer and sold homes to people who could not afford them.
This is exactly the kind of disastrous leadership Texas needs to eradicate. America is now in a financial crisis because we have been in a leadership crisis for many years. Yes, some Texans have contributed to our economic meltdown. Cisneros is not the only one. Phil Gramm wrecked American banking.
Yet, Texas can take the lead in restoring capable leadership in America. That is the point of the Texas Ascendancy Project: setting a new standard for leadership with integrity.
Robert Canright
Saturday, September 13, 2008
David Brooks and Confucianism
David Brooks is a columnist for the New York Times. On Thursday Sept. 11, 2008, he published a column entitled "The Social Animal."
In this column he wrote, "Over the past 30 years, there has been a tide of research in many fields, all underlining one old truth — that we are intensely social creatures, deeply interconnected with one another and the idea of the lone individual rationally and willfully steering his own life course is often an illusion."
This is exactly what I wrote in my book: we need to recognize our connection to our community. Confucianism has a lot to say about relationships between individuals and the community. Both the Analects of Confucius (which are in my book) and the Great Learning have much wisdom on relationships and community.
In my description of The Winding Spring Process of Education I highlight a portion of The Great Learning (the Ta Hsueh, also written as the Da Xue) that describes the interaction of family and community.
Confucianism will make important contributions to America.
Robert Canright
In this column he wrote, "Over the past 30 years, there has been a tide of research in many fields, all underlining one old truth — that we are intensely social creatures, deeply interconnected with one another and the idea of the lone individual rationally and willfully steering his own life course is often an illusion."
This is exactly what I wrote in my book: we need to recognize our connection to our community. Confucianism has a lot to say about relationships between individuals and the community. Both the Analects of Confucius (which are in my book) and the Great Learning have much wisdom on relationships and community.
In my description of The Winding Spring Process of Education I highlight a portion of The Great Learning (the Ta Hsueh, also written as the Da Xue) that describes the interaction of family and community.
Confucianism will make important contributions to America.
Robert Canright
Monday, September 01, 2008
TLR, Rod Dreher, and Ron Paul
Rod Dreher's column on 8/31/08 in the Dallas Morning News was puzzling. He called the Republican party "intellectually moribund" and raised many good examples of how the Republican party does not understand the "root causes of our civilizational crisis." Rod Dreher said, "there are and have been few, if any, effective sources of countercultural resistance from the right," even though Ron Paul and his supporters have resisted the culture of corruption very vigorously.
It is true the Dallas Morning News has effectively censored the Ron Paul Revolution, but Rod Dreher cannot be unaware of its existence. Mr. Dreher is in St. Paul, saying the Republican convention has, "all the brio of the Bataan Death March." I do love Mr. Dreher's way with words, but I wonder why he does not drive over to Minneapolis and observe Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic. Here is the Mission Statement for the Rally for the Republic:
The Campaign for Liberty events planned for August 31 - September 2 will be a celebration of our movement and our supporters, a launch party for the Campaign for Liberty, and a clear call to the Republican Party to return to its roots of limited government, personal responsibility, and protection of our natural rights. The event will run in conjunction with the first two days of the Republican National Convention and will feature top conservative speakers, musicians, and organizations. It will also have an organizational and training function for the Campaign for Liberty and the Freedom Movement.
I am very glad to see a Texan, Ron Paul, working hard to bring integrity back into politics. Integrity must be a part of the Texas Leadership Revolution. America needs better leaders for a better future. Developing better leaders is a concern to Confucians. I'm glad to see a Texan, Ron Paul, leading the charge for a better future.
But I am puzzled. Is Rod Dreher unaware of what is going on in Minneapolis, or is he under orders from Belo Corporation to censor Ron Paul?
Robert
It is true the Dallas Morning News has effectively censored the Ron Paul Revolution, but Rod Dreher cannot be unaware of its existence. Mr. Dreher is in St. Paul, saying the Republican convention has, "all the brio of the Bataan Death March." I do love Mr. Dreher's way with words, but I wonder why he does not drive over to Minneapolis and observe Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic. Here is the Mission Statement for the Rally for the Republic:
The Campaign for Liberty events planned for August 31 - September 2 will be a celebration of our movement and our supporters, a launch party for the Campaign for Liberty, and a clear call to the Republican Party to return to its roots of limited government, personal responsibility, and protection of our natural rights. The event will run in conjunction with the first two days of the Republican National Convention and will feature top conservative speakers, musicians, and organizations. It will also have an organizational and training function for the Campaign for Liberty and the Freedom Movement.
I am very glad to see a Texan, Ron Paul, working hard to bring integrity back into politics. Integrity must be a part of the Texas Leadership Revolution. America needs better leaders for a better future. Developing better leaders is a concern to Confucians. I'm glad to see a Texan, Ron Paul, leading the charge for a better future.
But I am puzzled. Is Rod Dreher unaware of what is going on in Minneapolis, or is he under orders from Belo Corporation to censor Ron Paul?
Robert
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Oregon: Economic Growth without Population Growth
I visited Oregon on vacation. When I started pumping my gas, an attendant ran over and informed me that by state law I was not free to pump my own gas. I had to step aside and let him finish pumping my gas and hand me my receipt.
Oregon obviously lacks economic growth. One of my sisters lives there and told me that people move to Oregon without jobs because it is beautiful. Then they struggle to find employment because there are few jobs available in Oregon.
I read many years ago an article that said people in Oregon did not want their state to become over crowded and polluted like California.
I posted earlier the speculation that a research project for a Nobel Prize in Economics would be economic growth without population growth.
Oregon would be a great laboratory to test methods of growing the economy without growing the population.
Robert
Oregon obviously lacks economic growth. One of my sisters lives there and told me that people move to Oregon without jobs because it is beautiful. Then they struggle to find employment because there are few jobs available in Oregon.
I read many years ago an article that said people in Oregon did not want their state to become over crowded and polluted like California.
I posted earlier the speculation that a research project for a Nobel Prize in Economics would be economic growth without population growth.
Oregon would be a great laboratory to test methods of growing the economy without growing the population.
Robert
How to Win a Nobel Prize in Economics (Part 1): Economic Growth without Growth
I've said before that Confucians can contribute to economics. The world will listen if you have a nice credential like a Nobel prize in economics. Once you have your prize, people might listen when you tell them there is morality in economics.
If you are a Confucian and studying economics, I suggest you go for the gold: win a Nobel prize. I suggest you might follow in the footsteps of Herbert Simon: study at the University of Chicago and propose something obvious as a new idea.
Have you ever heard the joke, "when all else fails, lower your standards"? Simon got the Nobel Prize in Economics for calling that "satisficing." I'm not joking! Check the web links.
Here is an obvious problem that has not been solved: Describe how one achieves steady economic growth without population growth.
Look at how the American economy is run: it assumes a continuously growing population. Picture yourself with a baby diaper factory. If there are more babies born this year than last year, then you can sell more product this year. If the population growth goes to zero, then so does your growth, unless you take away sales from another manufacturer.
Warren Buffet was in a panel discussion after the broadcast of the I.O.U.S.A. movie. Buffet said that the pie was always growing. That's what he was talking about: the economy grows because the population grows. This is the foundation of the world's economic system.
But the population growth in some European countries has turned to zero or gone negative (a shrinking population). Some European countries have avoided economic innovation by importing people from the Middle-East to fuel their population and economic growth. The American Ruling Class has done the same, flooding the country with immigrants and telling the American people to embrace diversity.
The science fiction writer Robert Silverberg wrote, "The World Inside," describing a world culture with over-population. Science fiction writers might find an extremely crowded world an interesting subject for fiction, but the world's resources are finite and cannot support infinite population growth. This is just a fact.
Want a Nobel Prize? Here's a Noble Prize in Economics just waiting to be picked up: describe how we can have a continuously growing economy without population growth.
Robert Canright
In 2012 I had an idea on how we can have a continuously growing economy without population growth:
Economic Growth Without Population Increase Sunday, April 8, 2012
Here are my previous posts on economics in this blog
December 23, 2007: Confucianism and Economics
January 18, 2008: More on Economics and Confucianism
May 30, 2008: Confucianism, Economics and Finance
If you are a Confucian and studying economics, I suggest you go for the gold: win a Nobel prize. I suggest you might follow in the footsteps of Herbert Simon: study at the University of Chicago and propose something obvious as a new idea.
Have you ever heard the joke, "when all else fails, lower your standards"? Simon got the Nobel Prize in Economics for calling that "satisficing." I'm not joking! Check the web links.
Here is an obvious problem that has not been solved: Describe how one achieves steady economic growth without population growth.
Look at how the American economy is run: it assumes a continuously growing population. Picture yourself with a baby diaper factory. If there are more babies born this year than last year, then you can sell more product this year. If the population growth goes to zero, then so does your growth, unless you take away sales from another manufacturer.
Warren Buffet was in a panel discussion after the broadcast of the I.O.U.S.A. movie. Buffet said that the pie was always growing. That's what he was talking about: the economy grows because the population grows. This is the foundation of the world's economic system.
But the population growth in some European countries has turned to zero or gone negative (a shrinking population). Some European countries have avoided economic innovation by importing people from the Middle-East to fuel their population and economic growth. The American Ruling Class has done the same, flooding the country with immigrants and telling the American people to embrace diversity.
The science fiction writer Robert Silverberg wrote, "The World Inside," describing a world culture with over-population. Science fiction writers might find an extremely crowded world an interesting subject for fiction, but the world's resources are finite and cannot support infinite population growth. This is just a fact.
Want a Nobel Prize? Here's a Noble Prize in Economics just waiting to be picked up: describe how we can have a continuously growing economy without population growth.
Robert Canright
In 2012 I had an idea on how we can have a continuously growing economy without population growth:
Economic Growth Without Population Increase Sunday, April 8, 2012
Here are my previous posts on economics in this blog
December 23, 2007: Confucianism and Economics
January 18, 2008: More on Economics and Confucianism
May 30, 2008: Confucianism, Economics and Finance
Thursday, August 14, 2008
TLR: the Texas Leadership Revolution
America desperately needs better leaders. We need leaders truly grounded in morality, having a real sense for justice and civic virtue.
America needs common moral ground. To avoid religious divisiveness, I searched for a system of secular ethics that could serve as a common moral ground for the multicultural society we have today. I believe Confucianism is a good candidate. Confucianism is a philosophical movement, not a religion. I have discovered that Texans find it difficult to consider Confucianism, so I have been studying Stoicism.
I believe Cicero's book, On Duties (De Officiis) has much to offer us. Consider this quote from the reviewer at Amazon.com: In "On Duties," Cicero drives a dagger in the heart of today's ills.
TLR, the Texas Leadership Revolution depends on moral leaders. And I don't mean frauds who tell fake stories about walking on the beach with Billy Graham, I mean men and women who manifest the leadership described by Cicero in his book, On Duties.
Robert Canright
America needs common moral ground. To avoid religious divisiveness, I searched for a system of secular ethics that could serve as a common moral ground for the multicultural society we have today. I believe Confucianism is a good candidate. Confucianism is a philosophical movement, not a religion. I have discovered that Texans find it difficult to consider Confucianism, so I have been studying Stoicism.
I believe Cicero's book, On Duties (De Officiis) has much to offer us. Consider this quote from the reviewer at Amazon.com: In "On Duties," Cicero drives a dagger in the heart of today's ills.
TLR, the Texas Leadership Revolution depends on moral leaders. And I don't mean frauds who tell fake stories about walking on the beach with Billy Graham, I mean men and women who manifest the leadership described by Cicero in his book, On Duties.
Robert Canright
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Benevolence and Bobby Fischer
Jen (Ren) is a key Confucian virtue. I ran across a reference to the kindness Pal Benko showed to Bobby Fischer. Pal Benko had qualified to play in the 1970 World Chess Championship cycle while Bobby Fischer did not, because Fischer was stubborn and skipped an important chess tournament.
Yes, Bobby Fischer was not supposed to play in that series of chess matches because he did not do what was required to qualify. Pal Benko showed benevolence to Bobby Fischer, giving Fischer the spot Benko had earned. The rest is history. Fischer was already on a winning streak. He had won his last seven chess games. Fischer obliterated Mark Tiamanov 6-0, even though Tiamanov had defeated him last time they played. Next he defeated Bent Larsen 6-0. In the semifinal game, he defeated Tigran Petrosian in their 1st game.
Fischer at this point had won 20 games straight against grandmasters. Only World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz had done better with a 25 game winning streak. Fischer went on to beat ex-World Champion Petrosian and the reigning champion Boris Spassky.
Bobby Fischer became the only American to officially hold the title of World Champion of Chess, and America was swept up in a chess playing frenzy, because of Benko's benevolence to Bobby.
Robert
Yes, Bobby Fischer was not supposed to play in that series of chess matches because he did not do what was required to qualify. Pal Benko showed benevolence to Bobby Fischer, giving Fischer the spot Benko had earned. The rest is history. Fischer was already on a winning streak. He had won his last seven chess games. Fischer obliterated Mark Tiamanov 6-0, even though Tiamanov had defeated him last time they played. Next he defeated Bent Larsen 6-0. In the semifinal game, he defeated Tigran Petrosian in their 1st game.
Fischer at this point had won 20 games straight against grandmasters. Only World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz had done better with a 25 game winning streak. Fischer went on to beat ex-World Champion Petrosian and the reigning champion Boris Spassky.
Bobby Fischer became the only American to officially hold the title of World Champion of Chess, and America was swept up in a chess playing frenzy, because of Benko's benevolence to Bobby.
Robert
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Four Step Process and the Eightfold Path
In Chapter 3 of my book, Achieve Lasting Happiness, starting on page 65, I describe the Four Step Process for Self-Transformation.
Four Step Process for Self-Transformation:
1. Seek truth
2. Commit yourself
3. Live joyfully
4. Share hope
Recently, when thinking about the Eightfold Path, I noticed an overlap between the 4 step process and the 8 fold path.
The Eightfold Path of Buddhism
1. Right view
2. Right intent
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
Look at how the 4 line up with the 8:
1. Seek truth --> Right view (1)
2. Commit yourself --> Right intent (2)
3. Live joyfully --> Right action (4)
4. Share hope --> Right speech (3)
The top half of the Eightfold Path is universal.
Comparing the Eightfold Path to the Four Step Process illuminates both.
Robert
References:
Here is a website on the Eightfold Path
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html
Going through the archives of the Timeless Way Yahoo Group, here are the first 4 posts related to this 4 step process. They are a couple of years old.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/14
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/15
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/21
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/25
Four Step Process for Self-Transformation:
1. Seek truth
2. Commit yourself
3. Live joyfully
4. Share hope
Recently, when thinking about the Eightfold Path, I noticed an overlap between the 4 step process and the 8 fold path.
The Eightfold Path of Buddhism
1. Right view
2. Right intent
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
Look at how the 4 line up with the 8:
1. Seek truth --> Right view (1)
2. Commit yourself --> Right intent (2)
3. Live joyfully --> Right action (4)
4. Share hope --> Right speech (3)
The top half of the Eightfold Path is universal.
Comparing the Eightfold Path to the Four Step Process illuminates both.
Robert
References:
Here is a website on the Eightfold Path
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html
Going through the archives of the Timeless Way Yahoo Group, here are the first 4 posts related to this 4 step process. They are a couple of years old.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/14
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/15
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/21
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TimelessWayDallas/message/25
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Good Leaders have a Noble Spirit
The Wall Street Journal, Tue. June 10, 2008, had a review of a book, Nobility of Spirit by Rob Riemen. The review was written by Darrin M. McMahon. To bolster the legitimacy of this book, we are told the idea came from Thomas Mann's essay, "Adel des Geistes," which is "Nobility of Spirit" in English.
In Dr. McMahon's review, he says of Mr. Riemen, "It is the role of thinkers and writers, he [Riemen] believes, to serve as guardians of our spiritual nature and as custodians of timeless values..."
I must heartily disagree: It is your role to serve as guardian of your own spiritual nature and custodian of those timeless values you treasure. No one can do that for you.
I do very much appreciate the reference to "timeless values." My book, "Achieve Lasting Happiness, Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Life," is predicated on the belief that lasting happiness is rooted in timeless values.
McMahon says Riemen's book, "is intended as a meditation ... on the forces ... needed to sustain..." civilization. Yet, I think it is not so much ideas that sustain civilization as parents and teachers who sustain civilization. I've taught in lower economic schools, and there truly is a battle between civilization and misanthropy, between the noble spirit and the mean spirit. The battle goes on daily, and its heroes lack appreciation and support.
When I taught in the public schools, I saw many unhappy children having no idea of how to have a happy life, which is why I wrote my book and make my efforts to promote a noble life.
To appreciate how the noble spirit can give us better leaders, I suggest an alternative to Mr. Riemen's: I suggest Cicero. I suggest his De Officiis, "On Duties." The term Cicero uses is "greatness of spirit" instead of "nobility of spirit".
The book review says Mr. Riemen came upon the idea for his book at a dinner party. I was led to Cicero by my studies in Confucianism. I was looking for people and ideas from Western culture that correspond to Confucian ideals, and studied Cicero's work, On Duties, finding it very compatible with Confucian ideals.
If the next generation of American leaders would study Cicero's book, "On Duties," we would have a much brighter future.
Robert
In Dr. McMahon's review, he says of Mr. Riemen, "It is the role of thinkers and writers, he [Riemen] believes, to serve as guardians of our spiritual nature and as custodians of timeless values..."
I must heartily disagree: It is your role to serve as guardian of your own spiritual nature and custodian of those timeless values you treasure. No one can do that for you.
I do very much appreciate the reference to "timeless values." My book, "Achieve Lasting Happiness, Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Life," is predicated on the belief that lasting happiness is rooted in timeless values.
McMahon says Riemen's book, "is intended as a meditation ... on the forces ... needed to sustain..." civilization. Yet, I think it is not so much ideas that sustain civilization as parents and teachers who sustain civilization. I've taught in lower economic schools, and there truly is a battle between civilization and misanthropy, between the noble spirit and the mean spirit. The battle goes on daily, and its heroes lack appreciation and support.
When I taught in the public schools, I saw many unhappy children having no idea of how to have a happy life, which is why I wrote my book and make my efforts to promote a noble life.
To appreciate how the noble spirit can give us better leaders, I suggest an alternative to Mr. Riemen's: I suggest Cicero. I suggest his De Officiis, "On Duties." The term Cicero uses is "greatness of spirit" instead of "nobility of spirit".
The book review says Mr. Riemen came upon the idea for his book at a dinner party. I was led to Cicero by my studies in Confucianism. I was looking for people and ideas from Western culture that correspond to Confucian ideals, and studied Cicero's work, On Duties, finding it very compatible with Confucian ideals.
If the next generation of American leaders would study Cicero's book, "On Duties," we would have a much brighter future.
Robert
Friday, May 30, 2008
Confucianism, Economics and Finance
The Wall Street Journal has run a 3-part article about the collapse of Bear Stearns, a large investment bank (the articles ran on Tuesday May 27, 2008, May 28, and May 29). That reminded me that Confucianism has traditionally been concerned with the physical welfare of the people, as I mentioned in my New Confucian blog, Nov. 29, 2007.
In this Timeless Way blog, on Dec. 4, 2007, I discussed of moral behavior on Wall Street. Of course, moral behavior is very important to Confucians, but traditionally Confucians have stayed away from trade and commerce.
On Dec. 23, 2007, I mentioned that ancient Confucian discourses on the Salt and Iron debates and the Well-field system of agriculture show Confucians have always had an appreciation for the impact of economics on the peoples prosperity.
On Jan. 18, 2008, I mentioned the Confucian scholar Yan Yuan (a.k.a. Yan Xizhai, 1635 - 1704) discussed finance, labor and risk management.
In 2000, Dr. Wei-Bin Zhang published On Adam Smith and Confucius, the Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Analects, ISBN 1-56072-765-9 (Nova Science Publishers, Commack, New York).
So for thousands of years there has been a recognition by Confucian scholars of the importance of economics, but economics has always been a small topic within Confucianism. I think it should take on more importance.
Consider in addition to the collapse of Bear Stearns, the collapse of the investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert and the hedge fund Long Term Capital Management. These investment banks and hedge funds do not get the press coverage that Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen got, but they all form a picture of an American financial system teetering on the edge of complete collapse due to incompetent leadership.
Confucians need to take their interests in ethics, leadership, and the prosperity of the people, connect it with a love of scholarship, and direct this interest to the real world of Wall Street Finance.
If the American financial system suffers a complete breakdown, which can happen, the entire world economy would sink and people around the world would suffer. Too many leaders in finance have developed moral blindness as a by-product of unbridled greed.
Confucians can and should bring the light of morality back into Wall Street.
Robert
PS, the Wall Street Journal article I mentioned in the beginning was titled, "Lost Opportunities Haunt Final Days of Bear Stearns" by Kate Kelly
In this Timeless Way blog, on Dec. 4, 2007, I discussed of moral behavior on Wall Street. Of course, moral behavior is very important to Confucians, but traditionally Confucians have stayed away from trade and commerce.
On Dec. 23, 2007, I mentioned that ancient Confucian discourses on the Salt and Iron debates and the Well-field system of agriculture show Confucians have always had an appreciation for the impact of economics on the peoples prosperity.
On Jan. 18, 2008, I mentioned the Confucian scholar Yan Yuan (a.k.a. Yan Xizhai, 1635 - 1704) discussed finance, labor and risk management.
In 2000, Dr. Wei-Bin Zhang published On Adam Smith and Confucius, the Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Analects, ISBN 1-56072-765-9 (Nova Science Publishers, Commack, New York).
So for thousands of years there has been a recognition by Confucian scholars of the importance of economics, but economics has always been a small topic within Confucianism. I think it should take on more importance.
Consider in addition to the collapse of Bear Stearns, the collapse of the investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert and the hedge fund Long Term Capital Management. These investment banks and hedge funds do not get the press coverage that Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen got, but they all form a picture of an American financial system teetering on the edge of complete collapse due to incompetent leadership.
Confucians need to take their interests in ethics, leadership, and the prosperity of the people, connect it with a love of scholarship, and direct this interest to the real world of Wall Street Finance.
If the American financial system suffers a complete breakdown, which can happen, the entire world economy would sink and people around the world would suffer. Too many leaders in finance have developed moral blindness as a by-product of unbridled greed.
Confucians can and should bring the light of morality back into Wall Street.
Robert
PS, the Wall Street Journal article I mentioned in the beginning was titled, "Lost Opportunities Haunt Final Days of Bear Stearns" by Kate Kelly
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Leadership Crisis in America: February, Part 3, Texas and the World
There was so much scandal in February that I have had to blog in 3 parts. The theme in today's blog is "Texas and the World."
On February 23, 2008, three British bankers were convicted of fraud in connection to their work dealings with Enron. Yes, because David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby worked with the Texas company Enron, they are now going to jail.
I want to emphasize that when Texans are involved with swindles, we can can hurt people around the world.
We had bank fraud committed right here in Plano, Texas some years ago and I'm guessing the perpetrators thought, "so what, it's just numbers in a ledger." But we have to think along the lines of Emmanual Kant's catagorical imperative: what if every body cheated?
Our Texan President permitted the bankers here to commit massive fraud with sub-prime mortgages. Our country is now in a recession. The Federal Reserve Bank is bailing out investment bankers. And the disease of Mortgage Backed Securities is rocking banks around the world.
On February 19, 2008, Julia Werdigier wrote, "Brown Defends Takeover of Ailing British Banker," in the New York Times. The Northern Rock Bank in England was failing because they believed American bankers were honest and responsible. The government had to nationalize it to keep it open.
That was February. On March 23, 2008, the Financial Times of London reported that the central banks of Europe might have to buy Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) to reduce the damage done to European banks by the American sub-prime mortgage swindle.
We must understand that what we do matters. Fraud committed in Texas can hurt people across America and around the world.
You cannot be a competent leader if you are unethical. Ethics is a core competence.
We are in a Leadership Crisis. We desperately need better leaders, ethical leaders.
Robert
On February 23, 2008, three British bankers were convicted of fraud in connection to their work dealings with Enron. Yes, because David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby worked with the Texas company Enron, they are now going to jail.
I want to emphasize that when Texans are involved with swindles, we can can hurt people around the world.
We had bank fraud committed right here in Plano, Texas some years ago and I'm guessing the perpetrators thought, "so what, it's just numbers in a ledger." But we have to think along the lines of Emmanual Kant's catagorical imperative: what if every body cheated?
Our Texan President permitted the bankers here to commit massive fraud with sub-prime mortgages. Our country is now in a recession. The Federal Reserve Bank is bailing out investment bankers. And the disease of Mortgage Backed Securities is rocking banks around the world.
On February 19, 2008, Julia Werdigier wrote, "Brown Defends Takeover of Ailing British Banker," in the New York Times. The Northern Rock Bank in England was failing because they believed American bankers were honest and responsible. The government had to nationalize it to keep it open.
That was February. On March 23, 2008, the Financial Times of London reported that the central banks of Europe might have to buy Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) to reduce the damage done to European banks by the American sub-prime mortgage swindle.
We must understand that what we do matters. Fraud committed in Texas can hurt people across America and around the world.
You cannot be a competent leader if you are unethical. Ethics is a core competence.
We are in a Leadership Crisis. We desperately need better leaders, ethical leaders.
Robert
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Obama and Confucianism
Barack Obama gave a speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008 in response to repeated airing on news broadcasts of Jeremiah Wright's inflammatory damnation of America. The speech is 37 minutes long. You ought to read it or hear it. You can do both at this link to the New York Times, although I suggest you look for a website that allows you to download the speech in its entirety so you can listen to in uninterrupted by data stream buffering.
When he says that he cannot break his relationship with Jeremiah Wright because, "he is like family to me," he is expressing a Confucian quality.
Chang Yun-Shik, in "Mutual Help and Democracy in Korea," says (p. 99):
... a social bond once established is not supposed to be terminated.
Within the uiri network of interpersonal relationships, emphasis on the person is likely to override impersonal concerns of the wider world... should there be a conflict between the two. Shifting loyalty from the person to nonpersonal concerns does not take place easily.
When Barack Obama said he disagrees with Wright on some issues, but cannot disown him because he is like family, he means there is a personal social bond that is not to be broken, as described by Chang in his article about Korean Confucianism.
A lot of Confucian ideas are rooted in our humanity, making them international in nature and applicable to American culture.
By the way, there is a higher density of Confucians in Indonesia than America and Obama spent part of his youth in Indonesia.
Robert
The article mentioned is from Confucianism for the Modern World, Edited by Daniel A. Bell and Hahm Chaibong, Cambridge, 2003.
When he says that he cannot break his relationship with Jeremiah Wright because, "he is like family to me," he is expressing a Confucian quality.
Chang Yun-Shik, in "Mutual Help and Democracy in Korea," says (p. 99):
... a social bond once established is not supposed to be terminated.
Within the uiri network of interpersonal relationships, emphasis on the person is likely to override impersonal concerns of the wider world... should there be a conflict between the two. Shifting loyalty from the person to nonpersonal concerns does not take place easily.
When Barack Obama said he disagrees with Wright on some issues, but cannot disown him because he is like family, he means there is a personal social bond that is not to be broken, as described by Chang in his article about Korean Confucianism.
A lot of Confucian ideas are rooted in our humanity, making them international in nature and applicable to American culture.
By the way, there is a higher density of Confucians in Indonesia than America and Obama spent part of his youth in Indonesia.
Robert
The article mentioned is from Confucianism for the Modern World, Edited by Daniel A. Bell and Hahm Chaibong, Cambridge, 2003.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Leadership Crisis in America: February, Part 2, Killer Leaders
Adrianne Jones, a 16 year old Texan girl was murdered in 1995 by a boy, David Graham, from the Air Force Academy and a girl, Diane Zamora, from the Naval Academy. The Dallas Morning News in "David Graham full of remorse" by Debra Dennis, Feb. 10, 2008, reported that Zamora bragged to class mates that her boyfriend murdered a girl for her. One of her classmates turned her in. Now Graham and Zamora are serving life sentences in prison.
But what if her classmates had said, "cool," instead of turning her in? That day could come. Already we have had murderers enrolled in two service academies. What if there are students now in the academies who will kill to get ahead? I do mean literally murder someone for personal advancement.
We have so many kids in America going nuts and killing other kids that it is simply a matter of time before we have kids with this kind of killer mentality in the academies again, or in the boardroom in a Fortune 500 company, or in a Washington agency.
Oliver Stone in the movie JFK suggested the CIA might have been involved in the murder of John Kennedy. It might be true.
Vincent Foster died under suspicious circumstances in the Clinton White House. It is a fact that "the White House and Hillary Clinton in particular handled Foster's files and documents immediately after his death [and] became an issue of much investigation itself."
Germany was an educated, cultured nation when Adolph Hitler and his band of murderers got into power. Something like this could happen in America. This is why we have films out now like Michael Clayton, about a corporate executive committing murder, and Absolute Power, about a US President committing murder.
You might have heard me say "morality is the root of education." If you do not pay attention to morality, then you will be like Harvard, accepting Jeff Skilling and giving him the opportunity to commit massive fraud.
Simple fraud that destroys a couple of companies and ruins the lives of thousands of people pales in comparison to complex fraud, like the sub-prime mortgage swindle, that can push the entire nation into recession.
And all this financial swindling pales in comparison to the threat of having murderers in high positions of power. It might have already happened, but can we survive as a democracy if it happens again?
Killer leaders might be in our future if we continue to promote people without regard to their character.
Robert
But what if her classmates had said, "cool," instead of turning her in? That day could come. Already we have had murderers enrolled in two service academies. What if there are students now in the academies who will kill to get ahead? I do mean literally murder someone for personal advancement.
We have so many kids in America going nuts and killing other kids that it is simply a matter of time before we have kids with this kind of killer mentality in the academies again, or in the boardroom in a Fortune 500 company, or in a Washington agency.
Oliver Stone in the movie JFK suggested the CIA might have been involved in the murder of John Kennedy. It might be true.
Vincent Foster died under suspicious circumstances in the Clinton White House. It is a fact that "the White House and Hillary Clinton in particular handled Foster's files and documents immediately after his death [and] became an issue of much investigation itself."
Germany was an educated, cultured nation when Adolph Hitler and his band of murderers got into power. Something like this could happen in America. This is why we have films out now like Michael Clayton, about a corporate executive committing murder, and Absolute Power, about a US President committing murder.
You might have heard me say "morality is the root of education." If you do not pay attention to morality, then you will be like Harvard, accepting Jeff Skilling and giving him the opportunity to commit massive fraud.
Simple fraud that destroys a couple of companies and ruins the lives of thousands of people pales in comparison to complex fraud, like the sub-prime mortgage swindle, that can push the entire nation into recession.
And all this financial swindling pales in comparison to the threat of having murderers in high positions of power. It might have already happened, but can we survive as a democracy if it happens again?
Killer leaders might be in our future if we continue to promote people without regard to their character.
Robert
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Leadership Crisis in America: February, Part 1, American Failures
So much happened in February that I will make a 3 part posting on the Leadership Crisis. This installment will touch briefly on American failures. The purpose of this post is to emphasize the seriousness of the Leadership Crisis. We have weekly, almost daily reminders of the depth of the problem. If you are not already convinced we are in a Leadership Crisis, then I hope you will believe after these posts.
I want to move beyond preaching how we are in a Leadership Crisis and start considering how we got into this mess and how we might get out of it.
The New York Times, Wed. Feb. 6, 2008, "Papers Show Wachovia Knew of Thefts" by Charles Duhigg reported that Wachovia Bank was a knowing participant in theft from the accounts of Wachovia customers. Yes, Wachovia helped crooks rob Wachovia customers because Wachovia found a way to profit from the theft. What a betrayal of their customers. And not just a few, but thousands of their customers.
Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and the Wall Street Journal (Sat. Feb. 23, 2008) said Bank of America, which purchased Countrywide Financial Corp., made David Sambol would head its combined consumer mortgage operations. Sambol, Countrywide's President, drove Countrywide into the jaws of bankruptcy. Sambol ruined Countrywide so BoA could purchase it cheaply and he gets rewarded for failure.
Remember I said we should consider how we got into this Leadership Crisis? Promoting proven failures is one of many reasons we are in this Leadership Crisis.
The New York Times on Tue. Feb. 26, 2008 published "Guilty Verdict for 5 in A.I.G. Case" by Lynnley Browning. Among the five newly convicted business persons are Ronald Ferguson, CEO of Gen Re, Elizabeth Monrad, Gen Re CFO, and Robert Graham, Sr. VP and Asst. General Counsel: convicted on 16 counts of fraud and conspiracy to manipulate financial statements. (Gen Re means General Reinsurance.)
Imagine the number of business leaders who belong in jail numbering in the hundreds, maybe in the thousands. This is a sad situation.
Also consider the unspoken premise for all this fraud: thousands of American business leaders do not know how to grow their business, which is why they resort to fraud, so they can fake success.
Why are we in a Leadership Crisis? Perhaps too many business persons have been promoted to leadership positions by faking success. Lying about schedules, budget, and performance to the CEO is not a crime. But when a faker is promoted to CEO or CFO and fakes financial statements, then yesterday's fibs become today's crimes.
Robert
I want to move beyond preaching how we are in a Leadership Crisis and start considering how we got into this mess and how we might get out of it.
The New York Times, Wed. Feb. 6, 2008, "Papers Show Wachovia Knew of Thefts" by Charles Duhigg reported that Wachovia Bank was a knowing participant in theft from the accounts of Wachovia customers. Yes, Wachovia helped crooks rob Wachovia customers because Wachovia found a way to profit from the theft. What a betrayal of their customers. And not just a few, but thousands of their customers.
Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and the Wall Street Journal (Sat. Feb. 23, 2008) said Bank of America, which purchased Countrywide Financial Corp., made David Sambol would head its combined consumer mortgage operations. Sambol, Countrywide's President, drove Countrywide into the jaws of bankruptcy. Sambol ruined Countrywide so BoA could purchase it cheaply and he gets rewarded for failure.
Remember I said we should consider how we got into this Leadership Crisis? Promoting proven failures is one of many reasons we are in this Leadership Crisis.
The New York Times on Tue. Feb. 26, 2008 published "Guilty Verdict for 5 in A.I.G. Case" by Lynnley Browning. Among the five newly convicted business persons are Ronald Ferguson, CEO of Gen Re, Elizabeth Monrad, Gen Re CFO, and Robert Graham, Sr. VP and Asst. General Counsel: convicted on 16 counts of fraud and conspiracy to manipulate financial statements. (Gen Re means General Reinsurance.)
Imagine the number of business leaders who belong in jail numbering in the hundreds, maybe in the thousands. This is a sad situation.
Also consider the unspoken premise for all this fraud: thousands of American business leaders do not know how to grow their business, which is why they resort to fraud, so they can fake success.
Why are we in a Leadership Crisis? Perhaps too many business persons have been promoted to leadership positions by faking success. Lying about schedules, budget, and performance to the CEO is not a crime. But when a faker is promoted to CEO or CFO and fakes financial statements, then yesterday's fibs become today's crimes.
Robert
Monday, February 11, 2008
Competence and Ethics
The January 25, 2008 issue of the New York Times had an article, "Fraud Costs Bank $7.1 Billion," by David Jolly. This article describes how a bank employee, Jerome Kerviel, lost billions of dollars in unauthorized trading. The police are making a case against him.
I believe Stan O'Neal at Merrill Lynch and Charles Prince at Citigroup each lost more than $7 Billion for their companies, but they got big bonuses to go away.
Sending some people to jail for losing billions while you reward others for losing billions is crazy. This is part of the Leadership Crisis facing the whole world, not just America.
I say that ethics is a core competence. An unethical businessman is an incompetent businessman.
We need better ethics if we are to avoid another world wide financial depression. The world economy is quickly becoming a house of cards that will collapse precipitously from the right kind of scandalous financial disaster.
Robert Canright
I believe Stan O'Neal at Merrill Lynch and Charles Prince at Citigroup each lost more than $7 Billion for their companies, but they got big bonuses to go away.
Sending some people to jail for losing billions while you reward others for losing billions is crazy. This is part of the Leadership Crisis facing the whole world, not just America.
I say that ethics is a core competence. An unethical businessman is an incompetent businessman.
We need better ethics if we are to avoid another world wide financial depression. The world economy is quickly becoming a house of cards that will collapse precipitously from the right kind of scandalous financial disaster.
Robert Canright
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Culture and Family
Culture (Wen) and family are very important in Confucianism. I thought about the importance of these when I read this quote in the New York Times from the author Tom Perrotta (an old article, not a recent one):
Perrotta: "Speaking as a former teenage guy, the fact that you might someday get lucky was like the only thing getting you through those years. If you take that away I don't know what's left. It was the basic narrative of male adolescence."
Perrotta was expressing surprise that some teenagers today make an effort to be chaste.
A well educated and cultured young person has many sources of inspiration. The base life described by Perrotta is the result of a lack of culture. Culture enriches our lives. Fine music, poetry, good books, stimulating philosophy, and stimulating
conversation enlarge our humanity and expand our vistas.
A strong, loving family grounds a young person emotionally so he or she is not desperately seeking love and becoming misled by sexual passion.
I try hard to be a good parent and I believe the lessons of Kongzi and his students help me be a better father.
I see many applications of Kongzi's lessons in contemporary American life.
Robert
The article was "A writer's search for the sex in abstinence"
by Motoko Rich, Sunday Oct. 14, 2007, the Arts & Leisure section.
Perrotta: "Speaking as a former teenage guy, the fact that you might someday get lucky was like the only thing getting you through those years. If you take that away I don't know what's left. It was the basic narrative of male adolescence."
Perrotta was expressing surprise that some teenagers today make an effort to be chaste.
A well educated and cultured young person has many sources of inspiration. The base life described by Perrotta is the result of a lack of culture. Culture enriches our lives. Fine music, poetry, good books, stimulating philosophy, and stimulating
conversation enlarge our humanity and expand our vistas.
A strong, loving family grounds a young person emotionally so he or she is not desperately seeking love and becoming misled by sexual passion.
I try hard to be a good parent and I believe the lessons of Kongzi and his students help me be a better father.
I see many applications of Kongzi's lessons in contemporary American life.
Robert
The article was "A writer's search for the sex in abstinence"
by Motoko Rich, Sunday Oct. 14, 2007, the Arts & Leisure section.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Wang Yangming's Community Compact
Bill Cosby in his book "Come on People" offered no new ideas for helping communities struggling with poor education, drugs, and poverty. I have started studying Confucian community compacts to look for ideas to help struggling communities.
If an American community wanted to write a compact, the following text from Wang Yangming would be a great preamble.
"The responsibility for all this should be shared by...government officials and all of you, old and young.
Alas! Nothing can be done to change what has already gone by, but something can still be done in the future. Therefore a community compact is now specially prepared to unite and harmonize all of you. From now on, all of you who enter into this compact should be filial to your parents and respectful to your elders, teach your children, live in harmony with your fellow villagers, help one another when there is death in the family and assist one another in times of difficulty, encourage one another to do good and warn one another not to do evil, stop litigations and rivalry, cultivate faithfulness and promote harmony, and be sure to be good citizens so that together you may establish the custom of humanity and kindness....
All of you, both old and young, do not remember the former evil deeds of the new citizens and ignore their good deeds. As long as they have a single thought to do good, they are already good people. Do not be proud that you are good citizens and neglect to cultivate your personal life. As long as you have a single thought to do evil, you are already evil people. Whether people are good or evil depends on a single instant of thought. You should think over my words carefully. Don't forget...."
Wang Yangming, 1472-1529
This is a brilliant exposition of the right attitude to have going into a community compact. I am too humbled by Wang's brilliance to try to add anything to what he said. I will only mention American historical context: during his lifetime Columbus discovered the New World (1492) and the Jamestown colony was started in Virginia (1508).
Robert
If an American community wanted to write a compact, the following text from Wang Yangming would be a great preamble.
"The responsibility for all this should be shared by...government officials and all of you, old and young.
Alas! Nothing can be done to change what has already gone by, but something can still be done in the future. Therefore a community compact is now specially prepared to unite and harmonize all of you. From now on, all of you who enter into this compact should be filial to your parents and respectful to your elders, teach your children, live in harmony with your fellow villagers, help one another when there is death in the family and assist one another in times of difficulty, encourage one another to do good and warn one another not to do evil, stop litigations and rivalry, cultivate faithfulness and promote harmony, and be sure to be good citizens so that together you may establish the custom of humanity and kindness....
All of you, both old and young, do not remember the former evil deeds of the new citizens and ignore their good deeds. As long as they have a single thought to do good, they are already good people. Do not be proud that you are good citizens and neglect to cultivate your personal life. As long as you have a single thought to do evil, you are already evil people. Whether people are good or evil depends on a single instant of thought. You should think over my words carefully. Don't forget...."
Wang Yangming, 1472-1529
This is a brilliant exposition of the right attitude to have going into a community compact. I am too humbled by Wang's brilliance to try to add anything to what he said. I will only mention American historical context: during his lifetime Columbus discovered the New World (1492) and the Jamestown colony was started in Virginia (1508).
Robert
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Chess or Sports as Ritual
Ritual is a big deal in Confucianism, but what rituals so we really have in America?
The New York Times, Sunday Jan. 12, 2008, had an article: "The Ritual of Chess, a Decoder of Life" by Dorothy Spears
There is this interesting sentence in the article:
"...the sense of chess as ritual. With continued focus and awareness, chess seductively suggests, we can decipher our chaotic landscape."
There are certain ritualistic aspects of chess, but ritual is supposed to bind a community together. High school football games are more effective at that than chess.
Our high school football team went pretty far in the state championship cycle this year. Not that I'm a football fan, but because I wanted to be a supportive member of the community, I went to all the playoff games, even traveling hours out of town.
The parents and alumni were very supportive and enthusiastic. I truly felt a part of something when I joined in with their ritualistic cheers. It was a very good experience.
We do have rituals in America, we just do not think of them that way.
And sports like football or baseball are more effective as community rituals than chess, which is very individualistic.
Robert
The New York Times, Sunday Jan. 12, 2008, had an article: "The Ritual of Chess, a Decoder of Life" by Dorothy Spears
There is this interesting sentence in the article:
"...the sense of chess as ritual. With continued focus and awareness, chess seductively suggests, we can decipher our chaotic landscape."
There are certain ritualistic aspects of chess, but ritual is supposed to bind a community together. High school football games are more effective at that than chess.
Our high school football team went pretty far in the state championship cycle this year. Not that I'm a football fan, but because I wanted to be a supportive member of the community, I went to all the playoff games, even traveling hours out of town.
The parents and alumni were very supportive and enthusiastic. I truly felt a part of something when I joined in with their ritualistic cheers. It was a very good experience.
We do have rituals in America, we just do not think of them that way.
And sports like football or baseball are more effective as community rituals than chess, which is very individualistic.
Robert
Friday, January 18, 2008
More on Economics and Confucianism
I've been thinking more about the application of Confucianism to economics.
Here's what the Confucian scholar Yan Yuan (a.k.a. Yan Xizhai, 1635 - 1704) wrote:
"...culture is not just the Odes, History, and the Six Arts; an impressive personal presence, clear speech, the military, farming, hydraulics, the use of fire, finance, grain, labor, and risk -- anything that can refine who I am and embellish
the fundamental forces in the universe -- all are part of culture."
Finance, labor, and risk are part of economics!
There is definitely a connection between economics and Confucianism.
Robert
The quote is from page 79, "Confucian Moral Self Cultivation,
2nd Ed." by Philip J. Ivanhoe (2000)
Here's what the Confucian scholar Yan Yuan (a.k.a. Yan Xizhai, 1635 - 1704) wrote:
"...culture is not just the Odes, History, and the Six Arts; an impressive personal presence, clear speech, the military, farming, hydraulics, the use of fire, finance, grain, labor, and risk -- anything that can refine who I am and embellish
the fundamental forces in the universe -- all are part of culture."
Finance, labor, and risk are part of economics!
There is definitely a connection between economics and Confucianism.
Robert
The quote is from page 79, "Confucian Moral Self Cultivation,
2nd Ed." by Philip J. Ivanhoe (2000)
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