Search

Women struggling for recognition encounter an important difficulty in structural barriers to property ownership. In this paper, I propose to investigate the possibility of a roughly Confucian conception of property that both eschews the liberal property rights conception and provides more space for women than has been allowed in traditional Confucian property schemes. Western property regimes also failed to provide women with adequate access to property, but this was corrected in a manner in keeping with the Western fixation on the individual. Important social problems arose in connection with the Western individualized approach to property relations. The traditional Confucian approach managed to avoid the Western problems, but, as in the West, it failed to provide women with sufficient access to property. I argue here that Confucianism is adequately supplied to correct this deficiency through two routes: one ritual-based and one canon-based.

Confucius, widely perceived as a champion of learning, is also frequently thought of as a conservative. I will argue here that Confucius is in fact a type of conservative whose preference for present arrangements involves strands of skepticism. Confucius’s conservatism is unique in that he is moderately skeptical of making innovations to accord better with the Dao, and he is also moderately skeptical of using history as a model for the present. While acknowledging the accomplishments of the ancient sage kings, Confucius registers his preference for the Zhou, which can be better known. Analects 3.9 strongly suggests that important knowledge from the Xia and Shang has been lost, thus diminishing the value of ancient history as a guide for present arrangements. Analects 2.23 on the other hand suggests that the arrangements of the Xia and Shang are well known. This tension between 2.23 and 3.9 can be ameliorated by understanding Confucius’ teaching style. To the objection that Analects 2.23 refers only to a failure of documentation, not to a general failure of knowledge, I argue that documentation is Confucius’ only acknowledged pathway to historical knowledge. Turning from the past to the future, Confucius claims not to have the knowledge possessed by the innovative sages, but only the knowledge of them and their actions. Doesn’t Confucius, however, seek to innovate in his home state of Lu? I answer, no, that he is resisting the innovations of the great families. Confucius turns out to be, then, a moderately skeptical conservative.

Han Fei’s political theory is widely characterized as eschewing any connection with morality; so, can he have any conception of justice? In this paper, I accept the interpretation of Han Fei jettis...

The most common way of counting fish is to use subsampling to determine the number of fish/lb. (weight count) and use weight measurements instead of counting individual fish. We compared differences in methods commonly used to determine weight counts. We found that none of the methods differed from each other and the mean weight counts remained close to the true weight count. Number of samples required to achieve accuracy depends on the individual performing the weight count and the size of fish. Efforts should be made to satisfy probability theory assumptions.

This essay explores two versions of property theory, one Western and one Eastern. While the Western model bases property ownership on noble features of human beings, the introduction of money and its commodification ultimately undercut the personal nature of place. The Eastern model recognizes there must also be place that is reflective of our social natures and most fundamentally of our family relations. I will argue that both models have their defects, but they can perhaps usefully learn from each other. The Western model underwrites a cult of the individual that promotes a destructive selfishness. The Eastern model is inefficient in comparison with modern farming methods. Nor is it feasible in its land distribution requirement given the constraints of modern populations. Nevertheless, the Eastern view of place might be made to complement the Western view. The Western model has successfully transferred the notion of place from the farm plot to the workplace. We will, though, want our workplaces to become broader communities, where, as in the well-field system, families interact, and they are connected to the larger community and even to the political community.

Mengzi and David Hume both suggest that virtue arises from original features of human nature. This article explores how the Humean explanation of the passions along with Hume’s double relation of impressions and ideas can complete the Mengzian account by showing how original “sprouts” can be extended to others as a fully developed virtue.