标签：Greece

Politics Is Dispute—Starting from the Smoke-Free Campus

Culture & Public Commentary2011.11.03
Politics Is Dispute—Starting from the Smoke-Free Campus
I don’t know when the sign “This campus is a smoke-free school” was first hung at Peking University’s gate. I once even saw security guards seriously stop people who were coming in with cigarettes in their mouths. Today, in the midst of the poisonous haze (November 1), I noticed this sign again, so I’ll jot down a few thoughts while I’m at it~ I don’t smoke, and I don’t like other people smoking around me. But I do not support a “smoke-free campus.” In particular, a “smoke-free Peking University” is even worse. Because a smoking ban runs counter to freedom. Smoking is harmful, and it affects other people’s physical and…
culture China freedom commentary
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2011年11月3日
Mathematics, Education, and Machines

AI & the Future of Technology2011.11.02
Mathematics, Education, and Machines
Today in discussion section, I listened to Brother Donglin’s report, and it felt wonderfully intriguing; some of my earlier scattered thoughts have become much clearer. What Brother Donglin discussed was the concept of “diagramming” in ancient Greek geometry. He pointed out that the geometrical constructions of the ancient Greeks cannot be understood as “construction” in the Kantian sense: the meaning of diagramming is not to provide some kind of “ontological proof.” Diagramming is undertaken for pedagogical and instructional purposes; the original meaning of “proof” is also a kind of showing, a process by which the teacher displays something to the student. “Geometrical diagramming, geometrical knowledge, and phronesis (practical knowledge, that…
philosophy technology science media
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2011年11月2日
On the First Assignment for History of Science and Technology: Basic Features of Hellenistic Science Seen Through Ptolemaic Astronomy

Teaching & Courses2011.10.13
On the First Assignment for History of Science and Technology: Basic Features of Hellenistic Science Seen Through Ptolemaic Astronomy
The first assignment has basically been graded; let me summarize it. First, about the scores. This semester each assignment is worth only 10 points, and I was thinking of grading in 0.5-point increments. The highest score, 9.5, should be kept to a very small number—about one per class on average, and it can even be left unused; the teaching assistants can compare the best papers and then decide. Excellent papers get 9; good ones, 8 or 8.5; passing ones, 7 or 7.5; rather poor ones, around 6; abysmal ones, below 5; and plagiarism or failure to submit, 0. As for late submissions—strictly speaking, this course does not even have the…
course Peking University Greece astronomy
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2011年10月13日
Arendt Reading Notes

Culture & Public Commentary2011.09.28
Arendt Reading Notes
Finally finished reading Arendt’s The Human Condition, and feel immensely relieved… Let me make some notes.. Wang Yinli’s Chinese translation of The Human Condition is basically pretty good. Though I didn’t compare it line by line with the English original, on the whole I could make sense of it, and there probably won’t be any major misunderstandings. The problem, however, is that her translation is still rather awkward. In the translator’s afterword, she also writes that she follows the principle of “literal translation,” saying that “literal translation has already become a consensus in the translation of academic works,” and so she tries not to change the original word order. I…
book reading notes freedom Aristotle
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2011年9月28日
Civilization History as History of Science—A Review of Sarton’s Ancient Science in the Golden Age of Greece

History of Science & Scholarship2010.10.24
Civilization History as History of Science—A Review of Sarton’s Ancient Science in the Golden Age of Greece
As the founder of the discipline of the history of science, George Sarton was the first generation of professional historians of science, and he is by no means unfamiliar to scholars in China. In 2007, Jiang Xiaoyuan and Liu Bing edited Sarton’s History of Science Series, bringing Sarton’s ideas on historiography into the Chinese context in a comprehensive way. One of the monumental representative works that reflects Sarton’s achievements in the history of science, Ancient Science Through the Golden Age of Greece, has also recently been introduced by Xiangxiang Press. Regarding Sarton’s value, the translator Lu Xudong says in the preface: “Anyone reading the history of science cannot but read…
book reading history of science Aristotle book review
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2010年10月24日
Know Yourself, and Do Nothing in Excess—Reflections on Wang Yifang’s Lecture

Culture & Public Commentary2010.10.15
Know Yourself, and Do Nothing in Excess—Reflections on Wang Yifang’s Lecture
Scientific development is proceeding at high speed, and humanity is forging ahead rapidly on the road to knowledge—but does such development need a braking mechanism? Does science need to be “negatively thought”? This is the question Teacher Wang raised. Does science need ethical constraints? Beyond what is “correct,” is there also a standard of “justice”? When people discuss the ethical constraints or social responsibility of science, they are often referring to the personal conduct of scientists. Of course, scientists, as citizens and as members of society, are subject, like people in any other profession, to corresponding social and ethical constraints in their work and lives. Scientific ethics in this sense…
culture science knowledge pursuit
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2010年10月15日
(For the first assignment in the General History of Science—“Briefly describe the basic features of Greek cosmology and astronomy”) A few words before I’ve even graded the assignment~

Teaching & Courses2009.10.27
(For the first assignment in the General History of Science—“Briefly describe the basic features of Greek cosmology and astronomy”) A few words before I’ve even graded the assignment~
Before the homework is graded, let me say a few words~ The third question on this assignment, namely “briefly describe the basic features of Greek cosmology and astronomy,” was set by me and will also be graded by me. Perhaps because the topic seemed difficult, or because it was listed last, in any case comparatively the fewest students chose my topic. I only received 36 submissions, which just so happens to make it possible for me to offer a bit of special kill-you-while-serving-you (service)~ That is to say, in addition to learning their scores, everyone will also know exactly why they were inevitably killed by the TA~~ I will explain…
philosophy history of science course Aristotle
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2009年10月27日
Notes from Today’s Xindao Salon, 09-09-12

Life & Notes2009.09.12
Notes from Today’s Xindao Salon, 09-09-12
Today can be counted as the last salon of the summer break before the new semester. I only came to study, but there were still two younger brothers who showed up to lend their support; many thanks~ Starting next week I’m going to begin organizing a reading group. Following the progress of the general history of science course, and borrowing the resources of the “Selected Readings in Classics of History of Science” course, how about we start with *Early Greek Science*? But given that this book is rather mediocre, perhaps we could also choose some other book to read, or simply have each person read whatever they like around ancient…
everyday life book reading history of science Greece
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2009年9月12日
Philosophical Style and Attitudes Toward Love

Life & Notes2009.03.19
Philosophical Style and Attitudes Toward Love
I always say that my philosophy “starts from the classical,” specifically, more or less from Kant and those around him. But that is only an external explanation; as for what this “classical” actually contains, I have my own understanding. In my view, so-called “classical philosophy” represents a style and an attitude, one marked by an entire era. Roughly speaking, the history of Western philosophy can be divided into four eras: antiquity (ancient Greece), the Middle Ages, the classical period, and modernity.—Of course, my “classical” here is classical rather than ancient, the sense of “canonical.” A rougher division would be simply classical and modern; a finer one could add primordial times…
philosophy autobiography pursuit Greece
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2009年3月19日
Philosophy and Nudity

Philosophy & Thought2009.01.06
Philosophy and Nudity
Heaven knows why, amid the pressure of several entirely muddled papers, I still have the mind to write so many essays. But there’s nothing to be done: when you need to let it out, holding it in is miserable. Once I finish this one, this round of catharsis can come to an end. That is to say, from “From Fisherman to Pirate” on to this piece, one could say that a series has taken shape, and that it can be understood as the final complaints before setting sail. From here on out…… whew—anyway, I’m no longer sitting and waiting in the palace. This piece has been given a rather eye-catching…
philosophy China phenomenology pursuit
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2009年1月6日