标签：philosophy

Is the Struggle Aspect of Contradictions Absolute?

Life & Notes2007.10.11
Is the Struggle Aspect of Contradictions Absolute?
This time’s entrance exam for the recommendation-for-exemption process was a complete disaster—of course, I had already expected to bomb it, but I thought I’d have to take the hit on English; I never expected the two Chinese-language questions to be even more disastrous…… Especially the second question, which was also worth 25 points, and of all things turned out to be a “Marxist philosophy” question. I nearly handed in a blank sheet on that one; in the end I managed to write a few lines, though I have no idea how many points I got…… Analyze: “The antagonistic aspect of contradictions is absolute.” My answer was roughly like this: First,…
philosophy everyday life determinism
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2007年10月11日
Is Literature Human Studies? — A Response

Culture & Public Commentary2007.10.08
Is Literature Human Studies? — A Response
This is a response to UNIC; taking this opportunity, I’d like to briefly state my attitude toward conceptual analysis and inquiry. You want to say “literature is human studies,” and that’s fine; I do not object. Of course, this phrase is not your own invention, but already a widely used expression. I looked it up, and its source seems to be Gorky; it has also been used by many writers on different occasions. Every sentence has its context and must be judged within a specific context. Otherwise, a bald assertion dropped out of nowhere cannot be properly understood or assessed. For example, I say “the Earth is round.” Is that…
philosophy culture human nature humanities
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2007年10月8日
What Is “Literature”?

Culture & Public Commentary2007.10.08
What Is “Literature”?
I claim that this year I’m going to make a serious study of literature, so what exactly do I mean? What is literature? Although I understand that I’ll have more of a say on this question only after I’ve read more literary books, if I have no idea what “literature” is, then what exactly am I planning to read? Of course, the simplest method is to follow the categories already made by others and look for books on the literature shelf in a bookstore; that would count as reading literature. But as someone who does philosophy, I really shouldn’t be too lazy. Besides, this topic has come up recently anyway,…
philosophy culture scholarship literature
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2007年10月8日
Restating Scientific Pluralism from a Classical Starting Point

Philosophy & Thought2007.09.29
Restating Scientific Pluralism from a Classical Starting Point
When I was being interviewed, Teacher Sun asked me how, after reading so much philosophy of science, I still hadn’t fixed a direction. I hemmed and hawed, dodged and bobbed, and in the end only said that I was interested in the whole field of meta-science, and that I would settle on a specific direction slowly. Was I really completely without a goal? No. Of the main direction I have in mind so far, or rather, of my academic ideal, of course I have one! I just didn’t dare say it during the interview. I only mentioned, “I’ve already made those grand claims in my personal statement,” and Wu-laoshi…
philosophy philosophy of science Kant pluralism
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2007年9月29日
I’m Still Just a Child~!

Life & Notes2007.09.29
I’m Still Just a Child~!
That day, during the interview, Teacher Sun said: how come that over your four years in college, you’ve already been studying according to our major, and yet still haven’t settled on a smaller academic direction? I said that these four years of college had already narrowed things down enough. Narrowed down to what degree? I said, isn’t it already determined as “Science Studies”? How is that not narrow? I said that in high school I liked math, physics, astronomy, geography, history, economics, and so on; hadn’t that already been a narrowing? Teacher Sun said that high school doesn’t count; that was still a child’s ideal. I said, hmm, I feel…
philosophy everyday life Ji Xianlin
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2007年9月29日
[Repost] Peking University Master’s Degree Admissions Program Directory

Life & Notes2007.09.27
[Repost] Peking University Master’s Degree Admissions Program Directory
http://www.pku.edu.cn/cgi-bin/websql/zhcx/graduate/yjs/zs_ss_zy.hts?xsh=023 Department/Program Name Department of Philosophy Total Enrollment 47 students. Program Notes Of these, 25 are expected to be admitted through recommendation and exemption from the entrance exam. For examinees, the weight of the re-examination is 40%. Programs and Numbers of Students to Be Admitted 010101 Marxist Philosophy 6 010102 Chinese Philosophy 6 010103 Foreign Philosophy 7 010104 Logic 3 010105 Ethics 4 010106 Aesthetics 5 010107 Religious Studies 6 010108 Philosophy of Science and Technology 7 071200 History of Science and Technology 3
philosophy everyday life scholarship Peking University
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2007年9月27日
Bits and Pieces, Episode Two

Philosophy & Thought2007.09.23
Bits and Pieces, Episode Two
l To say that human nature is inherently good or that human nature is inherently evil both seem to make sense; why not simply say that human nature is both good and evil, or neither good nor evil? In the end, when we want to describe a villain, we still like to say he is “lacking humanity.” In fact, when one says that human nature is inherently good, one is also stressing another side of the matter: goodness is itself human nature. That is to say, goodness comes from oneself; seeking goodness requires only self-help and self-discipline, without looking outward for it. This is similar to Kant’s intention in emphasizing…
philosophy religion human nature
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2007年9月23日
On the Principle of Sufficient Reason

Philosophy & Thought2007.09.19
On the Principle of Sufficient Reason
Today in Schopenhauer class, at the very end, the discussion turned to the principle of sufficient reason. I couldn’t help interjecting a question; in fact, I haven’t even started reading Schopenhauer’s book yet, so I was really rather embarrassed~ Jingang said that Schopenhauer’s argument for the principle of sufficient reason is quite dogmatic, and I agree with that. As for the teacher, he more or less said that the principle of sufficient reason is a prerequisite for questioning and reasoning, and on that point I disagree. At the time I brought up quantum mechanics. I raised it as an example, not because I wanted to drag the cutting edge of…
philosophy causality quantum mechanics Einstein
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2007年9月19日
Peking University 2008 Admission of Recommended Exempt-Admission Graduate Students: Personal Statement

Life & Notes2007.09.14
Peking University 2008 Admission of Recommended Exempt-Admission Graduate Students: Personal Statement
最近事情太多，凡事都想速战速决。这个陈述急急写好马上就交了，现在看来语句有点不通，内容也似乎太随意了点。不过将就着吧。 Peking University 2008 Admissions for Recommended Exempt-Examination Graduate Study P e r s o n a l S t a t e m e n t Please use about 1,500 Chinese characters to introduce your academic background, the research work you have done in the field you are applying for, as well as your study and research plans during graduate school and your career goals after graduation, etc. The personal statement should be completed independently by the applicant; if it is found to have been completed with assistance from others, the applicant’s exemption qualification will be canceled. Please handwrite or print this page; the back may be used. Be…
philosophy philosophy of science history autobiography
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2007年9月14日
Doing Philosophy Is Like Building a House

History of Science & Scholarship2007.09.11
Doing Philosophy Is Like Building a House
Different philosophers build different kinds of architecture—some are magnificent and luxurious, some solemn and quiet, some plain and simple; some can provide people with a place to settle down, while others are made for revelry; some are towering spires for people to gaze up at, some are labyrinths buried deep underground waiting to be explored, and some are merely foundations laid in the hope that later generations will carry the project forward,…… The architects of those new buildings, each with a style all its own, are the philosophers. But they either build upon the foundations laid by their predecessors, or else innovate by imitating and blending earlier thinkers; if one…
philosophy scholarship
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2007年9月11日