3 ms·

Michael Puett’s book The Path draws on the insights of Chinese philosophers

73 points by a_w 10y ago

mathoff 10y ago
His book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492653-the-path https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492653-the-path
italicbold 10y ago
All roads lead to enlightenment, there is no right/wrong way to get there. Its not about the destination its about the journey, whatever path you choose.
mirimir 10y ago
If you don't straighten your mat, your ass will get sore. And damn, that man had long thumbnails. Never noticed that.
- teddyh 10y ago
  In Chinese culture, long fingernails are a status symbol.
  - mark_edward 10y ago
    Well they were, fell out of fashion in early 20th on the collapse of the Qing. Another dramatic change around this time was the mass abandonment of the long queue of hair, long associated with Confucian values
    - nybblet 10y ago
      It's true that Confucian values talk about not self-injuring/damaging what parents gave to children --- their physical bodies etc. --- but pretty sure the abandonment of the long queue of hair on the collapse of the Qing was due to the fact it'd been imposed on the Han Chinese by the Manchus as a form of suppression.
  - mirimir 10y ago
    Well, I've at times favored long fingernails. Especially, back in the day, thumb and first finger, for smoking stubs 'n' stuff. And by the way, it was silly to characterize his advice about straightening one's mat as enigmatic. I mean, it's so obvious. But maybe I just didn't get the joke.
KCFforecast 10y ago
Just googling for some related ideas I found: 1) The Axel age, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_Age, 2) The concept of liminarity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liminality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liminality I think Hume ideas, http://www.iep.utm.edu/hume/ http://www.iep.utm.edu/hume/, for example about utilitarity, and his idea that there is no permanent self. Obvious, is your dynamic self is shaped by rituals then you can apply practice makes perfect techniques. A recent comment about good study habits suggested small time habits better than a strict but non-real schedule that in the end you are not going to adhere to. Also there is a very old book, whose name I cannot recall now, about Chinese culture and the art of living, in which the main insight is that Chinese culture is not about a formal system of rules, but about embracing nature and learning practical skills, that is you learn to live your life by living (repl) read (sensor model) eval (action model) print (show off yourself in society and take liability of your acts) and loop (think about how to improve). In the interview the interviewer notes that the author use the words great, good question, ... So my takeaway is that a professor of 101 philosophy should motivate (positively) students to question their assumptions , that's the role of philosophy, and that is good to sell books. On the other hand, a bad cop is needed to say students that they know nothing and that perhaps this book, beyond motivating them to think about philosophy, is null. But the ultimate role of philosophy is to make you think by yourself, so a null thing can be a good think, the media is the message. Edit: Recalled the book name: Author Lin Yutang, China - The Art of Living. Don't follow if you need a pay check.
- Nomentatus 10y ago
  There's a strong connection between Hume and Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism, btw. He was likely well-versed in Buddhist thought. http://www.alisongopnik.com/papers_alison/gopnik_humestudies_withtoc.pdf http://www.alisongopnik.com/papers_alison/gopnik_humestudies...
Jd 10y ago
I've had several personal interactions with Prof. Puett. He's sort of like a new American Emerson, spartan in lifestyle, and incredibly inspiring both in his intellectual rigor and dedication to principles. I highly suspect he his having an extremely outsized impact at Harvard.

73 points by a_w 10y ago

His book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492653-the-path https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492653-the-path

All roads lead to enlightenment, there is no right/wrong way to get there. Its not about the destination its about the journey, whatever path you choose.

mirimir 10y ago

If you don't straighten your mat, your ass will get sore. And damn, that man had long thumbnails. Never noticed that.

teddyh 10y ago
In Chinese culture, long fingernails are a status symbol.
- mark_edward 10y ago
  Well they were, fell out of fashion in early 20th on the collapse of the Qing. Another dramatic change around this time was the mass abandonment of the long queue of hair, long associated with Confucian values
  - nybblet 10y ago
    It's true that Confucian values talk about not self-injuring/damaging what parents gave to children --- their physical bodies etc. --- but pretty sure the abandonment of the long queue of hair on the collapse of the Qing was due to the fact it'd been imposed on the Han Chinese by the Manchus as a form of suppression.
- mirimir 10y ago
  Well, I've at times favored long fingernails. Especially, back in the day, thumb and first finger, for smoking stubs 'n' stuff. And by the way, it was silly to characterize his advice about straightening one's mat as enigmatic. I mean, it's so obvious. But maybe I just didn't get the joke.

KCFforecast 10y ago

Just googling for some related ideas I found: 1) The Axel age, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_Age https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_Age, 2) The concept of liminarity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liminality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liminality I think Hume ideas, http://www.iep.utm.edu/hume/ http://www.iep.utm.edu/hume/, for example about utilitarity, and his idea that there is no permanent self. Obvious, is your dynamic self is shaped by rituals then you can apply practice makes perfect techniques. A recent comment about good study habits suggested small time habits better than a strict but non-real schedule that in the end you are not going to adhere to. Also there is a very old book, whose name I cannot recall now, about Chinese culture and the art of living, in which the main insight is that Chinese culture is not about a formal system of rules, but about embracing nature and learning practical skills, that is you learn to live your life by living (repl) read (sensor model) eval (action model) print (show off yourself in society and take liability of your acts) and loop (think about how to improve). In the interview the interviewer notes that the author use the words great, good question, ... So my takeaway is that a professor of 101 philosophy should motivate (positively) students to question their assumptions , that's the role of philosophy, and that is good to sell books. On the other hand, a bad cop is needed to say students that they know nothing and that perhaps this book, beyond motivating them to think about philosophy, is null. But the ultimate role of philosophy is to make you think by yourself, so a null thing can be a good think, the media is the message. Edit: Recalled the book name: Author Lin Yutang, China - The Art of Living. Don't follow if you need a pay check.

Nomentatus 10y ago
There's a strong connection between Hume and Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism, btw. He was likely well-versed in Buddhist thought. http://www.alisongopnik.com/papers_alison/gopnik_humestudies_withtoc.pdf http://www.alisongopnik.com/papers_alison/gopnik_humestudies...

Jd 10y ago

I've had several personal interactions with Prof. Puett. He's sort of like a new American Emerson, spartan in lifestyle, and incredibly inspiring both in his intellectual rigor and dedication to principles. I highly suspect he his having an extremely outsized impact at Harvard.