Kimchong Chong - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Kimchong Chong
Altruistic Reveries: Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2002
What has Mencius, a philosopher of the 4th century B.C. in ancient China, to offer to a contempor... more What has Mencius, a philosopher of the 4th century B.C. in ancient China, to offer to a contemporary discussion on altruism? The answer lies in his reply to moral scepticism, a perennial feature of both ordinary and intellectual thought. According to Mencius, there are certain ethical predispositions which manifest themselves spontaneously in appropriate circumstances. These predispositions constitute a direct moral concern which is to be distinguished from motivated desires. Such concern may either be particularistic, i.e. directed toward those in a personal relation with ourselves, or non-particularistic, i.e. directed toward those who have no personal relation with ourselves. Both types of concern are not mutually exclusive.
Philosophy East and West, 2011
The term <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> is commonly associated with t... more The term <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> is commonly associated with the <i>zhen ren</i> or the "true person," who is described, for example, as capable of going through fire and water unharmed. Some scholars take this as typifying a mystical element in the <i>Zhuangzi</i>. This essay investigates the various meanings and uses of <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> and reaches a broader understanding of the <i>zhen ren</i> in various contexts.
Philosophy East and West, 1999
... He was not concerned with the reality or nature of jen; he was interested primarily in its ap... more ... He was not concerned with the reality or nature of jen; he was interested primarily in its application." Nonetheless, Chan goes on to say that "Generally speaking, however, there can be no doubt that jen is love for all."2 As we shall see, this definition is not unproblematic, and it is ...
Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 2008
Commentary Journal of the University of Singapore Society, 1975
J Value Inquiry, 1996
In an essay published in this journal, "Ethical Egoism and the Moral Point of View, ''11 discusse... more In an essay published in this journal, "Ethical Egoism and the Moral Point of View, ''11 discussed examples to show the intelligibility of egoism as an "ethical" position. One example was Zorba. 2 Given harsh, nasty, and brutish conditions, and his experiences with the cruelty and injustices of which people are capable, Zorba comes to hold a normative position that "one ought always and only to act in one's own interests." In a recent critique of my essay, Wim J. van der Steen 3 has argued that Zorba's position, though universalizable, fails to justify ethical egoism. He puts it this way: We are dealing with a universal principle that remains to be justified, or with a principle which, though justified, is non-universal because it is person-relative. Alternatively, Chong's line of reasoning could be taken to show, more sensibly, that acting along the lines prescribed by ethical egoism is justified in circumstances of a particular kind (cf. the "background" mentioned by Chong). This would leave us with a thesis which is justified and universal, but clearly less general than unqualified egoism as originally defined by Chong. Either way ethical egoism as an overarching doctrine remains to be justiffed. Chong implicitly assumes, mistakenly so, that justifiability is preserved under universalization. 4
Altruistic Reveries: Perspectives from the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2002
What has Mencius, a philosopher of the 4th century B.C. in ancient China, to offer to a contempor... more What has Mencius, a philosopher of the 4th century B.C. in ancient China, to offer to a contemporary discussion on altruism? The answer lies in his reply to moral scepticism, a perennial feature of both ordinary and intellectual thought. According to Mencius, there are certain ethical predispositions which manifest themselves spontaneously in appropriate circumstances. These predispositions constitute a direct moral concern which is to be distinguished from motivated desires. Such concern may either be particularistic, i.e. directed toward those in a personal relation with ourselves, or non-particularistic, i.e. directed toward those who have no personal relation with ourselves. Both types of concern are not mutually exclusive.
Philosophy East and West, 2011
The term <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> is commonly associated with t... more The term <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> is commonly associated with the <i>zhen ren</i> or the "true person," who is described, for example, as capable of going through fire and water unharmed. Some scholars take this as typifying a mystical element in the <i>Zhuangzi</i>. This essay investigates the various meanings and uses of <i>zhen</i> in the <i>Zhuangzi</i> and reaches a broader understanding of the <i>zhen ren</i> in various contexts.
Philosophy East and West, 1999
... He was not concerned with the reality or nature of jen; he was interested primarily in its ap... more ... He was not concerned with the reality or nature of jen; he was interested primarily in its application." Nonetheless, Chan goes on to say that "Generally speaking, however, there can be no doubt that jen is love for all."2 As we shall see, this definition is not unproblematic, and it is ...
Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 2008
Commentary Journal of the University of Singapore Society, 1975
J Value Inquiry, 1996
In an essay published in this journal, "Ethical Egoism and the Moral Point of View, ''11 discusse... more In an essay published in this journal, "Ethical Egoism and the Moral Point of View, ''11 discussed examples to show the intelligibility of egoism as an "ethical" position. One example was Zorba. 2 Given harsh, nasty, and brutish conditions, and his experiences with the cruelty and injustices of which people are capable, Zorba comes to hold a normative position that "one ought always and only to act in one's own interests." In a recent critique of my essay, Wim J. van der Steen 3 has argued that Zorba's position, though universalizable, fails to justify ethical egoism. He puts it this way: We are dealing with a universal principle that remains to be justified, or with a principle which, though justified, is non-universal because it is person-relative. Alternatively, Chong's line of reasoning could be taken to show, more sensibly, that acting along the lines prescribed by ethical egoism is justified in circumstances of a particular kind (cf. the "background" mentioned by Chong). This would leave us with a thesis which is justified and universal, but clearly less general than unqualified egoism as originally defined by Chong. Either way ethical egoism as an overarching doctrine remains to be justiffed. Chong implicitly assumes, mistakenly so, that justifiability is preserved under universalization. 4