History of Philosophy: India, Africana, China

Latest Episodes:

HPC 62. Just Going Through a Phase: Han Metaphysics Oct 18, 2026

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Accounts of the underlying natures of things in the Han period, focusing on the concepts of qi, yin-yang, and the “five phases.”

HPC 61. The Cosmos in Motion: Han Dynasty Philosophy Oct 04, 2026

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An overview of Han Dynasty philosophy: its attention to change, its views on the cosmos, resonances across the myriad things, and the tripartite relation between Heaven, Earth and humanity, all within the political context of the Han.

HPC 60. Alice Yao on Han Archeology Sep 20, 2026

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What can archeological finds tell us about the political and intellectual culture of Han China? We find out from an expert in the field (literally).

HPC 59. Forget Me Not: Han History Writing Aug 01, 2026

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How historians like Sima Qian and Ban Gu have shaped our understanding of ancient Chinese history, including the history of philosophy.

HPC 58. Historical Fiction? Texts in the Han Jul 19, 2026

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How were the texts of the Han dynasty different from those in the Warring States period? How historical circumstances shaped philosophical writing, and how texts in turn shaped Han political culture.

HPC 57. Rise and Fall, and Rise and Fall: the Han Dynasty Jul 05, 2026

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The relationship between philosophy and politics in the Han Dynasty, focusing on the example of Huang-Lao, a typically “eclectic” tradition of thought.

HPC 56. Yuri Pines on Legalism Jun 21, 2026

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An interview about fa-thinkers like Shang Yang and Han Feizi, exploring their relationship to the Qin dynasty and to other schools of thought.

HPC 55. More Gain, Less Pain: the Legalists on Human Nature Jun 07, 2026

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Did the fa-thinkers recognize that human beings natural have moral capacities or dispositions? How did they try to manipulate human nature?

HPC 54. Learning to Unlearn: Han Feizi and Confucianism May 24, 2026

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Does Han Feizi’s focus on “standards” allow him to provide a more realistic political theory than the Confucian focus on moral cultivation?

HPC 53. A Worm Riding Clouds: Standards, Strategy and Power in the Han Feizi May 10, 2026

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The Han Feizi and its “three pillars” of Legalist philosophy: fa (standards), shu (strategy), and shi (positional power).

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