| Encountering China: Michael Sandel and Chinese Philosophy Subjects: Sandel Michael J.; Capitalism -- Moral and ethical aspects -- China; Confucian ethics -- China; Taoist ethics -- China; Mixed economy -- China; Communitarianism -- China; In the West, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel is a thinker of unusual prominence. In China, he's a phenomenon, greeted by vast crowds. China Daily reports that he has acquired a popularity "usually reserved for Hollywood movie stars." China Newsweek declared him the "most influential foreign figure" of the year. In Sandel the Chinese have found a guide through the ethical dilemmas created by the nation's swift embrace of a market economy--a guide whose communitarian ideas resonate with aspects of China's own rich and ancient philosophical traditions. |