User:Whiskey0504/Preparatory Assignment

Critique of Existing Entries

Entry 1: Mohism

This article of Mohism gives a relatively comprehensive account of this prominent rival of Confucianism. Yet, while it does a fair job in listing its major critiques of Confucianism in introducing its major theoretical framework, it fails to give an equal weight to other schools' critique of it. It doesn't provide a complete citations of sources either while leaving some of its crucial concepts directly translated into English without providing the corresponding original Chinese texts. Some of its citations can be improved, too.

Entry 2: Xinhai Revolution

This article gives a comprehensive coverage of the revolution in particular in a chronological order, and the breakdown of uprisings and incidents is very detailed. The coverage of its aftermath and legacy is also decent. Still, the coverage on its background, in particular the deeper structural cause of its happening, is inadequate. The "Western Views" part seems partial, too, which can be refined by adding more on West's reaction and comment to this crucial turning point in Chinese history.

Entry 3: Chinese Philosophy

Like the article of Xinhai Revolution, this article covers the topics in Chinese philosophy also in a chronological manner, with certain supplementary introduction in terms of important figures and concepts. While the chronological order seems reasonable, it is mainly centered around the ancient and early- and late- imperial era, giving unequally insufficient attention to the modern part, where two of the three units covered in our class (Maoism and Chinese Liberalism) go underemphasized. What's also missing here is how the very notion of "philosophy" is manufactured in China, a topic of considerable importance as we covered in class. Besides, the following list of key concepts in Chinese philosophy can also be expanded to incorporate more concepts listed in extra-link template:

Concepts (Before Expansion):

• 道 Dao (the Way, or one's doctrine)
• 德 De (virtue, power)
• 理 Li (principle)
• 氣 Qi (vital energy or material force)
• The Taiji (Great Heavenly Axis)

Concepts (After Expansion):

• Dào: Way
• Dé: Virtue
• Fǎ: Model
• Jiān ài: Universal Love
• Jing: Reverence
• Jìngzuo: Meditation
• Lĭ: Ritual propriety
• Li: Law
• Mìng: Mandate or fate
• Qì: Energy
• Qing: Essence
• Rén: Humaneness
• Shén: Spirit
• Si: Reflection
• Tǐ: Substance
• Tiān: Divine force
• Wú wéi: Nonaction
• Xiào: Filial piety
• Xin: Disposition or intuition
• Xing: Human nature
• Yì: Righteousness
• Yīnyáng: Interdependent opposites
• Yòng: Function
• Zhèngmíng: Rectification of names
• Zhì: Intention or will; Wisdom or cleverness
• Zìrán: Self-so or natural

The Opportunities and Challenges in Wikipedia-styled Writing

The major challenges we face in drafting Wikipedia articles on modern Chinese philosophy, in my opinion, are centered around two parts: the difficulty we as writers face in translating certain originally Chinese concepts and texts, as well as readers' difficulty in understanding them. On the one hand, as a native Chinese speaker, I have certain advantages in understanding primary sources in Chinese and grasping certain concepts that I have been exposed to in my earlier life. On the other hand, however, I shall not, based on the advantage I have, easily assume others may have the same level of understanding and cultural experience and therefore base my explanation of certain crucial philosophy concepts on unfounded introduction, let alone my own understanding, limited to my own cultural prejudice to a certain degree, might be wrong. I should also be cautious of the fact Wikipedia strives to be a neutral community where the content generated by contributed all around the world is supposed to be as objective and non-partial as possible, while in a philosophy essay, besides summarizing different philosophers' thoughts as we do in Wikipedia, we should also incorporate own other reasoning and view into it.