1. Define Ren, Li, Xiao, and Yi. What area of the human condition do they operate in? What are they used to explain?
2. How does Confucius conceive of the relations between Ren, Li, Xiao, and Yi? Which one does he think is most important? What is Mencius disagreement with Confucius? How does Mencius argue for his position? Who, if anyone, do you think is correct? Why?
3. Confucianism and Daoism disagree about how to live the good life. What are the core arguments for each view? Who, if anyone do you agree with? Why?
4. Zhuangzi offers four arguments against conventional knowledge. What is conventional knowledge? Pick one of his arguments, and critical discuss it?
5. Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, and Zen all take it that conceptual dualistic thinking is negative, and a problem to be overcome. They think of knowledge of the ultimate nature of reality as involving a non-conceptual access to the truth. Explain why these schools are against conceptual dualistic thinking. Critically discuss their arguments? Do you agree with the position? Why?