User:Katyjames91/sandbox

Mao: On Contradiction
This wikipedia entry discusses Mao's essay "On Contradiction". The article sums up the essay's main points nicely. If I had not previously read the essay, this article would have given me a sense of the main argument and Mao's ideas. As someone who has read the essay in its entirety, I found the article to be accurate--the main point of the essay is Mao's suggestion "that all movement and life is a result of contradiction. Mao insists that there is a difference between antagonism and contradiction." The entry is good purely as a brief summary of "On Contradiction" and it maintains a neutral tone throughout, which is important when discussing a philosophical work. However, the article fails to mention dogmatist and subjectist thought. This is important information to include, as one of the reasons for Mao's essay was to challenge both of these types of thought. The definitions of contradiction according to Mao should be expanded. For example, including the primary and secondary aspects of contradiction would increase the reader's understanding of the essay. I would include the following sections of "On Contradiction":
 * “In studying the particularities of the contradictions at each stage in the process of development of a thing, we must not only observe them in their interconnections or their totality, we must also examine the two aspects of each contradiction.
 * “In any contradiction the development of the contradictory aspects is uneven. Sometimes they seem to be in equilibrium, which is however only temporary and relative, while unevenness is basic. Of the two contradictory aspects, one must be principal and the other secondary. The principal aspect is the one playing the leading role in the contradiction. The nature of a thing is determined mainly by the principal aspect of a contradiction, the aspect which has gained the dominant position.

“But this situation is not static; the principal and the non-principal aspects of a contradiction transform themselves into each other and the nature of the thing changes accordingly. In a given process or at a given stage in the development of a contradiction, A is the principal aspect and B is the non-principal aspect; at another stage or in another process the roles are reversed–a change determined by the extent of the increase or decrease in the force of each aspect in its struggle against the other in the course of the development of a thing.”” https://marxistleninist.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/reading-notes-2-mao-zedongs-on-contradiction/ I think that these sections are crucial in order to understand Mao's point. The article is lacking in scope and balance. It could be improved by including more information regarding Mao's influences--what other philosophical works did he draw on in order to write "On Contradiction"? How did Mao apply Marxist thought to Chinese society? What was the historical context? How has the essay regarded in present-day Chinese society? These are the kinds of background knowledge that are important to understanding Mao's ideas and Chinese Marxism. The article would also benefit from a section on reactions to Mao's essay--how was it received? Did it influence other philosophers and thinkers? What is its legacy? The article needs to be expanded to include a broader scope of topics related to Mao's essay.

Rule of Law: China
In his essay "Toward a Consultative Rule of Law Regime in China", Wei Pan discusses his thoughts regarding government in China. This is primarily a response to questions regarding democracy in China. Pan discusses the merits as well as the pitfalls of both democratic and rule of law regimes and advocates his own ideas for a "consultative rule of law" regime in China. Presently, there is not a wikipedia page for this subject. However, Pan discusses Rule of Law regimes at length. The page Chinese law is the most relevant to Pan's article, as it includes a section on the Chinese law. The section is relatively short, since the subject is relatively new given China's rising economy and world standing. The section includes a brief discussion of the existence of the rule of law within China, as well as indicators of reforms with characteristics of a rule of law system. This was useful information to include, since it shows that the Chinese legal system is changing. The entry is not very useful at the present time, as the reader would not gain even a little understanding of what the rule of law system is, and why it is an important topic in China. The current entry serves as a solid outline, but it needs to be filled in to ensure its breadth. The entry does include a brief discussion of two of the main theories regarding rule of law in China--thin and thick. Although the article is not balanced at all in its coverage of the topic, summarizing the two main theories is a good place to start as this ensures that the reader has some idea of opposing viewpoints on the subject. However, this section needs to be heavily expanded to include reasons behind this shift. As China's economy continues to grow, business leaders see the rule of law system as a way to make money. This is evidenced by recent competition laws implemented in China, which was used to attack monopoly behavior. The section should also be expanded to include other policies passed by the Chinese government that indicate a shift to a rule of law regime. The entry should also include Pan Wei's article "Toward a Consultative Rule of Law Regime in China", since it is relevant to the section.

East Asian Yogācāra
This entry discusses the etymology, history, and characteristics of East Asian Yogacara Buddhism. This entry is relatively useful to those looking for a brief synopsis of Yogacara Buddhism in East Asia. After reading the article, the reader comes away with the key points: the definition, how it differs from Huayan Buddhism, the main tenants, and an outline of its history in China, Korea and Japan. It appears to be accurate in terms of the information it offers and the sources it sites are scholarly articles and books on the topic, which indicates that it was well researched. Overall, this entry is a great outline in need of some supplementation. The section on "Later history and modern era" of Yogacara in China is in particular need of expansion. Buddhism was influential in the development of 20th century Confucianism, and this section merely states this fact. During this time period, many philosophers were discussing the relative pros and cons of Western and Eastern philsophy--which was better? Could the two be combined? The teachings advocated by Yogacara Buddhism were used by many philosophers in their discussions of this subject. I would include a brief paragraph on the influence of Yogacara on Zhang Taiyan, as he used yogacara language to critique western philosophy. Zhang also believed that Yogacara could help 20th century philosophers understand early Chinese thought. Zhang linked "contemporary ideological trends to the transhistorical dynamic of karmic action", which is important to note, since today, "most Chinese intellectuals presuppose some version of revolutionary history."

Challenges/Opportunities
Writing about Chinese philosophy on wikipedia is difficult due to its complex nature. Chinese philosophy is composed of multiple parts--there are so many different philosophers, ideas, writings, and theories. It is difficult to know what to include and what to leave out. Including the historical context is also important to include when discussing Chinese philosophy. One feels the need to write down everything in order to give the reader an understanding of the subject, since short entries often simplify the ideas and do not give the reader a true understanding of the subject. However, thinking about the challenges of writing about this complex subject is important, as one can think critically about the subject matter. Wikipedia is an opportunity to increase awareness of who the main Chinese philosophers were and what they wrote and thought about. Although the subject matter is incredibly diverse and broad in scope, Wikipedia is a site that is constantly in flux. Entries are always being added to and expanded--if something was left out or is incorrect, it can be edited and changed. Wikipedia is a good place for this complex subject, since offers users the opportunity of editing, as well as discussing, the topics. This results in the exchange of ideas between users regarding the subject, which will increase the validity of the subject on wikipedia.