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

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

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    23 mins
  • HPC 52. The Empire State: the Qin Dynasty
    Apr 26 2026

    Was the short-lived Qin empire, which unified China to put an end to the Warring States period, Legalism in action?

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    18 mins
  • HPC 51. Standard Bearers: What is “Legalism"?
    Apr 12 2026

    The “fa-thinkers” Shang Yang and Han Feizi encourage the rigorous application of “standards,” including law, reward, and punishment.

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    21 mins
  • HPC 50. Bryan Van Norden on Warring States Philosophy
    Mar 29 2026

    To celebrate reaching 50 episodes in this series, Karyn and Peter both chat to a leading scholar of Warring States philosophy.

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    59 mins
  • HPC 49. Hans-Georg Moeller on the Zhuangzi
    Mar 15 2026

    An interview on humor and amoral ethics in a Daoist classic, the Zhuangzi - and its relation to Confucianism and Legalism.

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    29 mins
  • HPC 48. Off the Beaten Path: Wandering in the Zhuangzi
    Mar 1 2026

    How is it possible to walk two roads simultaneously? And where does wandering lead us?

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    16 mins
  • HPC 47. Live and Let Die: the Zhuangzi on Death
    Feb 15 2026

    Why does the Zhuangzi tell us that death is nothing to fear, to the point that it recommends celebrating the death of loved ones?

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    18 mins
  • HPC 46. Turning the Tables: Confucius in the Zhuangzi
    Feb 1 2026

    How are we to make sense of the different images of Kongzi (Confucius) in the Zhuangzi?

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    18 mins