40 Best Blogs for Exploring Asian Philosophy

March 7th, 2011
No matter where an individual hails from, philosophy permeates almost every element of his and/or her life. From economics to religion (or lack thereof) to education to business to media and more — everything propels itself on some sort of belief system, be it ancient, wholly contemporary or some amalgamation of the two. As one of the most ancient, diverse and populous continents on the globe, Asia bursts with myriad ideologies and practices. These blogs, listed in no particular order, were selected specifically to showcase an eclectic sampling of Asian thought and culture, including comparative and multiethnic perspectives. It’s not a comprehensive guide by anyone’s definition, but it certainly serves as a beginner’s primer to the different philosophies and (intrapersonal and interpersonal) rituals available.

1. Warp, Weft and Way: This group blog mainly focuses on Chinese philosophy, especially as it compares to other belief systems in Asia and beyond.
   
2. A Ku Indeed!: A Ku Indeed blends philosophy (most especially Confucianism), the culinary arts and pedagogy into one awesome, thoroughly enjoyable resource.
   
3. The Useless Tree: Explore ancient Chinese thought, specifically Taoism and Confucianism, and learn about how they both still apply to contemporary American life.
   
4. CPT: Comparative Political Theory: While a comparative group blog, forum and website, CPT is not wanting for provocative discussions on ancient and contemporary Asian thought.
   
5. Frog in a Well: Really three blogs in one, Frog in a Well takes a look at Korean, Chinese and Japanese history, particularly as they all relate to philosophy and other subjects.
   
6. Tu Weiming: Available in both Chinese and English, this distinguished professor’s blog may be relatively new, but comes packed with provocative philosophical dialogues and multimedia presentations.
   
7. Tang Dynasty Times: Though focusing on one particular era in Chinese history, this blog still provides awesome nuggets of thought and discussion.
   
8. Jottings from the Granite Studio: Lovers of both Chinese history and philosophy should bookmark Jottings from the Granite Studio, which overflows with comprehensive research and insight — especially as they pertain to today’s world.
   
9. Philosophy Blog at OneIndia: Given its ancient history, myriad religious traditions and a population over one billion, India unsurprisingly plays host to almost as many philosophical leanings as it does people to hold them.
   
10. Gurukripa-Indian Culture ‘N’ Philosophy: Even though it’s less than a year old and has yet to build a massive archive, Gurukripa attracts a diverse array of comments weighing in on India’s rich cultural and philosophical backgrounds.
    
11. Behind the Headlines: APA News Blog: Contemporary Asian and Asian-American perspectives and issues get brought to the forefront, offering up some interesting points for sociology buffs.
    
12. Elizabeth’s Taoism Blog: Elizabeth Reninger with About.com makes the ancient Chinese religion and philosophy accessible to newcomers yearning to know more.
    
13. Muslim Voices: Islam as a faith and as a philosophy come alive through art and talks meant to stimulate dialogue between multiple religions and ideologies.
    
14. The Buddhist Blog: Although a follower of Vietnamese Zen, the author of this blog delves into multiple issues and ideas concerning Buddhism as a whole.
    
15. The Rambling Taoist: One of the most intensive Taoism blogs on the web covers the philosophy’s interactions with everything from pop culture to history.
    
16. Gemba Panta Rei: Visit Gemba Panta Rei for more information about the Japanese business philosophy known as Kaizen, and how it impacts culture and commerce alike.
    
17. Muslimah Media Watch: This watchdog group comments on media depictions of Muslim women, challenging misconceptions and misrepresentations of their philosophies and practices.
    
18. The Western Confucian: Isoue Andreas Sartorius finds ways to synthesize different religious and philosophical traditions into a system that works well for him and his needs.
    
19. Hindu Devotional Blog: Explore the texts and meditations that have impacted Hindus and shaped many of their world views for centuries.
    
20. Taoistical: Stefan Stenudo may not offer up the definitive translation or interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, but still remains worthwhile reading when exploring one facet of Asian thought.
    
21. zenhabits: Stop by zenhabits and discover how the eponymous belief system can apply to various aspects of day-to-day life.
    
22. Hyphen Magazine Blog: This seriously cool periodical celebrates and addresses Asian-American culture, arts and politics, allowing readers of all backgrounds an insight into the diverse perspectives at play.
    
23. Jain and Jainism: As one of the world’s most ancient religions, Jainism as a religious and philosophical tradition has left an indelible mark in Asia (India in particular).
    
24. The University of Tokyo Center for Philosophy: Keep up with the various events and ideas bandied about at the University of Tokyo’s Center for Philosophy, which covers the subject from a broad variety of angles.
    
25. Asia on E Street: George Washington University presents a group blog centered around almost every facet of Asian thought and culture — and, of course, their interactions.
    
26. NELC @ IU Announcement & Event Blog: Asian philosophy buffs eager to follow the latest events and research on "Near East" philosophy and culture will appreciate Indiana University at Bloomington’s excellent, informative resource.
    
27. The Langar Hall: Politics, culture, philosophy and religion collide and present readers a diverse selection of perspectives from the Sikh Diaspora.
    
28. What is Taoism?: Mak Ching Yuen is one of the two founders of Taoism’s Tin Yat Lineage and cheerfully shares his perspectives on the influential tradition.
    
29. Center for Chinese Studies: The Center for Chinese Studies at University of Michigan keeps a blog about their latest events and findings on a wide number of topics, including philosophy, history, politics, business and more.
    
30. Islam in Europe: Islam plays a central role in world history, and its origins and heavy influence in West Asia places it in a unique spot to persistently interact with and absorb European philosophies and cultural memes.
    
31. Hindu Blog: One of the leading blogs about Hinduism covers a lovely variety of subjects both practitioners and scholars will find illuminating.
    
32. Sonshi.com: Both the articles and the surrounding website debate issues of morality, life strategies, foreign policy and more based on the perspectives found in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
    
33. MrSikhNet: Learn as much as possible about the influential Sikh faith through videos, articles and other highly educational resources.
    
34. Moonpointer: Buddhist Blog of Everyday Dharma: Asian religion and philosophy aficionados will learn plenty from the many Moonpointer contributors discussing Buddhist principles found in and applied to daily routines.
    
35. YeinJee’s Asian Blog: For a broad perspective at the different lifestyles, beliefs and pop culture phenomena found on the Asian continent, check out this interesting, eclectic blog.
    
36. Asian Art Museum Blog: Creative pursuits allow visual and performance artists a chance to express their traditional, contemporary or wholly personal philosophies through any number of different conduits.
    
37. Lauren’s Chinese Culture Blog: Check out what one "Westerner" makes of her experiences and research into Chinese culture, which also included philosophy and its applications.
    
38. Ningin: Korean and Japanese pop culture form the core of this adorable blog, which sociology and philosophy buffs may find sparkly and informative.
    
39. asiance: This magazine, website and blog dedicates itself to providing stories of interest to young Asian-American women, providing an interesting look into some of their thoughts and practices.
    
40. The Asia Chronicles: Kinney Recruiting keeps a blog dedicated to business, law, economics and culture from across the entire Asian continent.
    
    
    (source:accreditedonlinecolleges.com)

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