Chinese Philosophy

Marnix is a Christian with strong interests in the teachings of the Buddha and Lâo Zî.

click to enlarge Supreme deity Eastern August Grand Unity

He studied under Professor David Hawkes, Raymond Dawson, and Glen Dawson at Oxford. In his university years, he was impressed by Máo’s theory of guerrilla war and Hegel’s dialectics. He was secretary of the Buddhist Society at Oxford when he adopted the slogan ‘be reasonable about religion and let the faith be in yourself.’ Subsequently he may have learnt more humility, and love from the letters of St Paul. He ascribes to the philosophy of non-dualism (advaita) which seeks to find the fundamental unity in all things.

Marnix has always been intrigued by the relationship of thought to action, the contradictions between theory and practice, goodness and power. In this way he was attracted by Lâo Zî’s 

click to enlarge Yiyîn presents a green goose to cook for King Tang

wúwéi ‘non interference’ or doing nothing so nothing is left undone.

He wrote his PhD thesis (SOAS 2001), under Dr Paul Thompson, on Dynamics, the power or potential (Socrates’ dunamis, Chinese shì) by tapping into which the weak become strong, and results can be achieved beyond the immediate force of the individual. (see also Tàijíquán)

 

Other content by Marnix Wells can be viewed in the attached documents.

The Concept of Dynamics in Ancient Chinese Philosophy (click here)

Pheasant-cap Master: Héguan Zî and the ‘End of History’ (Abstract) (click here)