Antonio Cua
Encyclopedia
Antonio S. Cua was an eminent scholar in Chinese philosophy
and comparative philosophy who was professor emeritus of philosophy at The Catholic University of America
. Cua was primarily interested in Western moral philosophy, moral psychology
and Chinese ethics, in particular Confucian ethics. He was the author of many important scholarly works, and the chief editor of thie Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy, the first English-language encyclopedia on 'Chinese philosophy'.
. He graduated from Far Eastern University
in Manila in 1952 and came to the United States
for graduate studies in philosophy
. He received a master's degree in 1954 and a PhD in 1958, both from the University of California at Berkeley.
From 1958 to 1962, Cua taught at Ohio University
in Athens, Ohio
. He then served as professor of philosophy and chairman of the department at the State University of New York at Oswego
from 1962 to 1969.
At Catholic, he taught philosophy in the School of Philosophy from 1969 to 1995. He retired in 1996 and was professor emeritus until his death.
He was president of several organizations, including the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy and the Association for Asian Studies
. He held leadership roles in several other associations.
and is considered the most comprehensive scholarly reference book with exact information and original interpretation of Chinese philosophy and its history.
His books include "Reason and Virtue: A Study in the Ethics of Richard Price" (1966, revised 1998), in which he studied Price, an 18th-century moral and political philosopher; "Dimensions of Moral Creativity" (1978), which focused on the role of paradigmatic individuals as the concrete embodiment of moral principles and ideals; and "Ethical Argumentation" (1985), his first attempt to develop a Confucian theory of ethical argumentation and moral epistemology.
In his "Moral Vision and Tradition: Essays in Chinese Ethics" (1998), Cua offered a comprehensive philosophical study of Confucian ethics, its basic insights and its relevance to contemporary Western moral philosophy.
His last work was "Human Nature, Ritual and History: Studies in Xunzi and Chinese Philosophy" (2005), which reflected his authority in studies on Xunzi, one of the greatest Confucian philosophers in ancient China.
"Cua's total body of work on Xunzi is the deepest and richest work in English on this thinker.... Cua is one of the great senior figures in the field, and this book will be a useful reference in courses in Chinese and comparative studies," David Wong, a philosophy professor and department chair at Duke University, said in 2005.
Chinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy is philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought. The majority of traditional Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and...
and comparative philosophy who was professor emeritus of philosophy at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
. Cua was primarily interested in Western moral philosophy, moral psychology
Moral psychology
Moral psychology is a field of study in both philosophy and psychology. Some use the term "moral psychology" relatively narrowly to refer to the study of moral development. However, others tend to use the term more broadly to include any topics at the intersection of ethics and psychology and...
and Chinese ethics, in particular Confucian ethics. He was the author of many important scholarly works, and the chief editor of thie Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy, the first English-language encyclopedia on 'Chinese philosophy'.
Career
Cua was born into a Filipino Chinese family doing commercial business in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. He graduated from Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...
in Manila in 1952 and came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for graduate studies in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He received a master's degree in 1954 and a PhD in 1958, both from the University of California at Berkeley.
From 1958 to 1962, Cua taught at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
in Athens, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...
. He then served as professor of philosophy and chairman of the department at the State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego, also known as SUNY Oswego and Oswego State, is a public university in the City of Oswego and Town of Oswego, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario...
from 1962 to 1969.
At Catholic, he taught philosophy in the School of Philosophy from 1969 to 1995. He retired in 1996 and was professor emeritus until his death.
He was president of several organizations, including the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy and the Association for Asian Studies
Association for Asian Studies
The Association for Asian Studies is a U.S. society focused on facilitating contact and information exchange among scholars of Asian fields. It is the self-proclaimed largest society of its kind. The Association consists of eminent Asianists, and is a non-profit organization...
. He held leadership roles in several other associations.
Works
Cua was the author of numerous scholarly works and the chief editor of the Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy. The volume, the first of its kind, contains entries on major schools, thinkers, works and concepts in Chinese philosophyChinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy is philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought. The majority of traditional Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and...
and is considered the most comprehensive scholarly reference book with exact information and original interpretation of Chinese philosophy and its history.
His books include "Reason and Virtue: A Study in the Ethics of Richard Price" (1966, revised 1998), in which he studied Price, an 18th-century moral and political philosopher; "Dimensions of Moral Creativity" (1978), which focused on the role of paradigmatic individuals as the concrete embodiment of moral principles and ideals; and "Ethical Argumentation" (1985), his first attempt to develop a Confucian theory of ethical argumentation and moral epistemology.
In his "Moral Vision and Tradition: Essays in Chinese Ethics" (1998), Cua offered a comprehensive philosophical study of Confucian ethics, its basic insights and its relevance to contemporary Western moral philosophy.
His last work was "Human Nature, Ritual and History: Studies in Xunzi and Chinese Philosophy" (2005), which reflected his authority in studies on Xunzi, one of the greatest Confucian philosophers in ancient China.
"Cua's total body of work on Xunzi is the deepest and richest work in English on this thinker.... Cua is one of the great senior figures in the field, and this book will be a useful reference in courses in Chinese and comparative studies," David Wong, a philosophy professor and department chair at Duke University, said in 2005.
External links
- Publications of Antonio S. Cua. CUA School of Philosophy.