Edward Slingerland is a philosopher, sinologist, and professor in the Departments of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, and Department of East Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada, where he also directs the Religious History Database. His research areas include Chinese pre-Qin philosophy, religious studies, cognitive linguistics, and ethics. His representative works include Effortless Action: Wu Wei as Conceptual Metaphor and Spiritual Ideal in Early China (2003, Chinese translation published in 2020), Trying Not to Try: Ancient China, Modern Science and the Power of Spontaneity (2014, Chinese translation published in 2018), What Science Offers the Humanities: Integrating Body & Culture (2008), Mind and Body in Early China: Beyond Orientalism and the Myth of Holism (2019).

Two Psychologists Four Beers ➞

Yoel and Mickey welcome Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies, Edward (Ted) Slingerland from the University of British Columbia to the podcast. Ted discusses what the sciences can offer the humanities, but also how the humanities can enrich science. Ted then discusses his popular book, "Trying Not To Try", where he describes the Chinese concept of Wu-Wei, which can be defined as effortless action or spontaneity and proposes that the ever-striving West could use a lot more of it. Finally, Ted tries in vain to convince Mickey that intoxication is an important, critical part of culture.

Bonus: Did Ted actually say there are downsides to being Dude-like?