To:  Tim Romano

Thanks for the replies to my comments on Pound, Confucianism, and the
Apocalyptic.

I agree with you that Pound was a sort of syncretist, rather than a strict
Confucian,
though I believe he was more of a Confucian, philosophically, for most of
his life, than
he was the adherent of any other philosophy.  The sheer weight of references
to
Confucius--- in all his prose and poetic writings--- far outweighs his
commitments to
any western religio-philosophical school.  He was more committed to
Confucius than
he was to Douglas, or Eleusis, or even to Mussolini.

Of course, the emphasis varied, but it was reasonably consistent until the
collapse.
Incidentally, I am not arguing that the collapse of the Confucian canon
caused the
Pound's views to crumble.  My view is that the same political, social, and
historical
circumstances which made it impossible for 20th century Confucians to
maintain
their strong committment to the integrity of Confucian texts and Confucian
philosphy,
were the SAME circumstances which made it impossible for Pound to maintain
his
commitment to Confucius, Confucianism, and Confucian texts til the end of
his life.

In other words, the contradictions inherent in the texts which Confucians
sought
to crystallize--- and preserve in a perfect and unquestionable form---
reflect certain social
contradictions present in Chinese society.  The contradictions and
inconsistencies
in Confucian texts, which stemmed from those social contradictions, were
also
transfered into Pound's texts.  Three things fall apart:  Chinese society
(which is based
on Confucian thought), the Confucian dogma, which sustains that society, and
the texts
themselves, which lose all cohesion, and virtually all their power.  Pound's
strong commitment
to Confucius renders him vulnerable.  He cannot put together what all the
thinkers in
China have spent over two hundred years disassemblling and tearing down.

As to your point about the possibility of an impending nuclear apocalypse
taking a heavy toll on Pound,
I think that is extremely plausible, and deserves more serious attention.

As I say, I am not sure how much weight to give it.  You may be absolutely
correct in suggesting that it is very significant.  You are certainly right
to say that Pound was a syncretist, and that he could readily combine the
elements of various religions.  I would like to say much more about that
later, for it is a subject which interests me.

You mention the middle period of Pound's life, as the one in which he is
most Confucian.

I agree with that, though I would say that his interests in the concrete
activity of fascism, his commitments to imperialism  (the "Italian Empire"),
and to racialist theories merged with and overtook his Confucianism.

Pound's study of Chinese history and Confucianism was used to confirm and
substantiate his developing beliefs in Mussolini, in the New Italian
Imperium, and in the racial superiority of the Italian, the German, and the
Sino-Japanese race.  If you are interested in this issue, you can view a
detailed article I have written on the subject.  I just posted it online
yesterday.

http://www.geocities.com/weienlin/raceandempire.html

Regards,

Wei
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