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This paper seeks to illuminate the perspective on ‘desire’(欲) presented in the Laozi from a viewpoint distinct from existing metaphysical transcendence or ascetic perspectives. Specifically, it aims to thoroughly reinterpret the concept of ‘desire’ as expressed in the Laozi text from a thoroughly realistic and rational perspective. This paper focuses on the concept of ‘desire’(欲), which corresponds to the modern notion of ‘desire’ we commonly use today. By analyzing the usage of terms like ‘desire’(欲), ‘non-desire’(不欲), and ‘desirelessness’(無欲) in the Laozi, we can understand the following: First, in ancient China, ‘desire’ was primarily understood as an object to be fulfilled with, not as an object of transcendence or asceticism. This perspective is common to early texts including the Analects and is equally true of the Laozi. Second, the characteristic approach to desire in the Laozi reveals a view that ‘desire’ is controllable and, moreover, should be controlled. Third, it aims to clarify that the attitude and methods for dealing with ‘desire’ are highly rational, strategic, and pragmatic. In this sense, the Laozi’s view of ‘desire’ is not a transcendental, metaphysical discourse but a practical, political one that needs to be illuminated from a rational perspective.

This article examines how the concept of intensity, formulated in Gilles Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition, is carried forward and transformed in his late philosophy. Deleuze’s philosophical trajectory is often divided into three major periods: an early phase devoted to the study of the history of philosophy; a middle period characterized by collaborative works with Félix Guattari; and a later period, following the end of this collaboration, in which Deleuze develops a sustained reflection on art in works. The concept of intensity, first elaborated in the early period, reappears persistently in later works. Yet in Deleuze’s late philosophy, intensity is not merely reiterated as a previously established concept. Rather, it is reconfigured through its engagement with art and acquires new conceptual resonances. Through this transformation, Deleuze’s reflections on art advance toward an explicitly ontological dimension. By tracing the fate of the concept of intensity in Deleuze’s late philosophy, this article seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of intensity within his thought and to clarify how Deleuze’s philosophy of art and his ontology ultimately converge on a single plane.

J. S. Mill’s liberalism was shaped not only by his utilitarianism but also by diverse backgrounds including his views on religion, the influence of romanticism, skeptical empiricism and positivist tradition. His liberalism has given rise to many interpretations that are subtly different or even directly conflicting. The root cause of this lies largely in the fundamental ambiguity of the principles he presented in On Liberty and the concepts embedded within them. In order to understand these divergent interpretations, this paper examines the problems arising from the ambiguity of the concept of ‘harm,’ and the critical remark that his liberalism is trapped within the western conception of humanity. This analysis will reveal that his liberalism, particularly his emphasis on freedom of expression, not only obscures his own distinction between self-regarding and other-regarding actions but also has limitations in failing to sufficiently consider the broader real/potential harms it could entail. Nevertheless, if we understand that he viewed freedom not merely as one component of happiness but as the foundation of all happiness, and that he sought not to provide a complete answer regarding the boundaries of freedom but rather to offer a space for discussion and debate, then works like On Liberty can be said to fully align with his intent by providing an excellent starting point for such discussion and debate.