Author Archives: Tim Connolly

Three “Collaborative Learning” (四海為學) Seminars in March/April

Reading Sunzi Bingfa

In the history of Chinese thought the Sunzi Bingfa plays many different roles. It has influenced ways of thinking about politics and warfare, but also efficacy in many arenas, and even environmental issues. The Sunzi Bingfa is also written in a way that provides a great introduction to reading classical Chinese, making it a useful text for students to read for many different reasons. In this course we will do a close reading of the Sunzi Bingfa.

Led by: Dimitra Amarantidou, University of Macau, and Paul J. D’Ambrosio, East China Normal University

This course meets from 6:00-8:30pm Beijing time, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 30, May 7, 14, 21.
Skype link: https://join.skype.com/IvuqyZhnUKjC

Concrete Humanism: Major Confucian Texts and Thinkers

Continue reading →

“Works in Progress” series for the 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project

We are delighted to announce the launch of a “Works in Progress” series within the 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” Project. This series aims to provide an academic forum where graduate students and early career scholars engaged in Chinese or comparative philosophy can share their projects and receive constructive feedback from peers in conference-style panel sessions. It welcomes projects at any stage of development and aims to accommodate the intellectual needs of each presenter. This series will also be collaborating with a number of academic journals, offering those working on articles the possibility for publication. Events will be held once a month, and the first application deadline is April 1.

Interested individuals can visit the website (General 2 — 四海为学 Collaborative Learning) or email WorksinProgressSHWX@hotmail.com for more information and an application form to present in our next session.

Sincerely,

 Sara Barrera and Daniel Sarafinas, co-directors of Works-in-Progress

CFP for Panel on Trauma and Healing at 12th East-West Philosophers’ Conference (May 24-31, 2024)

Title of Proposed Panel: Orientation-Philosophical Explorations of Trauma and Disorientation

Organizers: Dr. Reinhard G. Mueller and Dr. Olga Faccani (on behalf of the Hodges Foundation for Philosophical Orientation)

Thomas Laqueur, writing in the London Review of Books in 2010, signaled the emergence of our age as one experienced as trauma by highlighting the verifiable surge in the term’s usage: “Having once been relatively obscure, it is now found everywhere: used in the New York Times fewer than 300 times between 1851 and 1960, it has appeared 11,000 times since.” As trauma’s omnipresence surges, not least through the Coronavirus pandemic and recent wars, the challenge arises: How do we orient ourselves in a rapidly changing world and to cascading waves of traumatic experiences? How do we cope with disorienting crises?

Continue reading →

New “Book Discussion” and “Roundtable” Series by the 四海為學 “Collaborative Learning” Project

The 四海為學 “Collaborative Learning” Project is proud to announce two new series: “Book Discussions” and “Roundtables“, to be held alongside our lectures and seminars.
Next week we will host our first book discussion: “Human Becomings” by Roger Ames, further information and the Zoom link can be found here.
We will also have our first roundtable: “Agency in Early Chinese Thought” next week, for details and the Zoom link click here.
On June 19th at 9pm Beijing time we will host Christine Tan for a workshop on her recently published paper “Freedom In: A Daoist Response to Isiah Berlin.” This is the Zoom link.
All our events are free and open to anyone interested. Recordings of past events can be found here.

Deborah Sommer lecture Thursday May 4th

Tomorrow, May 4th, at 9 p.m. Beijing time the 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” Project will host Deborah Sommer. Prof. Sommer will discuss different images of Confucius, including statues and paintings, in China and the West. For more details about Prof. Sommer’s talk, including the Zoom link, please go to: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/deborah-sommer-lecture

Continue reading →

Upcoming 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” Seminars and Lectures

The 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” project, an online philosophy lecture and seminar series promoting learning across cultures, will host three seminars and four lectures in the next few months.

Our seminars include:

“The Philosophy of Guo Xiang” Led by: Paul D’Ambrosio, East China Normal University. Taking place January 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25; from 22:00-23:30 Beijing Time.

“Confucianism Today” Led by: Robert A. Carleo III, East China Normal University. Taking place March 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 29; from 20:30–22:30 Beijing time

“The Bad Confucius” Led by: Dimitra Amarantidou, University of Macau. Taking place May 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 29, 31; from 21:00-22:30 Beijing Time

For more information, including links to the meetings, see https://www.sihaiweixue.org/seminars

Our lectures include:

Continue reading →

Bin Song lecture at East Stroudsburg University

Bin Song (Washington College) will be visiting this Monday, Nov. 11, at East Stroudsburg University, for a talk on “Quiet-sitting and Contemplative Practices in Neo-Confucianism.” The lecture and discussion will take place in Stroud 424 at 11 a.m. Anyone in the area is welcome to attend. Please email me (tconnolly@esu.edu) for more details if you are interested.

Suggestions for 2nd Edition of Doing Philosophy Comparatively?

An editor at Bloomsbury contacted me about putting together a 2nd edition of my book Doing Philosophy Comparatively. In the next couple of months we’ll be gathering suggestions about what to add the new edition, which will include about 30% new material, and we’re trying to get as much feedback about the current edition as possible. If you have looked at the book and thought certain topics were missing or that parts of it could be expanded or have other suggestions for improvement, please send me an email at tconnolly@esu.edu. Many thanks!

Diversity in Philosophy Journals: A Discussion

This morning at the APA Pacific there was a wide-ranging discussion on the topic of diversity in philosophy journals. The session was chaired by Eric Schwitzgebel, who introduced it as possibly the largest panel ever at the Pacific APA, featuring 7 presenters including Manyul Im, and 15 journal editor-panelists including Franklin Perkins. The audience was also substantial. Continue reading →