Episode 23 of “This Is the Way”: Confucianism on the Assessment of Character

In this episode, Justin and Richard discuss how historical Confucian philosophers have proposed to recognize people of good moral character (virtue). How, exactly, did they think that we could tell the real virtues apart from the phony ones? And what did the historical Confucians think about the use of written examination essays to “test” for virtue? Continue reading →

Tenure track professor in Chinese Studies at KU Leuven

The University of Leuven (Belgium) has a vacancy for a full-time tenure track professor in Chinese Studies with proven expertise in the field of Chinese thought. Candidates should hold a PhD in Chinese Studies/Sinology or in a specific discipline, with a dissertation focused on China. Candidates are also required to have excellent teaching skills and a strong and validated international academic portfolio with highly regarded publications.

The full job description and application details can be found on the KU Leuven webpage.

The deadline for application is 15 September 2025.

Online Lecture on Korean Confucianism

An online seminar by Dr Nikolett Roque-Kőrösi on “Korean Confucianism: Beyond stereotypes and misreadings”  is going to be hosted on Thursday 31st July 2025 at 3pm (AWST), 2pm (AEST) and 4pm (Seoul).The talk introduces the basic concepts of Korean Confucianism while challenging some of the common misinterpretations found in Western media and scholarship – and sometimes even within Korea. Please find more details about the lecture here.

 

Episode 22 of “This Is the Way”: The Good Life in the Analects

What sort of vision of the good life does Confucius recommend? In this episode, we explore one of the most intriguing passages in the Analects (11.26), where Confucius asks four disciples about their deepest aspirations. Three students offer increasingly modest political goals—from Zilu’s grand vision of governing a besieged state to Zihua’s humble wish to serve as a minor functionary in ritual ceremonies. But a fourth student, the musical Zengxi, describes something completely different: a spring day spent with friends and younger students, bathing in the Yi River, enjoying the breeze at the Rain Dance Altar, and returning home singing.
Continue reading →

CFP: 29th Meeting of the Southeast Early China Roundtable

The Southeast Early China Roundtable is now accepting submissions of paper abstracts for its 29th annual conference. This year’s meeting will held at the  Elling O. Eide Center in Sarasota, Florida, from October 31 to November 2, 2025. The keynote speaker will be Professor Cai Liang of the University of Notre Dame.

Papers on pre-Song China from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, history, literature, philosophy, and religious studies are welcomed. Please send abstracts of individual papers (200 words) to Keith Knapp (knappk@citadel.edu) by September 1, 2025.

The sponsoring institution will provide free room and board to paper-presenters. Participants will be responsible for their travel expenses.

2025 Post-Conference Report (ISCP-Ljubljana International Conference)

The International Society for Chinese Philosophy (ISCP) recently held its 24th biennial ISCP international conference at the University of Ljubljana (June 20-23, 2025) on the theme “Addressing Global Crises and Reimagining Solutions Through Chinese Philosophy.” Please find the report of the conference here.