Lecture: Xu Jilin on Maruyama Masao

Announcing the next lecture of the University of Göttingen’s Centre for Modern East Asian Studies’s 2021/2022 lecture series New Perspectives on Modernity in China.
Xu Jilin (Professor at East China Normal University) will speak about Maruyama Masao’s Research on Intellectual History as seen by Chinese scholars (lecture and discussion in Chinese)
Time: Feb 11, 2022 12:00 PM Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
Registration (required) is at: Zoom link.
Abstract
Maruyama Masao is the most influential post-war Japanese intellectual historian. He transcends the dichotomy between Eastern and Western thought, uncovering the “insistent bass” in the “ancient layers” of Japanese thought and examining how it has recreated the universality of modern Japanese thought. He views the study of the history of thought as an “art of representation” similar to the performance of music, in which re-creation is achieved within the confines of a text. He relativizes universal thought in a specific historical context, presenting the richness and diversity of thought itself.

New Journal: Journal of Social and Political Philosophy

The Journal of Social and Political Philosophy has published its first issue, featuring an article by Sor-hoon Tan (“The Crisis of Liberal Democracy and the Confucian Challenge: A Pragmatist Response”), a roundtable on Bai Tongdong’s book Against Political Equality: The Confucian Case, and lots of other interesting content. The journal’s description reads as follows (my emphasis):

Journal of Social and Political Philosophy (JSPP) provides a forum in which to address the new challenges facing social and political thought in the twenty-first century. JSPP publishes material of the highest quality regardless of philosophical, ideological or methodological orientation within social and political philosophy. Our aim is to provide a venue for original contributions to social and political philosophy from a range of disciplines, traditions and civilizational perspectives.

JSPP especially welcomes contributions dealing with contemporary encounters, debates and controversies involving Western social and political thought and East Asian approaches, including but not limited to Chinese traditions. It seeks to promote dynamic engagement between East Asian and Western approaches to social and political philosophy, including new fields of normative inquiry that cut across otherwise distinct traditions. JSPP supports informed cross-cultural conversation between these different approaches.

Contributions to the history of political thought are welcome where these bear on issues of contemporary concern. JSPP’s scope does not include material dealing with empirical, public policy or day to day political issues, but does include philosophical contributions that incorporate results of social scientific research.

JSPP publishes research articles, critical responses, book reviews, review essays, and symposia on books of particular importance.

Seems like a significant new venue!

Teaching Opportunities at Wesleyan University

During Academic Year 2022-23, the Wesleyan University philosophy department would like to fill two single-course teaching slots in Asian philosophy, one course in the fall of 2022 and one course in the spring of 2023. We probably want to offer “Classical Chinese philosophy” in the fall and are wide open in the spring, but this could be negotiated.
Anyone who is interested should send me a cover letter describing what you would like to teach and something about your teaching experience, as well as a CV.
There is no hard deadline, but anyone who contacts me by February 21, 2022 is assured full consideration.
Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious practice or creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or non- position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504, or any other non- discrimination policies should be directed to: Vice President for Equity & Inclusion / Title IX Officer, 318 North College, 860.685.4771.

Studying Wang Yangming

Posting on behalf of Larry Israel:

Dear Warp Weft and Way readers – I am just writing to let you know that I have self-published a book titled “Studying Wang Yangming: History of a Sinological Field.” This is a survey of the Western-language literature (17th c.-2019 or so) on Wang Yangming and his first-general followers written in historical and to some extent biographical context. I know that many will disapprove of self-publication and look down on it, but I did so because this book is about to be published in Chinese by a press in Beijing, and also because it will need to be updated every few years (hard to do if I give it to a publisher). Also, given how limited the audience will be, I felt that signing it over would result in this reference book becoming even less accessible globally. In sum, I had a contract with an okay press but didn’t feel right about giving it away. Much content is based on peer-reviewed articles and the rest went through several hands. Thanks for your forbearance! If you would like a free e-version just email me, I’m happy to send it. larry.israel@mga.edu

https://www.amazon.com/Studying-Wang-Yangming-History-Sinological/dp/B09R3LX8P7/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Sincerely,

Larry Israel

AAR Panel Invitation

As the co-chair of the Confucian Traditions Group in the American Academy of Religion, I wanted to bring to your attention the invitation below to form a panel for the annual conference, which will be held in Denver from 19 November through 22 November. Christopher Yang, a graduate student at Brown University, is the organizer. He can be contacted at christopher_yang@brown.edu for further information. Proposals for the conference are due March 1.

On “Religion” Versus “Philosophy” in the Study of Chinese Texts and Traditions
Ever since Jesuit missionaries cast Confucius as “sinarum philosophus” and Enlightenment thinkers seized on the notion of a people who had arrived at an ethics without recourse to theism, “religion” and “philosophy” have often operated as conjoined yet opposite terms in the analysis of Chinese texts and traditions. Take, for just one example, the longevity of the distinction between philosophical and religious Daoism and the ways in which it has influenced the way we talk about the early Zhuangzi 莊子versus the later Zhen’gao 真告. This panel solicits papers that reflect on the histories and consequences of this distinction in and for research about Chinese materials. How has it governed the reception and organization of our shared objects of study, whether at the local bookstore or the academic conference? What does it mean—and it clearly means different things to different people—to engage our materials qua philosophy, over against religion, and vice versa? What are the historical sources of this distinction and the shapes it has assumed in its application to the Chinese data, and are we helped or hamstrung by it? What, if any, are the alternatives?

Chinese/Comparative Philosophy Panels at 2022 Central APA

The 2022 Central APA meetings are coming up next month in Chicago; details are here. I have done my best to list panels that are relevant to this blog’s concerns below; please note and additions or corrections in the comments. I’ll be there and hope to see some of you in person!

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Wang presents on “Two Korean Women Confucian Philosophers”

Extending New Narratives in the History of Philosophy/Pour de nouveaux récits en histoire de la philosophie (ENN) Partnership is sponsoring an international online conference, Opening Discussions, that “aims to open discussions exploring the philosophies of…historically neglected figures and jumpstart efforts to retell the history of philosophy.” For a more complete description, please see:

https://feministhistoryofphilosophy.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/enn-opening-discussions-cfp-2.pdf

One of the planned sessions focuses on the works of two Korean Women philosophers. This session is scheduled for March 4, from 12:30-2:30 pm PT (3:30-5:30 pm ET). For details please read on!

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