Sungmoon Kim’s A Confucian Theory of Power has been published by Manchester University Press (https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526182661/). The book contains a lead essay by Kim, responses from several theorists, and Kim’s replies.
Jiani Fan (范佳妮) has published a new book: 山水风景之间——中西诗画中的风景再现与美学 / Between Shanshui and Landscape: Toward a Comparative Aesthetics of Chinese and Western Poetry and Visual Arts (Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company (生活·读书·新知三联书店), April 2026).
The book focuses on Ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and modern French poetry and visual arts, and engages with aesthetic concepts such as Stimmung (mood/attunement), the Sublime, Ruins, and Emptiness (Vide), as well as their Chinese counterparts. A comparative journey across traditions and media.
A review by Daniel Bell of Brian Bruya and Wenwen Li, trans., Dialogues of Confucius: The Complete Text (Princeton, 2026) has been published in the Times Literary Supplement. An excerpt:
…A magnificent new translation by Brian Bruya and Wenwen Li introduces this treasure of intellectual history to the anglophone world. We now know much more about Confucius the person, and about the context for some of the puzzling quotes in the Analects. Best of all, we learn new arguments that push the boundaries of the rich and complex Confucian tradition in new directions….
Notre Dame is hosting an in-person “Workshop on Emotions and Morality in Eastern Philosophy” that will also be available on zoom. See here for more details and for free registration.
Bin Song, Debating Transcendence: Creatio ex nihilo and Sheng Sheng, Fordham University Press, 2026, 336pp., $40.00 (pbk) ISBN 9781531512095.
Reviewed by Leah Kalmanson, University of North Texas
Bin Song enters longstanding debates over the status of transcendence as a concept in Chinese thought with a book that offers clarity, nuance, and a compelling theoretical intervention. In facing the question of whether Chinese thought has a concept of transcendence, voices on opposing sides often claim the same underlying commitment. Those who answer “yes” are often aligning themselves against Eurocentrism, that is, against the idea that European thought has privileged access to certain philosophical or religious insights. Yet those who answer “no” are also often aligning themselves against Eurocentrism. That is, they are making the point that we should…
The workshop, “Varieties of Harmony in Greek and Chinese Philosophy,” will take place at Duke University on April 16–17, 2026. Click here for event details, here to register for in-person attendance, and here for virtual attendance via Zoom. It is an interdisciplinary workshop that brings together scholars of ancient Greek philosophy and early Chinese philosophy to explore different conceptions of interpersonal harmony, including family relationships, friendship, civic cooperation, ethical cultivation, and social/political relations. The event aims to foster comparative dialogue across traditions and to highlight both convergences and important differences in how interpersonal harmony is understood and cultivated. The workshop is organized by Wenjin Liu and David Wong.
The Barcelona Principles for a Globally Inclusive Philosophy manifesto was published in 2021, aiming to address the structural inequality between native and non-native speakers in academic philosophy. A number of journals and societies, as well as many individuals, have signed the manifesto. I have only recently become aware of it, but suggest that members of our community should think seriously about committing to these principles as well. See also here for a FAQ that briefly discusses some of the issues that the Principles raise.
Journal of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy, Special Issue Call for Papers: Chinese Philosophy and Psychological Wellbeing
This is a Diamond Open Access journal. Articles are published in Open Access at no cost to the author. Sponsored by Beijing Normal University, and launched by the International Center for Philosophy from Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, the editorial team includes philosophers from across China and from all around the world.
Deadline for Submissions: 31 May 2026
Guest Editor: Yuchen Liang liangyc@cuhk.edu.cn
Submit at: Editorial Manager for JCCP https://brill.com/view/journals/jccp/jccp-overview.xml
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Nicholas Bunin has shared with me that a new book has just been published: Qiu Renzong and Nicholas Bunnin, eds, Collected Papers of Four Conferences on Democracy, Rule of Law, Human Rights, Good Governance 《政治哲学各论》 (Beijing, privately published, 2025). The PDF of this book is available free of charge for any students, colleagues and institutions that might benefit from using the text for research, teaching, study, review, printing paper copies or library acquisition. Please contact Professor Bunin with any questions.
