Author Archives: Tim Connolly

四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project events this week

The 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project will host three events this week:
  1. On April 24th at 8:00am Beijing time, we will host a book discussion of Professor Karen Thornber’s Gender Justice and Contemporary Asian Literatures,
    Details and the Zoom link can be found on our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/karen-thornber-book-discussion
  2. On April 24th at 8:00pm Beijing time, we will host a lecture by Professor Erin Cline, titled “Reframing Women in the Analects”
    Details and the Zoom link can be found on our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/erin-cline-lecture
  3. On April 26th at 9:00am Beijing time, we will host a lecture by Professor Tzeki Hon, titled “The Philosophy of Change in the Yijing”
    Details and the Zoom link can be found on our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/tzeki-hon-lecture

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四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project Book Discussion

Dear Colleagues,
On April 14th at 21:00 Beijing time the 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project will host a book discussion of Professor David Shoemaker’s Wisecracks:  Humor and Morality in Everyday Life.
For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/david-shoemaker-book-discussion
(Note that no pre-registration or passcode is required.)

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Book discussion of Professor Jin Li’s The Self in the West and East Asia

On March 27th at 20:00 Beijing time the 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project will host a book discussion of Professor Jin Li’s The Self in the West and East Asia: Being or Becoming.
For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/li-jin-book-discussion
(Note that no pre-registration or passcode is required.)
For a list of upcoming events see our calendar here. Please feel free to advertise this or share it with anyone. All our events are free and open to everyone.

Collaborative Learning Events This Week

The 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project will host two events this week:
1. A book discussion of Eric Schwitzgebel’s “The Weirdness of the World” on February 27th 9:00am Beijing time, for more details and the Zoom link see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/eric-schwitzgebel-book-discussion
2. A lecture by Anna Baka on “Philosophical foundations of Legal Policy: Bridging Gaps between EU and China” on February 28th 7:00pm Beijing time, for more details and the Zoom link see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/anna-baka-lecture
(Note that no pre-registration or passcode is required.)
For a list of upcoming events see our calendar here. Please feel free to advertise this or share it with anyone. All our events are free and open to everyone.

Works in Progress series

Dear all,

We are happy to announce a new call for applications for the Spring season of the “Works in Progress” series, a part of the 四海为学 “Collaborative Learning” Project. This series aims to provide an academic forum for graduate students and early career scholars engaged in Chinese or comparative philosophy to share and improve upon their work with peers in conference-style panel presentations. Each session features a chairperson, 2-3 presenters, commentators, and an audience of participants who will provide constructive feedback on content, structure, or presentation style. It welcomes projects at any stage of development, including articles for presentation, dissertation chapters, or conference presentations, and aims to accommodate the needs of each presenter. Events will be held once a month.

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Post-Doctoral Positions at East China Normal University

East China Normal University has a number of post-doctoral positions available for 2024-2026 with rolling admissions.
In particular, Paul J. D’Ambrosio can accept one post-doctoral student. This person should specialize in early Chinese philosophy, and be interested in taking on responsibilities related to the 四海為學 Collaborative Learning project (https://www.sihaiweixue.org/), as well as co-teaching in East China Normal University’s English-taught graduate program in Chinese philosophy (http://lxs.ecnu.edu.cn/oldsite/EN/msg.php?id=61).
This position is open to anyone who has completed their PhD in the past couple of years; high preference will be given to Chinese nationals, though anyone may apply. Applicants must be able to be in Shanghai by October 2024 at the latest. (Full time residence is not required, for details on this, as well as funding and other information please write an email to the address below.)
Please send your CV and introductory letter to pauljdambrosio (at) hotmail (dot) (com) by July 1st.

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

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“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?

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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.