Category Archives: China

Conference: Utopias and Their Pursuit: A Comparative Study of the East and West

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Major religions and spiritual traditions articulate their own visions of utopia, and these ideals have shaped the political and social foundations of their respective civilizations. The conference Utopias and Their Pursuit: A Comparative Study of the East and West seeks to explore utopian ideals and their practical manifestations by bringing Chinese and Western thought and historical experience into dialogue. Topics include philosophical and theological accounts and critiques of utopia; policies and historical events inspired by utopian visions; and the ways utopian ideas continue to influence contemporary global discourse. Please see the conference’s full program here. The online registration link can be accessed through scanning the QR codes in these two posters.

Controversy Surrounding Tu Wei-ming’s Remarks at HK Philosophy Forum

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Earlier in August, an event called the “2025 香港哲學紫剂國際論壇 / 2025 Hong Kong Bauhinia International Philosophy Forum” was held in Hong Kong. Prof. Tu Wei-ming delivered a keynote address (on-line). Since then, there has been considerable controversy about the event — which did not prominently feature any Hong Kong-born philosophers — and about Tu’s remarks, which were broadly apolitical. In particular, this critical essay by Cheung Chan Fai 張燦輝, former chair of the CUHK Philosophy Department, and Lee Shui-Chuen 李瑞全 of National Central University’s Philosophy Department (and an important contemporary Confucian voice) has received a great deal of attention.

Caro on Modern Confucianism in the PRC

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Carlo Caro has published a five-part exploration of Confucianism and the foundations of political legitimacy in The Diplomat.

Bureaucratized Confucianism: How Tradition Became a Tool of Control

Erasing Confucian Cosmology: How Harmony Lost Its Soul

Legal Minimalism – How Sentience Disappeared from Chinese Law

The Elimination of Remonstrance: From Confucian Conscience to Organizational Discipline

Systemic Suppression: The Silent Elimination of Alternative Confucianism

Series link: https://thediplomat.com/tag/simulated-sagehood/

Tenure track professor in Chinese Studies at KU Leuven

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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.

CFP: 29th Meeting of the Southeast Early China Roundtable

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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.

Call for Applications – Social Ontology in Wuhan: A Summer School

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The School of Philosophy at Wuhan University is pleased to invite applications for its 2025 Social Ontology Summer School. The Summer School will explore various topics in social ontology, including collective intentionality, metaphysics of social categories, Chinese social thought, and philosophical issues in the social sciences. It will take place June 5th through 8th, 2025. Planned speakers include Peter Finocchiaro (Wuhan University), Gina Lebkuecher (Wuhan University), Michael Longenecker (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law), Rachel Sterken (Hong Kong University), Shuchen Xiang 项舒晨 (Xidian University), and Hwa Yeong Wang (Duke Kunshan University).
The Summer School is funded by the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University and the International Social Ontology Society.

Applications are due by April 15th, and are open to undergraduate and graduate students within China. Travel and lodging expenses will be covered for accepted applicants. Please see the Wuhan University website post, linked here for more information about how to apply.

2025 CSCS-ATI Summer School-Buridan and the Buddha: Nominalism and Universals from East to West

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Please see here for more information about “2025 CSCS-ATI Summer School, Buridan and the Buddha: Nominalism and Universals from East to West,” which will be held at at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China. The co-leaders are Prof. Vincent Eltschinger (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris) and Dr. Boaz Schuman (KU Leuven).