Category Archives: Chinese philosophy – 中國哲學 – 中国哲学

CFP: Adventures in Chinese Realism

Eirik Harris (CityU Hong Kong) and Henry Schneider (CityU Seattle) launched a project called “Adventures in Chinese Realism”. It has a twofold aim. First, it is about re-discovering the Classics of Chinese Realism, for example Han Fei, Shen Dao, Guanzi, etc. Second, it is about applying Chinese Realim to actual issues in political philosophy (at large), for example, assessing Confucian revivalism, dealing with so-called corporate ethics, recasting checks and balances, etc.

So far, two panels were organized and held. The first during the APA Pacific session in 2017 and the second at the ISCP conference in 2017. So far, Gordon Mower, PC Lo, Jeremy Huang, Wilson Lee, and Eirik Harris presented their work. These activities shall continue in the future. Once there is enough material of high quality, an edited book becomes an option.

Call for papers / interest: Graduate students and faculty are cordially invited to submit any abstracts / papers for inclusion under this project. Near-term goal is to put together a panel for the APA Pacific conference in 2018.

Contact

Eirik Harris: eirikharrislang@gmail.com

Henry Schneider: hschneider@gmx.ch

William Theodore de Bary, 1919-2017

I am saddened to share the news of Professor de Bary’s passing. He was an inspiration to generations of students of Chinese thought. I knew him as a gracious and persistent interlocutor at the Columbia Neo-Confucianism Seminar that he continued to attend, as he continued to teach. His influence on our understanding of Neo-Confucianism throughout East Asia was enormous, and his early fascination with Huang Zongxi seems as relevant today as ever.

There is an obituary here; it begins: Wm. Theodore de Bary, acclaimed scholar of East Asian thought and a leader in the development of Asian Studies in the United States, died peacefully in his home, Hotokudo, in Tappan, New York, on July 14, 2017. John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus and Provost Emeritus of Columbia University at the time of his death, de Bary continued to teach after his formal retirement in 1989. Although weakened by a heart condition, he completed grading the papers for his last course in May, 2017….

CFP: SSEC Annual Conference

The Society for the Study of Early China’s 6th Annual Conference

Thursday, 22 March 2018

Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

The Society for the Study of Early China is pleased to announce its Sixth annual conference, which will take place at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, 22 March 2018. Like previous meetings, this one will take place in conjunction with the Association for Asian Studies’ Annual Conference. Registration for the AAS event is not required to attend the SSEC meeting.

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ICCC Journal, including another view on “Tian”

The journal International Communication of Chinese Culture is worth looking at; its latest issues contain many articles related to Chinese philosophy. Of particular interest to me (in light of my essay on Tian) is Ben Huff’s essay, “Servants of Heaven: the place of virtue in the Confucian cosmos.” I’ll paste the abstract of Ben’s essay after the break.

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New essays available on-line; and a bit on translation

For anyone who might be interested, I have added some new works-in-progress to my on-line archive site, including the pre-copyedit version of “Tian as Cosmos in Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism.” Comments are always welcome. Below, I include the abstract to the Tian essay, as well as two paragraphs discussing standards for translation.

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