JeeLoo Liu, the new Executive Director of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy (ISCP), writes with a range of news and updates on the society:
Dear ISCP Members and Associates:
As the new Executive Director of the ISCP, I would like to give you an update on our recent activities.
This position is offered in the context of a research project on the creation of Mozi or Yang Zhu from “heretics” into “philosophers.” We are looking for a young MA student in Sinology, Chinese studies, or Chinese philosophy willing to study an epoch in this creation. One’s research focus should be on one of the two figures in one (or more) epochs of the candidate’s choice. For more details, see this attached document.
The latest issue of Frontiers of Philosophy in China is now available. Below, please find the table of contents and see the link for more information:
http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/1673355x/11/3
Duke Kunshan University (DKU) invites applications for faculty positions (rank open) in the arts and humanities (philosophy, history, literature, language, and audio visual and performing arts). Pending accreditation approval, DKU will launch an innovative, integrated and interdisciplinary liberal arts undergraduate program leading to both Duke and DKU degrees. Students interested in arts and humanities will be immersed in integrated core courses including the arts of interpretation in written texts, images and sounds, as well as a common set of university-wide courses on China, global challenges, and ethics. Areas of study in the arts and humanities include, but are not limited to, Global Cultural Studies, Media and Arts, Performance Studies, China and US Studies, and Ethics and Leadership. Faculty will have the unique opportunity to pioneer, lead and implement an interdisciplinary and integrated arts and humanities curriculum and to conduct research in the related fields. These positions may start as early as Fall 2017 to begin preparation for the launch.
More information here.
Christopher Cullen, The Foundations of Celestial Reckoning: Three Ancient Chinese
Astronomical Systems (London: Routledge, 2017)
The Foundations of Celestial Reckoning gives the reader direct access to the foundational documents of the tradition of calculation created by astronomers of the early Chinese empire between the late second century BCE and the third century CE. The paradigm they established was to shape East Asian thought and practice in the field of mathematical astronomy for centuries to come. It was in many ways radically different from better known traditions of astronomy in other parts of the ancient world.
The Student Union at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies, part of the University of London) has issued their annual statement of their desired “Educational Priorities,” and one of them, “Decolonising SOAS: Confronting the White Institution,” has created a stir because of its demands concerning philosophy:
Media reports on this document have been full of hysterical criticism of “political correctness,” including a quote from Sir Roger Scruton announcing that “If they think there is a colonial context from which Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason arose, I would like to hear it.” Apparently Sir Roger is not familiar with Peter Park’s excellent book, Africa, Asia, and the History of Philosophy: Racism in the Formation of the Philosophical Canon, 1780–1830.
This column takes a more balanced view — noting in particular that the only degree in philosophy at SOAS is in “World Philosophy,” through the Department of Religions and Philosophies. Indeed, if one looks at the course of study for the BA in World Philosophy, it’s somewhat difficult to believe that the majority of philosophers studied aren’t already from “the Global South or its diaspora.”
Nishan Confucian Studies Summer Institute (July 1-30, 2017)
Nishan & Qufu, Shandong Province, China
The 2017 Nishan Confucian Studies Summer Institute International Program offers teachers of Chinese history and culture an opportunity to spend a month at an established Confucian academy reading the Confucian classics with world-renowned experts Roger T. Ames and Chenshan Tian and other distinguished comparative philosophy and Confucian scholars. We invite all of those students and teachers who are intrigued by Chinese culture who seek a more profound appreciation of Chinese philosophy, history, and cosmology to join us on this unique educational and research journey. Read on for more information, or click here for a two-page English flier, or here for more extensive background in Chinese (with lots of pictures).
Prof. Tongdong Bai of Fudan writes:
Fudan University has instituted a Fudan Fellow Program. It accepts both full-time students as well as full-time scholars. There are two types of fellows: Fudan Senior Fellows for Professors and Associate Professors and Fudan Fellows for Assistant Professors, post-docs and students. For a flyer that contains more information about the program, see here.
This post (and the many substantive comments) on “Nouns, verbs, and ontological metaphors” may be of interest; it discusses literary Sinitic and Mandarin vs. English; Sinitic vs. Indo-European modes of expression; characters vs. words; Chinese philosophy; mass nouns.
There will be a number of panels related to Chinese philosophy (and one explicitly on comparative philosophy) at the upcoming New England Region Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference, to be held at Boston College on January 28-29, 2017. Details and registration information here; and read on for the panel information.
