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

四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project events next week

 Dear Colleagues,
Next week the 四海为学 Collaborative Learning Project will host four separate events:
  1. December 2nd at 9:00am Beijing time: Book Discussion of Robert Carleo’s Humane Liberality. 
    For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/robert-carleo-book-discussion
  2. December 2nd at 20:00 Beijing time: Roundtable on “Identity Trouble” 
    For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/identity-roundtable
  3. December 5th at 9:00am Beijing time: Roundtable on “Korean Women Confucians in the History of Philosophy” 
    For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/korean-women-confucians

  4. December 5th at 19:00 Beijing time: Roundtable on “Argument in Early China” 
    For details and the Zoom link please see our event page: https://www.sihaiweixue.org/argument-roundtable
Note that no pre-registration or passcode is required for any 四海为学 events.
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.
Sincerely,
Paul J. D’Ambrosio

ACPA On-line Celebratory Roundtable

A message from the current leadership of the ACPA:

The Association of Chinese Philosophers in North America (ACPA) warmly invites you to an online celebratory roundtable marking the 30th anniversary of the association’s founding.
Theme: Honoring the Beginnings: Reflections on the Present State of Engagement with Chinese Philosophy in Anglo-America
Date: Friday, December 5th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST
Roundtable participants: Li Chenyang, Huang Yong, JeeLoo Liu, Ni Peimin, Robin Wang

Zoom link: https://sfu.zoom.us/j/84044319399#success

Instead of formal talks, this anniversary event will take the shape of an open, lively conversation. Our speakers will reflect together on their experiences with the ACPA and on the evolving status of Chinese philosophy in Anglo-America, responding to one another in an informal, spontaneous, and organic exchange. Audience members are warmly invited to join the discussion, ask questions, and share their perspectives throughout the session.

Whether you are an ACPA member, a former board member, have participated in ACPA panels over the years, or are a young scholar interested in the current state of Chinese philosophy in North America, we encourage you to join this meaningful celebration and be part of this conversation about the impact and future of the ACPA in our field.

Summer School: Models of Dialectical Thought in Chinese and Asian Philosophy

The Department of Asian Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana cordially invites PhD students and post-doctoral researchers to a summer school course “Models of Dialectical Thought in Chinese and Asian Philosophy.” The course will be held September 4–7, 2026. Please find more description of the summer school and application procedures through the University of Ljubljana’s website.

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

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.

Fudan English-based MA program in Chinese philosophy

Dear friends,

Thanks to your support, since it was launched in 2011, the MA and Visiting programs in Chinese philosophy (with courses taught in English) at Fudan have been extremely successful. Despite the pandemic that seriously affected the enrollment, 142 students have been enrolled in either the M.A. program (112 students) and the visiting student program (30 students). They are from 41 countries, with student from North America and Europe forming the majority of the student body, and many of them are top students in their classes, majoring in philosophy, classics, and/or East Asian or Chinese studies. The above facts make these programs simply the most successful of their kind (English-based post-graduate programs in Chinese philosophy) in mainland China.

The program boasts perhaps the largest community of English-speaking postgraduate students interested in Chinese philosophy in the world, a community our students have enjoyed greatly.  The comprehensiveness and specialization of our curriculum in Chinese philosophy are unmatched by other programs.  We have also assigned tutors to our students, helping them read classical Chinese texts, in addition to the normal language classes.  Because of the number and the quality of our students, our programs are a “favorite” of the university administration.  As a result, we have been EXTREMELY successful at securing fellowships for students applying for the MA program.  (For the visiting student program, only partial fellowships are available through Fudan, but students can apply through some external channels, like the Chinese Scholarship Council, the EU, Chinese consulates, Confucius Institutes, etc. Indeed, for students already in a doctoral program, they can take a look at this website for applying for a full fellowship to cover their stay in China: http://www.chinese.cn/page/#/pcpage/csp as well as this website (this is for last year’s applications through Fudan, but the requirements should be roughly the same):   https://www.ci.fudan.edu.cn/d1/2b/c38778a643371/page.htm )

To continue its success, I ask you to help us to distribute the information about the programs and encourage your students to apply.  If they are already in a doctoral program and wish to spend a year in China, they are also welcome. You can also directly go to the following website for more detailed information: https://iso.fudan.edu.cn/isoenglish/7b/da/c16952a752602/page.htm
NB: the priority (scholarship) application’s deadline is much earlier than usual: Dec. 12.

Thank you, and be safe and well!

Happy Holidays!

Tongdong

New Book: Beaney, The Joy of Chinese Philosophy

Michael Beaney has just published The Joy of Chinese Philosophy (De Gruyter, 2026); see here for full-text access. The publisher’s blurb:

This book introduces some central ideas and themes in ancient Chinese philosophy through a detailed analysis of one famous passage – the happy fish dialogue – in the Zhuangzi, one of the two founding texts of Daoism. The Zhuangzi is the most exhilarating and intellectually challenging of all the texts of ancient Chinese literature, and appreciating its spirit is as important as understanding its ideas. Methodologically, this book shows how we can approach Chinese philosophy analytically, an approach that is needed if Chinese philosophy is to be recognized in Western (analytic) philosophy today. At the same time, it seeks to broaden our conceptions and practices of analysis and our methods and styles of philosophizing in learning from Chinese philosophy. Throughout the book the emphasis is on engaging the reader in thinking through the issues for themselves.

Chinese Philosophy-relevant panels at 2025 AAR

Michael Ing assembled the following list of panels at the annual American Academy of Religion (AAR) meeting, currently underway…

Here are panels of interest at the AAR this weekend. The entire program can be found here: https://papers.aarweb.org/program-book/30613. Looking forward to seeing you.

Sunday, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Sheraton, Boston Common (Fifth Floor)
Session ID: A23-109
Hosted by: Confucian Traditions Unit
Theme: Beyond Boundaries: Confucianism and The Evolution of Chinese Utopian Thought

The concept of utopia has long captivated thinkers across cultures, including in China, where diverse utopian visions emerged within Confucian, Daoist, and Legalist traditions. Scholars often argue that while Confucian utopias emphasized hierarchy and morality, Daoist models championed harmony with nature, whereas Legalist visions sought strict governance. However, rigid classifications overlook the fluidity of Chinese utopian thought, as thinkers often blended elements from different traditions. This panel challenges traditional paradigms by exploring varied Chinese utopian visions. The first paper critiques the Legalist utopia of Shang Yang and Han Feizi, highlighting its dystopian consequences. The second examines the utopian poetry of Tao Yuanming, revealing its Confucian influences. The third analyzes contemporary Confucian philosopher Zhang Xianglong’s proposal for Special Districts for Confucian Culture, showing its fusion of Confucian, Daoist, and Western ideas. Together, these studies demonstrate the adaptability of Chinese utopian thought, transcending rigid intellectual boundaries to shape evolving ideals of society.

Continue reading →

CFP: The Philosophy of Generative AI: Perspectives from East and West

This special issue of Synthese invites contributions that explore the philosophical implications of generative AI and examine what philosophy can contribute to its development and understanding. Submissions that bring together Eastern and Western perspectives, fostering dialogue across traditions and intellectual borders are especially welcomed. Please read more for the submission guidelines and more information on the special issue. Continue reading →