ToC: History of Logic in Contemporary China

The journal Asian Studies has recently published a new special issue (Vol. 10 No.2) titled “History of Logic in Contemporary China”. This issue contains 18 different articles; read below for the table of contents. This journal’s contents are fully available on-line.

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Workshop on Tsinghua Logic School

WORKSHOP: Legacy of the Tsinghua Logic School

Time: April 21, 2022
Venue: Hybrid
Organizer: The Joint Research Center for Logic, Tsinghua University

In 1926, recently graduated from Columbia University, Jin Yuelin came back to China and founded the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University. With new appointments of Shen Youding and Wang Xianjun in subsequent years, the logic group grew very fast and attracted many young talents. One prominent student of Jin Yuelin was Wang Hao, who later took his PhD degree at Harvard and became a well-known logician worldwide. This pioneering history was recorded in a recent article by Jan Vrhovski: “The Qinghua Logic School: Mathematical Logic at Qinghua University in Peking, 1926–1945”. In 1952, due to the policy of “reorganization of colleges and departments”, Tsinghua’s philosophy department was moved to Peking University. Wang Xianjun stayed there ever since, while Jin Yuelin and Shen Youding soon moved once more, to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. In this way the logic tradition spread. In 2000 Tsinghua officially restored its philosophy department with a focus in logic. In the last two decades, Tsinghua has been making lots of progress in logic, with several major appointments. (for more information see the website: www.tsinghualogic.net/JRC). On the occasion of Tsinghua University’s anniversary in April this year, we are organizing a small workshop to discuss the Tsinghua logic tradition, the ideas of the early founding logicians, and plans for our future development.

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On-line Conference: “Textual Analysis as the Basis for Understanding Chinese Logical Thought”

The logic research centre of Tsinghua University warmly invites you to join us in attending the “Textual Analysis as the Basis for Understanding Chinese Logical Thought” international workshop.

Keynote speeches will be delivered by Jana S. Rošker, Christoph Harbsmeier, Yiu-ming Fung, Fenrong Liu, Dirk Meyer, and Joachim Gentz in order of presentation.

For the full program, please check our workshop website: http://tsinghualogic.net/JRC/?page_id=3876

The conference will be held online on January 15-17, 2022, 16:30-21:00PM (Beijing Standard Time).
       The conference will be held on Zoom platform (Meeting ID:894 1963 2234). Registration is required from here: http://tsinghualogic.net/JRC/?page_id=3878

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New Article: Beaney, Swimming Happily in Chinese Logic

Michael Beaney has recently published “Swimming Happily in Chinese Logic” in the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society; full text is available on-line here. The abstract:

Dipping in Chinese waters
pulled and pushed by Mo
we see how Zhuangzi caught us
like the happy fish we know
we follow their flow
words matching as they sort us
Enjoy!

New Book: Fung, Dao Companion to Chinese Philosophy of Logic

Huang Yong writes to share this news:

Dao Companion to Chinese Philosophy of Logic (volume 12 in the series of Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy), edited by Yiuming Fung, has just been published by Springer.  Below is an overview of the book.  Here is a link to the Dao Companions series.

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CFP: Logic Conference

The Organisers of the 2nd World Congress on Logic and Religion, to be held at the University of Warsaw (Poland), 18-22 June, 2017, have the pleasure of inviting you to the Congress: http://logicandreligion.uw.edu.pl/

The Congress will have a separate section on Logic in the religions of East Asia. As with the other sections of the Congress (such as Logic in the religions of South Asia, Logic in Arabic philosophy and the Islamicate world, etc.), we are seeking papers that concern the relation between logic and East Asian philosophies/religions in all possible aspects. We would welcome both established and early-career researchers working in the field to participate. In keeping with our practice in the other sections of the Congress, we welcome papers that concern the relation between the logic and religions of East Asia and South East Asia, taken in the broadest sense of those terms.

The registration form can be found at: http://logicandreligion.uw.edu.pl/registration/

Irene Cronin (UCLA): The Notion of Accepted Contradiction in Early Chinese Daoism. 12 Dec 2016 at CUNY Graduate Center

FALL 2016 Logic and Metaphysics Workshop

DateMonday December 12, 4.15-6.15

Place: Room 5382, CUNY Graduate Center.

Speaker: Irena Cronin, UCLA

TitleThe Notion of Accepted Contradiction in Early Chinese Daoism

Abstract: Although the representation of the Dao differs a little between the representative Early Chinese Daoist works Zhuangzi and Dao de jing, the differences are one of degree, rather than “substance”.  In Zhuangzi, the common man as possible master craftsman, whether it be as a cook, woodmaker, or fisherman, or other kind of craftsman, has the capability of understanding and embracing the Dao (although these occurrences would be relatively rare), while in Dao de jing, it is only the Sage, a rare man of extreme ability that can do so; all others do not have this capability and have minor, shadowy and totally indeterminable experiences of the Dao, and are “condemned” to live an ignorant and almost animal-like existence, finding solace in creature comforts.

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History of Logic in China: website and book

Many folks interested in the history of logic in China probably already know about this website, but I just discovered it and thought I’d share. Also of interest is the book History of Logic in China: 5 Questions, which poses the following 5 questions to a lengthy series of specialists and presents their answers:

  1. Why did you begin working on history of Chinese logic in China?
  2. What is the best way to define your area in terms of historical period, textual sources, methodology or other factors?
  3. What is your favorite example of logical acumen by an early Chinese thinker?
  4. In your opinion what is the most difficult or problematic aspect of studying logical thinking by Chinese in the past?
  5. Which other areas of study could benefit from a better understanding of Chinese logic, or vice versa? (For example, other aspects of the history of Chinese thought, the relationship between early and later study of logic in China, or the relationship with other branches of philosophy such as the philosophy of science, ethics, etc.)

June, 2014 ISCWP Beijing Roundtable

The 2014 Term of the ISCWP’s “Beijing Roundtable on Contemporary Philosophy” workshop /symposium series is a small-size, half-day workshop on the theme “Mohist Logical Thought and Development of Contemporary Philosophy”, which will be held at Peking University, Beijing, China, 27th June 2014. For more information, click here. Please note that for those interested in possibly presenting at the Roundtable, the deadline for contacting the organizers is June 1, 2014.