In this lecture Prof. Poo re-examines the theory of the Axial Age by first investigating the case of China, situating the findings in the context of the on-going scholarly discussions on the idea of the Axial Age as proposed by Jaspers and expounded by subsequent generations of scholars. A comparison with the case of ancient […]

The Term “Humanities” is often used in reference to disciplinary academic humanities: a modern, institutional subject. That its development is usually a product (or byproduct) of cultural politics in nation-building can be taken for granted. In the case of China, however, the long and complicated civilization evidenced before the modern era—since Neolithic times, with literary […]

August 29-September 1, 2016: AKI co-organized the Sino-German Symposium on Social Computing with the Institute of Computer Science, Göttingen University.

AKI is to host a lecture by Prof. Roger Ames (Hawaii Univ.) on “Confucian Role Ethics: A Challenge to the Ideology of Individualism”

When talking about the Chinese philosophy and culture, we will always recognize the importance of the antique tradition by appeal to familiar categories. Confucian role ethics is an attempt to articulate a sui generis moral philosophy that allows this tradition to have its own voice. This holistic philosophy is grounded in the primacy of relationality, […]