The 7th Rutgers Workshop on Chinese Philosophy (RWCP) will take place in person on April 10-11, 2025. The theme this year is "Moral Conflict in Early Chinese Philosophy." Scholars of early Chinese philosophy from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America will engage each other on this important topic. Everybody is welcome. Space is limited and RSVP is required. Registration is closed.
Rutgers Workshop on Chinese Philosophy (RWCP) was launched in 2012. It is designed to build a bridge between Chinese philosophy and Western analytic philosophy and to promote critical engagement and constructive dialogue between the two sides, with the hope to diversify the practice of philosophy by bringing the study of Chinese philosophy into the mainstream of philosophical discourse within the Western academy. It is run every other year, usually in late spring.
Sponsors: we are grateful for the generosity of the Department of Religion which has provided most of the funding for this year's conference. We'd also like to express our gratitude to the following co-sponsors: Rutgers Global, SAS Dean's Office, Philosophy Department, and Rutgers Center for Chinese Studies.
Co-Directors
 Tao Jiang Rutgers University Website |
 Dean Zimmerman Rutgers University Website |
 Stephen Angle Wesleyan University Website |
Presenters
 Stephen Angle Wesleyan University Website |
 Tongdong Bai Fudan University Website |
 Julianne Chung York University Website |
 Eirik Lang Harris Colorado State University Website |
 Jing Iris Hu Concordia University Website |
 Karyn Lai University of New South Wales Website |
 Dawid Rogacz Adam Mickiewicz University Website |
 Hagop Sarkissian City University of New York Website |
 Mercedes Valmisa Gettysburg College Website |
 Ai YUAN Tsinghua University Website |
 Wenqing Zhao City University of New York Website |
Rapporteurs
 Frederick Choo Rutgers University Website |
 Esther Goh Rutgers University Website |
"Moral Conflict in Early Chinese Philosophy"
Thursday, April 10
8:20a.m. Breakfast (onsite)
8:50a.m. – 9:00a.m. Welcoming Remarks
Dean Zimmerman, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Acting Chair of Philosophy Department, Rutgers University
9:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. “Beyond the conflict of black and white: human agency in the Zhuangzi”
Presenter: Karyn Lai (University of New South Wales, Australia)
Moderator: Stephen Angle (Wesleyan University)
10:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. “Han Fei Zi’s Critique of the Harmony Thesis about Moral Conflicts”
Presenter: Tongdong Bai (Fudan University, China)
Moderator: Wenqing Zhao (City University of New York)
11:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. tea break
11:30a.m. – 12:30p.m. “Anger as Situational Knowledge: A Daoist Analysis of Anger, Social Injustice, and Agency”
Presenter: Ai YUAN (Tsinghua University, China)
Moderator: Dean Zimmerman (Rutgers University)
12:30p.m. – 2:00p.m. Lunch (onsite)
2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. “Tweaking the Recipe: Harmony with Dissonance”
Presenter: Julianne Chung (York University, Canada)
Moderator: Alexander Guerrero (Rutgers University)
3:00p.m. – 3:30p.m. tea break
3:30p.m. – 4:30p.m. “When Moral Exemplars Cause Inner Moral Conflicts in Others”
Presenter: Jing Iris Hu (Concordia University, Canada)
Moderator: Eirik Lang Harris (Colorado State University)
4:30p.m. – 5:30p.m. “Dangerous Certainties: The Mozi on Moral Convictions”
Presenter: Hagop Sarkissian (City University of New York)
Moderator: Mercedes Valmisa (Gettysburg College)
6:00pm-8:00pm Dinner (invitation only)
Friday, April 11
8:20a.m. Breakfast (onsite)
9:00a.m. – 10:00a.m. “Harmony, Regret, and Temptation”
Presenter: Stephen Angle (Wesleyan University)
Moderator: Julianne Chung (York University, Canada)
10:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. “Weighing (quan) in early Confucian philosophy”
Presenter: Dawid Rogacz (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland)
Moderator: Karyn Lai (University of New South Wales, Australia)
11:00a.m. – 11:30a.m. tea break
11:30a.m. – 12:30p.m. “Harmonization as Self-Organization”
Presenter: Mercedes Valmisa (Gettysburg College)
Moderator: Hagop Sarkissian (City University of New York)
12:30p.m. – 2:00p.m. Lunch (onsite)
2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. “Upright Gong and the Inescapability(?) of Moral Conflict in Classical Confucianism–A View from the Xunzi”
Presenter: Eirik Lang Harris (Colorado State University)
Moderator: Jing Iris HU (Concordia University, Canada)
3:00p.m. – 3:30p.m. tea break
3:30p.m. – 4:30p.m. “Affording Wandering”
Presenter: Wenqing Zhao (City University of New York)
Moderator: Tao Jiang (Rutgers University)
4:30p.m. – 5:00p.m. General discussion about the publication plan
5:30pm-7:30pm Dinner (invitation only)
Location
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
35 Seminary Place
Hageman Hall Conference Room
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
FAQs
1. Where can I park?
Park in Parking Lot 37 right behind New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Use Bishop Pl and take the 2nd turn on the right to enter the parking lot. Click on the following map for a more detailed direction.
2. How can I get to the event on public transportation?
Take the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line to New Brunswick (njtransit.com). Make sure the train stops at New Brunswick as some might skip it during rush hours.
The conference room is in the New Brunswick Theological Seminary (College Ave/Seminary Pl).