International Graduate Lectures in Sinology, NCCU

Ways of Worldmaking in the Global Age: New Perspectives on Ernst Cassirer’s and Nelson Goodman’s Philosophy Course Description In this seminar, we will undertake a critical re-reading of the philosophical works of Ernst Cassirer and Nelson Goodman. The German philosopher’s theory of symbolic forms attempts to address the multiplicity of world-presentations in critical continuation of Kant's transcendental philosophy. The world is never simply given, rather it is made by the symbolic activity of the mind. We will look at the development of the early 20th century from the idea of one world that has a certain logical structure and that is given to us by elementary experiences in Wittgenstein and Carnap to the idea of a plurality of worlds. The American philosopher Goodman occasionally refers to Cassirer's ideas; he famously claims that “there are many worlds, if any”. Key questions in our seminar will be: How is the basic idea of diverse ways of world-making to be understood? What exactly are symbolic forms? How many symbolic forms are there? How to make sense of the position that there really are different worlds in which objects are constituted differently through symbolic forms? What is the role of cognition in Cassirer’s and Goodman’s approaches? And, finally, what validity can Cassirer's and Goodman's models claim against the backdrop of the East Asian world? How shall we think about cultural differences? Last but not least, Cassirer's treatment of the symbolic form of myth will be critically discussed against the backdrop of Japanese mythology and Chinese interpretations of the Heart-Sutra.

歐洲漢學教育：傳承、交流與創新/Sinology Education in Europe: Heritage, Exchange, and Innovation

東亞視野下的兩周青銅器研究史及課題/Research History and Issues of Zhou Dynasty Bronzes from an East Asian Perspective

日本視野下的日本與中國近現代史/How Japanese Recognized Modern Japan and China History   Since the modern era, Japan has not only observed but also actively participated in the profound transformations of the Asian continent and the East Asian maritime region, devoting significant attention to the political dynamics and intellectual currents that unfolded therein. This course invites distinguished Japanese scholars specializing in modern Japanese and Chinese history to examine how Japanese academia has approached the study of modern history in both Japan and China. The lectures will address perspectives from political thought, key historical figures, and historiography. Through close textual analysis and engagement with broader historical contexts, students will gain a nuanced understanding of modern Chinese political and intellectual history, while also reflecting on its connections to contemporary Taiwan, China, and Japan.

Philology and Esotericism: Global from the Outset or Subject to Globalization? Both philological and esoteric practices can be described as anthropological constants. However, both terms, “philology” and “esotericism”, are of Western origin. At first glance, their application to non-Western civilizations may seem rather naïve. Therefore, we must first look at their history in the West and then try to find resemblances with non-Western practices. On the other hand, a provocative reversal of direction could also be fruitful: for example, starting with traditional Chinese jingxue 經學 and then finding similarities in Western theological exegesis. Whether we approve of it or not, the process of globalization was initiated by the West and its concepts. Consequently, a twofold approach will be taken: We will examine the intrinsic qualities of “philology” and “esotericism” and explore the processes of their globalization both as an object of research and as a living reality.   Philology Different eras and civilizations have handled texts in different ways. What is philology? How can we define the nature and significance of philology? We will first examine philology from a global perspective and attempt to define its functions and tasks. Then, we will examine the development of philology and its national traditions, exploring its characteristics in different civilizations. Finally, we will outline the potential commonalities and complementarities of philology in a global context. Lecture 1: The Evolution of Philology: Its Scope, Concepts, Functions, and Globalization (English)  Lecture 2: A New Interpretation of Philology in the I Ching (Mandarin Chinese)  Abstract: Together, we will delve into Wang Yangming's Reading the I Ching, a poem composed during his imprisonment in 1506. Through in-depth analysis, we will reveal the dual layers of information conveyed by this philosophical work: one grounded in textual interpretation, and the other rooted in the symbolic imagery of the hexagrams. Additionally, we will conduct a similar analysis of Zhang Zai's "Chapter 14 on the Great Yi" from the Zheng Meng. This chapter, which provides a textual explication of Zhang Zai's study of the I Ching, will serve as a means to uncover the hidden meanings behind the hexagrams. By combining textual analysis with visual aids, we aim to enhance our understanding of these ancient texts.   Lecture 3: Cross-Cultural Translation: A Case Study of Prospero Intorcetta and François Noël's Translations of the Zhongyong (Mandarin Chinese)  Abstract: We will use the translations of the Zhongyong by Prospero Intorcetta and François Noël as examples to explore the characteristics and perspectives of cross-cultural translation. Prospero Intorcetta (1626-1696), born in Sicily, Italy, arrived in China in 1659 and was a Jesuit missionary active in China in the 17th century. François Noël (1651-1729), a Flemish Jesuit missionary who came to China, was a key figure in the "Rites Controversy" of the 18th century. Both of them strived to find common ground between Confucianism and Christianity in their translations but had their own unique perspectives and interpretations.    Seminar: Global Study of the Analects -- Translations and Commentaries of the Analects in European Languages  Any translation is essentially a process of cultural interpretation. How to strike a balance between literal and idiomatic translation, domestication and foreignization, translation and interpretation is a concern for all translators. For translators, it is important to delve into the system of exegesis of the Classics, compare different interpretations, and thus form one's own semantic field. Ultimately, subjective translation can be carried out within this framework. Furthermore, any translation has its historical and national characteristics. We will compare the translations of selected chapters of the Analects in European languages to examine the manifestations of the Analects in different countries, languages, and historical periods, and to explore the global perspective of philology.   Workshop (with Prof. Kevin Chang Ku-ming): Conversation on Global Philology   Esotericism Esotericism promises an enchantment of our individual and collective environment and has therefore gained increasing attention throughout the past centuries, but especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. Although Western esotericism has a long history, its study is a relatively recent episode. Contemporary research includes religious studies, social anthropology and various other fields. As a first step, we will try to examine various definitions and then move on to a brief history of esoteric practices and theories. In this context, we will try to shed light on the relationship between esoteric knowledge and modern science. Furthermore, we will find that terms such as “secrecy”, “initiation” or “manipulation”, “the occult” or Antoine Faivre’s 1992 concepts: “correspondences, living nature, imagination/mediations, transmutation” do not do sufficient justice to the multiple manifestations that esotericism encompasses. Each of these terms describes a particular dimension, but none of them captures the whole phenomenon. To analyze this problem, we will take a look at Ludwig Wittgenstein’s theory of “family resemblance”. Starting from the historiography, we will then turn to the aspects of esotericism in the present: New Age, UFO-logy and magic as well as various practices of prediction: tarot cards, horoscopy, the spread of the Yijing in the West, etc. Finally, the question is raised as to whether the term “esotericism” can be applied to non-Western practices. There is a lively debate about this issue, which is inextricably linked to our concept of globalization. Seminar 1: Terms and Concepts; Esotericism and Science  Seminar 2: A brief look at the history of Western esotericism  Seminar 3: Contemporary Esotericism  Seminar 4: Global Perspectives  Seminar 5 (with Prof. Chang Che-chia): The Chinese-speaking world: esotericism and/or “minor ways” 小道.   

自然史與醫療史新視野/ New Perspectives on Natural History and Medical History   This course invites four internationally renowned scholars to present recent developments in the fields of natural history and medical history. Both disciplines belong to the domain of the “New Histories” and closely align with the spirit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Natural history not only resonates with the traditional Chinese concepts of bowu (the study of myriad things) and gewu (the investigation of things), but also engages with emerging themes such as the Anthropocene, animal history, environmental history, ecological history, and the history of climate change. Medical history, on the other hand, is concerned with knowledge of birth, aging, illness, death, and healing, intersecting with issues such as health and well-being, hygiene and self-cultivation, and gender equality. Critically reflecting on the historical and contemporary dimensions of these topics will help students cultivate deeper professional expertise in related fields, while also providing a solid intellectual foundation and ethical framework for social engagement and action.

出土簡牘與秦漢社會生活/ The Unearthed Bamboo and Wooden Strips and the Social Life of Qin-Han Periods   This course centers on excavated bamboo and wooden slips (jiandu) from the Qin and Han periods, exploring in depth the social life and state administration of the time. As a crucial medium of writing in early imperial China, the slips preserve a wealth of information on administration, law, economy, and daily life. These include records on household registration, land tax collection, penal enforcement, official documents, marriage and family, medical treatments, and private correspondence. Together, they reveal both the mechanisms of grassroots governance and the details of everyday life. Through the interpretation of these materials, the course guides students in examining the governance structures, economic systems, and cultural features of Qin and Han society, while also reflecting on the value and limitations of such sources in historical research. The course will feature lectures by invited scholars and will begin with a study of Japanese methodologies in the research of Han-period slips, along with concrete case studies. Topics include medical practices and sick-leave petitions of frontier officials and soldiers, the therapeutic use of incantatory healing (zhuyoufang), traces of “Qin Shihuang” in wooden slips unearthed at the empire’s frontiers, and insights into marriage and family structures preserved in these records. By engaging with these issues, students will learn methods of slip interpretation, discover macro-historical patterns through micro-level data, and gain a deeper understanding of daily operations, state governance, and cultural features of Qin and Han society.