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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250326T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250326T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250321T040454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250407T091845Z
UID:1045763-1743010200-1743015600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Reason With Multiple Exemplars" by Prof. Xinkan Zhao\, Peking University\, China
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/8aa0b7f1 \n  \nAbstract \nSuppose some form of idealization- and desire-based thesis of internalism about reasons is true\, that an agent has reason to φ if and only if the ideal counterpart of the agent has a desire appropriately related to φ-ing. Questions then arise concerning how best to flesh out the thesis and what follows from it when properly understood. In this talk\, I take up these questions. More specifically\, I first engage with the well-known debate between two ways of understanding the thesis\, namely\, to treat the counterpart as an exemplar or an advisor\, and make a case for a revised version of the exemplar model. Then I critically examine Eric Sampson’s recent challenge that internalism faces foundational difficulties because an agent may have multiple fully rational counterparts. I argue that we should follow Sampson in thinking that internalism should take the form of having multiple exemplars\, but that the difficulties he raises rest on mistaken assumptions and therefore do not post a real threat. I go on to work out some of the theoretical consequences of internalism so understood\, but remain neutral on whether they count in favor of or against the theory. \n  \nBio \nProfessor Xinkan Zhao is an assistant professor in philosophy at Peking University\, working primarily on normativity and metaethics. He is particularly interested in questions like whether normative facts can be identified with naturalistic facts\, whether they are relativized (and if so\, how)\, how various normative systems are related\, the extent to which moral rationalism is true\, among others. His most recent research focus revolves around theories that can be broadly categorized as constructivism about reasons\, which he takes to be the best if not only hope of escaping the grip of error theory. Apart from normativity and metaethics\, he takes an interest in metaphysics\, including mainstream topics in the analytic tradition\, and in comparative philosophy\, with the hope that the native Chinese philosophical tradition receives the attention that it deserves in academia. His piecemeal thoughts have appeared in journals such as Australasian Journal of Philosophy\, Synthese\, and Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-reason-with-multiple-exemplars-by-prof-xinkan-zhao-peking-university-china/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/poster-xinkan-zhao.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250409T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250409T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250407T092113Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250407T092113Z
UID:1054154-1744219800-1744225200@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Mental Minutiae: On the Residues\, Fragments\, Remnants\, and Seeds of Mental Life" by Prof. Benjamin Winokur\, University of Macau
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/wnp200k4 \n  \nAbstract \nWe often refer to the remnants\, fragments\, and seeds of physical objects in everyday life: the remnants of a fallen building or exploded firecracker\, a fragment from a chipped mug\, or the seed of an acorn tree. In referring to these\, we find nothing of obvious metaphysical difficulty; adequately conceptualizing these items seems to require just basic object concepts\, and basic representations of the mereological and temporal relations in which they stand. But what about the remnants or residues of mental phenomena? Here we do confront a metaphysically difficult question\, namely whether such mental minutiae exist at all. I first introduce the concept of mental minutiae\, contrasting them with “minimally complete” mental phenomena that are not the mere remnants\, fragments\, or residues of larger mental phenomena. Second\, I argue that mental minutiae may be of explanatory use in long-standing philosophical debates about first-person authority and implicit bias. I conclude with some methodological remarks about how to best to ascribe mental minutiae to one another\, given their conceptual unfamiliarity from the standpoint of ordinary folk psychology. \n  \nBio \nProfessor Benjamin Winokur is an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau. He works primarly on topics in contemporary epistemology and philosophy of mind\, such as self-knowledge\, first-person authority\, the nature of belief\, digital epistemology\, the epistemology of inquiry\, and “hostile” epistemology. He has published papers in peer-reviewed journals such as Synthese\, The European Journal of Philosophy\, Inquiry\, Philosophical Psychology\, Dialectica\, Episteme\, and elsewhere. He is also the co-editor\, alongside Adam Andreotta\, of “New Perspectives on Transparency and Self-Knowledge”\, published with Routledge in 2025. Finally\, he is the author of a book in progress titled “Knowing Where You Stand: Essays on the Value of Reflective Commitment”\, under contract with Routledge.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-mental-minutiae-on-the-residues-fragments-remnants-and-seeds-of-mental-life-by-prof-benjamin-winokur-university-of-macau/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/poster-benjamin-winokur.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250414
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250411T025210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250411T025210Z
UID:1059509-1744416000-1744588799@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Conference: 中國形上學傳統中的「物」
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-conference-%e4%b8%ad%e5%9c%8b%e5%bd%a2%e4%b8%8a%e5%ad%b8%e5%82%b3%e7%b5%b1%e4%b8%ad%e7%9a%84%e3%80%8c%e7%89%a9%e3%80%8d/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/6.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250423T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250423T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250415T075714Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T075714Z
UID:1064306-1745429400-1745434800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Daoist Wisdom: An Account of Epistemic Humility" by Dr. Christine Tan\, Yale-NUS College\, Singapore
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/4sjk6f1d \n  \nAbstract \nThis work draws from Daoist thought to argue that epistemic humility is not only a necessary pre-condition to wisdom but is also sufficiently constitutive of wisdom. Additionally\, I argue that going beyond that sufficiency undermines the genuineness of said wisdom. More specifically\, both Zhuangzi and Laozi argue that going beyond epistemic humility assumes a context-transcending truth\, epistemic justification\, or metanormative value which exists\, and can be known. In contrast\, genuine wisdom understands that no knowledge\, truth\, or epistemic claim transcends any given context. \nI advance three central arguments: First\, epistemic humility is incompatible with holding any “belief\,” “knowledge\,” or “understanding” that is taken to be epistemically justifiable or rational. Second\, epistemic humility is sufficient\, and more radically\, necessarily sufficient\, meaning that anything added to it undermines it. Third\, epistemic humility necessitates\, rather than prevents\, engagement and action. \n\nBio \nDr Christine Tan is a Filipino-born philosopher whose main areas of expertise are Chinese and Comparative Philosophy in general\, and Neo-Daoist philosophy in particular. Before joining Yale-NUS College\, she did her PhD at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore\, where she wrote her dissertation titled ‘Freedom as Self-realisation: Zide in the Neo-Daoist Philosophy of Guo Xiang’. Before that\, she did her MA and BA at the University of Santo Tomas\, Philippines\, where her areas of focus were psychoanalysis and post-structuralist philosophy. \nDr Tan has published extensively in Chinese philosophy (with a specific focus on Guo Xiang). Her work has spanned a variety of epistemological themes from classical and medieval Chinese textual analysis to problem-driven treatments of traditionally Euro-centric issues such as freedom and autonomy. This includes published journal articles on Chinese Buddhism\, Confucianism\, and Daoism. Ultimately\, her goal is to push the boundaries for how we understand selfhood\, agency\, and community from inter-cultural and truly global lenses.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-daoist-wisdom-an-account-of-epistemic-humility-by-dr-christine-tan-yale-nus-college-singapore/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/poster-christine-tan.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250820T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250820T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250814T093438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T093438Z
UID:1139694-1755711000-1755716400@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Collaborating on Interdisciplinary Research: A Case Study in Philosophy & Neurolinguistics" by Mr. Kun Chan Wa
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/hk0d76q5 \n  \nAbstract \nThis presentation is based on a co-authored paper developed through collaboration between philosophers and neurolinguists\, exploring the “pursuitworthiness” of experiments in neurolinguistics. The paper investigates whether criteria for pursuitworthiness can be established for experiments in this field and\, if so\, which factors are most relevant. Drawing on a detailed analysis of research practices and case studies\, we propose that pursuitworthiness in this domain should be evaluated along two dimensions: methodological and pragmatic. \n  \nIn my talk\, I will briefly outline the paper’s main argument and\, more importantly\, reflect on my own role in the project and on the collaborative process. I will discuss how I became involved\, the specific contributions I made\, and what I learned from working across disciplinary boundaries. By sharing both the substantive outcomes and the behind-the-scenes experience\, I aim to show how doctoral students in philosophy can participate in and benefit from collaborative\, interdisciplinary research. \n  \nBio \nKun Chan Wa (Kun) is a PHD student in the Department of Philosophy and Religions Studies at the University of Macau. He graduated from University of Saint Joseph with a master’s degree in philosophy\, and his research area was on the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Currently\, he is researching the philosophy of causation and philosophy of medicine under the supervision of Professor Nevia Dolcini.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-collaborating-on-interdisciplinary-research-a-case-study-in-philosophy-neurolinguistics-by-mr-kun-chan-wa/
LOCATION:E21a-3121
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/poster-kun-chan-wa.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250827T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250827T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250821T074457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T074457Z
UID:1149717-1756315800-1756321200@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Immortality and Human Enhancements From Zhu Xi’s 朱熹 Perspective" by Prof. Jenny Hung\, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology\, Hong Kong
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7pucrfsx \n  \nAbstract \nThe questions of the value of life and the pursuit of immortality have long intrigued philosophers. Recently\, with advancements in technology aimed at enhancing human life expectancy\, immortality has emerged as a significant topic of discussion. Central to transhumanist philosophy\, it represents a radical transformation of human existence driven by scientific and technological progress. Human enhancements—biomedical interventions designed to improve human functioning beyond mere health restoration—are seen as powerful tools for achieving longevity. These enhancements involve biological alterations through pharmaceutical\, surgical\, or genetic methods. \nIn this paper\, I explore how ZHU Xi 朱熹 (1130–1200)\, a prominent figure in Neo-Confucianism\, would approach the concepts of immortality and human enhancements. I argue that Zhu would likely endorse the pursuit of immortality\, provided that such enhancements maintain\, or enhance\, our ability to act in accordance with moral principles. This analysis seeks to bridge traditional philosophical perspectives with contemporary discussions on the implications of human enhancement technologies. \n  \nBio \nJenny Hung is an assistant professor of philosophy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She has two PhDs\, one in philosophy\, another in nanophysics. She investigates the nature of the self from both the Western and Eastern perspectives\, aiming to answer the most fundamental questions of human existence\, such as: “What are we?” “How do we persist?” She published in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Mind\, Philosophical Psychology\, Philosophy East and West\, Dao\, Asian Philosophy\, History of Philosophy and Logic\, etc. She is now working on two books: Between Buddha-nature and Emptiness: The Peak Era of Chinese Buddhist Philosophy (Oxford University Press) and What am I? Personal Ontology in Chinese Philosophy (under review).
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-immortality-and-human-enhancements-from-zhu-xis-%e6%9c%b1%e7%86%b9-perspective-by-prof-jenny-hung-hong-kong-university-of-science-and-technology-hong/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/poster-jenny-hung.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250903T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250903T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250902T080316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T080316Z
UID:1167225-1756920600-1756926000@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Self-Misidentification in Higher-Order Theories" by Mr. Chu Kin Lok
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/eab6bban \n  \nAbstract \nHigher-order (HO) theories of consciousness aim to resolve the “hard problem of consciousness\,” arguing that what renders a mental state phenomenally conscious is that it is\, or is disposed to be\, the object of a HO mental state. While various versions of HO theories of consciousness are widely discussed\, some HO theories have been expanded to explain the first-personal and reflexive nature of self-consciousness and its psychopathology\, yet these explanations have received little attention. This is unfortunate\, since a theory of self-consciousness is essential for a theory of consciousness. In this talk\, I mainly discuss Rosenthal’s higher-order thought (HOT) theory of self-consciousness. I argue that his HOT theory fails to explain alleged which-object self-misidentification\, a form of misidentification defined by James Pryor as distinct from de re self-misidentification. As a result\, his theory fails to explain thought insertion\, a pathological condition characterized by which-object self-misidentification. Finally\, I extend these arguments to all two-state HO theories\, arguing that they\, in principle\, fail to explain which-object self-misidentification and thought insertion. \n  \nBio \nChu Kin-Lok (Gary) is a PhD student under the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau. While continuing his master’s research on self-consciousness and self-disorders in schizophrenia from the perspective of contemporary phenomenology\, his PhD project concentrates on various theories of self-consciousness and self-oriented delusions. He is under the supervision of Professor Nevia Dolcini and co-supervision of Professor Benjamin Winokur.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-self-misidentification-in-higher-order-theories-by-mr-chu-kin-lok/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/poster-chu-kin-lok.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250910T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250910T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250905T084642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T084642Z
UID:1168367-1757525400-1757530800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Problems of certainty in public life" by Dr. Drew Johnson\, University of Oslo\, Norway
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/5lvjfwfl \n  \nAbstract \nThere is a crisis of certainty in public life. Epistemic arrogance\, closed mindedness\, and deep disagreement have a close relationship to certainty\, and are especially challenging online due to epistemic bubbles and echo chambers. In order to address these problems\, we need to understand how it is rational to relate to certainty. When is it reasonable to be certain\, and when not? Is certainty only a danger in public life\, or can it be a value? This project addresses these questions by proposing and applying a theory of certainty. This theory is based on recent developments in ‘hinge epistemology’\, which holds that belief\, doubt\, and inquiry are only possible given that we hold some core certainties fixed\, despite the fact that those certainties lack rational support. I propose an account\, Perspectival Hinge Epistemology\, according to which core certainties are determined by individuals’ epistemic perspectives. I identify a form of intellectual humility that is rationally fitting for core certainties. Being intellectually humble about one’s core certainties is recognizing and taking responsibility for the rational groundlessness of that certainty. I argue that cultivating this form of intellectual humility can help address problems of deep disagreement\, epistemic arrogance\, and closed mindedness. \n  \nBio \nDrew Johnson is a philosopher affiliated with the GoodAttention research group at the University of Oslo\, where he was a postdoctoral researcher (2022-2024). Before that\, he received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Connecticut (2022)\, and an MA from Northern Illinois University (2015). Drew specializes in epistemology\, philosophy of mind\, and metaethics. He is currently working on a book about the epistemology of certainty and how to cultivate intellectual humility in order to address problems of certainty in public life. Other research interests include the functions of attention\, the epistemology of self-knowledge\, and teleosemantic theories of mental content.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-problems-of-certainty-in-public-life-by-dr-drew-johnson-university-of-oslo-norway/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/poster-drew-johnson.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250917T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250917T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20250915T073058Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T073058Z
UID:1171037-1758130200-1758135600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Syncretizing Afterlife Beliefs in Early Medieval China: The Youming Lu and the Buddhist Transformation of Indigenous Cosmology" by Ms. Qiao Yiwen
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/a1xhwfq8 \n  \nAbstract \nThe Youming Lu (Stories of Darkness and Brightness)\, a compilation of works ascribed to Liu Yiqing (403–444) of the Liu-Song dynasty\, is examined in this study as a document that illustrates the incorporation of Buddhist and native Chinese ideas about the afterlife in early medieval China. The paper demonstrates how Buddhist concepts\, such as karma and rebirth\, were localized within Chinese cosmological frameworks\, particularly through bureaucratic and familial structures\, by closely examining a select group of stories. According to the Youming Lu\, the netherworld underwent a transitional period during which it gradually changed from an unspecified and indeterminate realm to a methodically structured system controlled by bureaucratic administration and karmic retribution. \n\nThe major themes examined in the study include the blurring of the boundaries between the living and the dead\, the localization of Buddhist moral principles and the adaptation of karma into familial and communal ethics. According to the stories\, ghosts are active beings whose interactions with the living highlight the importance of ritual effectiveness\, moral reciprocity\, and the perils of unresolved boundaries between two worlds. Ultimately\, the Youming Lu provides a unique perspective on the dynamic interaction of religion\, folk beliefs and society in early medieval China. It illuminates the process of cultural hybridization that made the netherworld more understandable and relevant for Chinese audiences. By shedding light on how pre-modern societies navigated conflicting worldviews to create new meaning systems\, this research adds to larger conversations regarding the localization of foreign religious concepts and the function of literature in mediating cultural change. \n  \nBio \nYiwen Qiao is currently a second-year PhD student in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. She received her BA from Bryn Mawr College and her MA from the University of Pennsylvania.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-syncretizing-afterlife-beliefs-in-early-medieval-china-the-youming-lu-and-the-buddhist-transformation-of-indigenous-cosmology-by-ms-qiao-yiwen/
LOCATION:E21-3121
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/poster-qiao-yiwen.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251008T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251008T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251003T030408Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T030408Z
UID:1185594-1759944600-1759950000@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Comparative Philosophy Without Method" by Prof. Steven Burik\, Singapore Management University\, Singapore
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nI argue that comparative philosophy cannot have one method or even one methodology. I take my cue from two ideas. The first is tied to the famous story of G. E. Moore pointing to the wall of books behind him and saying philosophy was “what these are about.” Moore referred to an entire history of thinking with its own categories\, demands\, and interests\, but more importantly to the impossibility to narrow down philosophy to a particular method or to one way of doing philosophy. My second cue has to do with the definitions of philosophical ‘method’ and ‘methodology.’ Using the different definitions of ‘method’ and ‘methodology’\, I claim firstly that comparative philosophy cannot by its very nature have one method\, because with ever finer comparisons and ever less generalisations\, comparative philosophy is increasingly becoming more site-specific so that it will become impossible to assign any single meaningful identity to it. I claim that assigning such a single identity is something that comparative philosophy should avoid. Secondly\, I claim that we do not need a specific methodology for comparative philosophy. I conclude by saying that these requirements should stay as minimal as possible\, and that this is the only way comparative philosophy can stay true to its intended openness to diverse ways of thought. \n  \nBio \nSteven Burik is Associate Professor in Philosophy at Singapore Management University. He is also the Associate Dean for Student Matters and Alumni Affairs in the School of Social Sciences\, and currently holds a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship. He holds a PhD in comparative philosophy from the National University of Singapore. His research interests are mainly in comparative philosophy\, continental philosophy (Heidegger\, Derrida)\, Chinese philosophy (Daoism)\, and Critical Thinking. He is the author of The End of Comparative Philosophy and the Task of Comparative Thinking (SUNY Press)\, and editor of Comparative Philosophy and Method: Contemporary Practices and Future Possibilities\, (co-edited with Ralph Weber and Robert Smid\, Bloomsbury)\, which brings together leading scholars thinking about the methodology in comparative philosophy\, and has co-authored a textbook in Critical Thinking. Aside from these he has published numerous articles in various journals and books\, including Philosophy East and West\, Dao: a Journal of Comparative Philosophy\, and Comparative and Continental Philosophy.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-comparative-philosophy-without-method-by-prof-steven-burik-singapore-management-university-singapore/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-steven-burik.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251013
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251016
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251009T091859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T091859Z
UID:1191215-1760313600-1760572799@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Conference: Philosophy and New Media
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-conference-philosophy-and-new-media/
LOCATION:E21A-G035 / E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/conference-program-page-0001.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251015T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251015T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251009T075819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T081917Z
UID:1191053-1760549400-1760554800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL: UM DISTINGUISHED VISITING SCHOLAR LECTURE – "Investigating a Philosophical Method" by Prof. Claudine Verheggen\, York University\, Canada
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nLudwig Wittgenstein’s philosophical method of #2 is that of trying to make sense of a philosophical idea by trying to “make the idea real”\, that is\, to “describe or imagine a situation to which the philosophical idea in question truly applies” (Stroud 1983).  I argue\, with Barry Stroud\, that the method of #2 can be used to rule out reductionist accounts of meaning\, but\, against Stroud\, that it can also be used to rule out the possibility of both private and solitary languages.  Moreover\, constructive claims about meaning can be generated when the method is applied to the idea of a shared or social language. \n  \nBio \nProfessor Claudine Verheggen has research and teaching interests in the philosophy of language and related issues in philosophy of mind\, metaphysics\, and epistemology. These include normativity\, objectivity\, truth\, non-reductionism\, and philosophical scepticism. She also have a special interest in Wittgenstein and Davidson. Currently\, Professor Verheggen is a Professor of Philosophy at York University\, where she has taught since 2006. She has published numerous books\, edited collections through presses including Polity\, Cambridge University Press\, and Routledge. She has also published numerous papers and book chapters in venues such as Oxford University Press\, Topoi\, The Philosophical Quarterly\, Synthese\, Metaphilosophy\, and elsewhere.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-um-distinguished-visiting-scholar-lecture-investigating-a-philosophical-method-by-prof-claudine-verheggen-york-university-canada/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-claudine-verheggen-2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251022T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251022T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251021T020118Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T020118Z
UID:1200487-1761154200-1761159600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Conceptual-Historical Approach to Comparative philosophy: Beyond the Chinese-Western Axis" by Prof. So-Jeong Park\, Sungkyunkwan University\, Korea
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nComparative philosophy has played a role in revitalizing philosophy as a discipline while simultaneously criticizing the presumed universality of Western-centered Philosophy. As the Chinese–Western axis has become dominant in comparative philosophy\, the field has moved beyond the early stage of merely juxtaposing similarities and differences between two traditions. Yet the prevailing trend today still tends to interpret ancient Chinese ideas through modern Western frameworks\, or to reframe them in terms of contemporary philosophical concerns. This tendency can make Chinese philosophy appear like a static reservoir\, instead of a tradition that continues to evolve. I argue that a conceptual-historical approach can help correct this imbalance. By this I mean treating concepts as historically constructed and transformed through ongoing debate and reinterpretation\, not as fixed entities. Conceptual revolutions—fundamental shifts that redefined worldviews and symbolic systems—occurred not only in the West\, but also across non-Western traditions. Tracing the conceptual histories of East Asian thought allows us to perceive both continuities and ruptures between ancient Chinese philosophy and modern East Asian philosophy. In this way\, we can foster cross-cultural dialogue as a living exchange in the present\, rather than confining ourselves to comparison between ancient Chinese and modern Western thought. \n  \nBio \nPARK\, So-Jeong is a Professor of Korean Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University and serves as the director of Institute of Korean Philosophy and Culture (IKPC)\, where she leads the K-Academic Expansion Project (KAEP). She has taught Chinese philosophy and cross-cultural philosophy in Singapore and Hong Kong\, and her current research interests include Korean Philosophy\, Comparative Philosophy\, and the Philosophy of Music. Her online courses on Coursera include Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture\, In Search for the Origins of Korean Philosophy\, EKP1: Modernity and the Emergence of Korean Philosophy\, EKP2: Formation of Korean Neo-Confucianism\, Korean Music\, A Philosophical Exploration (collab.) and How to Understand Our Emotions: Seongho’s New Proposal 1 (collab).
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-conceptual-historical-approach-to-comparative-philosophy-beyond-the-chinese-western-axis-by-prof-so-jeong-park-sungkyunkwan-university-korea/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-park-so-jeong.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251024T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251024T173000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251023T102454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251023T102455Z
UID:1203607-1761321600-1761327000@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:Philosophy Forum: Distinguished Scholars Series - 8: "漢語世界與漢語哲學的任務" by Prof. Sun Xiangchen\, Fudan University\, China
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/philosophy-forum-distinguished-scholars-series-8-%e6%bc%a2%e8%aa%9e%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c%e8%88%87%e6%bc%a2%e8%aa%9e%e5%93%b2%e5%ad%b8%e7%9a%84%e4%bb%bb%e5%8b%99-by-prof-sun-xiangchen-fudan-univ/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-sun-xiangchen.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Institute%20of%20Advanced%20Studies%20in%20Humanities%20and%20Social%20Sciences%20and%20Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies%2C%20FAH":MAILTO:ias.enquiry@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251027T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251027T173000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251023T102958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251023T102958Z
UID:1203838-1761580800-1761586200@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:Philosophy Forum: Distinguished Scholars Series - 9: "To Speak the Unspeakable – The Wisdom of the Unsayable in the Chinese Tradition" by Prof. Karl-Heinz Pohl\, Trier University\, Germany
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/philosophy-forum-distinguished-scholars-series-9-to-speak-the-unspeakable-the-wisdom-of-the-unsayable-in-the-chinese-tradition-by-prof-karl-heinz-pohl-trier-university-germany/
LOCATION:Library Auditorium (G012)\, University Library (E2)
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-karl-heinz-pohl-scaled.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Institute%20of%20Advanced%20Studies%20in%20Humanities%20and%20Social%20Sciences%20and%20Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies%2C%20FAH":MAILTO:ias.enquiry@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251105T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251105T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251027T085239Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T085239Z
UID:1205176-1762363800-1762369200@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Beyond Universal Templates: The Three Ethical Indicators (3EIR) and the Art of Contextual Conservation" by Ms. Lao Teng Wai
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/rx3pei7o \n  \nAbstract \nProperties inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention face a persistent ethical challenge: reconciling internationally mandated conservation standards with diverse cultural ontologies. This article explores this tension through a comparative analysis of Japan’s Hōryū-ji Temple Complex and Norway’s Urnes Stave Church\, two wooden religious structures preserved through different methods rooted in distinct cultures. At Hōryū-ji\, cyclical reconstruction embodies the Buddhist principle of impermanence\, challenging the Venice Charter’s emphasis on material authenticity. Conversely\, Urnes prioritises minimal intervention and the preservation of original fabric\, reflecting a Nordic ethic of material authenticity that complicates the Nara Document’s focus on living heritage. Drawing on Wittgenstein’s concept of “family resemblances” and François Jullien’s critique of homogenized universality\, this paper underlines the importance of embracing differences and reframes Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as ethical indicators. To bridge policy and practice\, it proposes the Three Ethical Indicators (3EIR): Respect\, Referencing\, and Reflection\, and operationalizes them through the Three Operational Parameters (3OPR): Replacement\, Reinforcement\, and Regeneration. These frameworks position the Statement of OUV as a living document guiding culturally responsive conservation. The study advocates for a paradigm shift\, from rigid adherence to universal norms toward ethically grounded\, community-engaged stewardship that honours the irreducible individuality of each site’s heritage. \n  \nBio \nTeng Wai Lao is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau. She began her studies at Durham University in the United Kingdom: BA Ancient History and Archaeology (2015-2018) and MA International Cultural Heritage Management (2018-2019)\, in which she has developed interdisciplinary and conceptual skills among the fields in Classics\, Archaeology\, and Philosophy. Her research interests focus on topics related to culture\, particularly in cultural heritage and museum studies\, material culture\, and cultural identity. She is in the research group of Philosophy of Museum led by Professor Victoria Harrison.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-beyond-universal-templates-the-three-ethical-indicators-3eir-and-the-art-of-contextual-conservation-by-ms-lao-teng-wai/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/poster-lao-teng-wai.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251112T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251112T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251110T095938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T095938Z
UID:1211798-1762968600-1762974000@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "The Question of the Way and Errant Wandering: On the Transcultural Entanglement of Lǎozǐ and Parmenides" by Prof. Fabian Heubel\, Academia Sinica\, Taiwan
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nIn his lectures on the Presocratic philosopher Parmenides from 1932\, Martin Heidegger not only speaks about the “question of Being” (Seinsfrage)\, but also about the “question of the Way” (Wegfrage). This is understandable\, because Parmenides distinguishes three ways. I would like to assume that Parmenides and Lǎozǐ ask both the “question of Being” and the “question of the Way”. In the case of Parmenides\, Being can be said to take precedence\, although the two attach very different\, even opposite\, meanings to it. For Lǎozǐ\, on the other hand\, the Way is in the foreground. \nFor Parmenides\, only the first way (the way of Being) is walkable\, whereas the second way (the way of Non-being) is not. The third way is a way that ordinary people take\, the way of the “double-headed” (δίκρανοι). Heidegger says about them: “they have their heads here and there\, and that without noticing the ambiguity and suspecting it”. They go without a way\, “in errancy”: “their whole perception is a soon this way\, soon that way\, a going back and forth\, directionless\, criss-crossing – πλαγκτός – erring. […] They do not just go in errancy – they are constantly in it and cannot get out of it.” \nBut what is the errancy of the double-heads? And what is the relation of the three ways in Parmenides to the “Way” (道) referred to by Lǎozǐ? In this talk\, I will try to argue that Lǎozǐ defends the third way between being and non-being\, by transforming it into a Way that wanders between “being-without” (無/無在) and “being-with” (有/有在). \n  \nBio \nProfessor Fabian Heubel is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy\, Academia Sinica\, Taipei. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Philosophy\, Free University of Berlin. His main research interests include: comparative and transcultural philosophy\, Classical and Modern Chinese philosophy\, interpretations of Chinese philosophy in Western sinology\, Critical Theory\, contemporary German and French thought\, aesthetics and philosophy of art.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-the-question-of-the-way-and-errant-wandering-on-the-transcultural-entanglement-of-laozi-and-parmenides-by-prof-fabian-heubel-academia-sinica-taiwan/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/poster-fabian-heubel.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251119T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251119T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251118T022439Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T022549Z
UID:1214548-1763573400-1763578800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Can LLMs Outputs Classify as Testimonial-based Beliefs?" by Mr. Lai Hei Wai
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/rx3pei7o \n  \nAbstract \nWith the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs)\, scholars are starting to discuss the epistemological problems related to them. Recently\, there are literatures that argue on the topic of whether LLMs’ outputs can be classified as testimony. Scholars give arguments that they cannot be classified as testimony by the reason that LLMs do not satisfy varies conditions. This paper introduces and analyize these conditions. And further argues that even if LLMs can satisfy all the said conditions in the future. However\, by way they understand the content of their own outputs is fundamentally different from humans. Therefore\, we still cannot classify LLMs’ outputs as testimony. \n  \nBio \nLai Hei Wai is a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau. He began his studies at Fu Jen Catholic University BA in Philosophy (2009-2014) and MA in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at The University of Saint Joseph (2020-2023). His research interests focus on topics related to epistemology\, particularly in the epistemology of testimony.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-can-llms-outputs-classify-as-testimonial-based-beliefs-by-mr-lai-hei-wai/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/poster-lai-hei-wai.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251126T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251126T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251120T104223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251126T020256Z
UID:1215212-1764178200-1764183600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Can family relationships in Ruist traditions be transformed? Reconsiderations of Ruist families from the perspective of the transformative dimension of culture" by Prof. Lauren F. Pfister\, Hong Kong Baptist University\, Hong Kong
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nIFamily relationships in Ruist traditions have been regularly linked to specific virtues that distinguish the younger from the elderly\, the female from the male\, and have often been employed in various historical periods for promoting strongly patriarchal forms of familial relationships. Some Ruist advocates have described these virtues and their related relationships in absolute terms and have declared their eternal validity.  Nevertheless\, there are a number of perspectives from within Ruist classical works that suggest that there are ways in which some of these relationships might be transformed. \n  \nBio \nLauren F. Pfister is an internationally recognized sinologist and comparative philosophy scholar.  He is a Professor Emeritus from the Religion and Philosophy Department of Hong Kong Baptist University\, and is currently the Rector of the Hephzibah Mountain Aster Academy\, a humanities-based cross-cultural research center located in Colorado\, USA.  Previously he had served as an Associate Editor of The Journal of Chinese Philosophy. His studies of James Legge’s English translations of The Chinese Classics and The Sacred Books of China have received international attention. In the past decades\, he has continued internationally to explore issues and dialogues related to theoretical matters dealing with traditional Chinese culture and its distinctives.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-can-family-relationships-in-ruist-traditions-be-transformed-reconsiderations-of-ruist-families-from-the-perspective-of-the-transformative-dimension-of-culture-b/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/poster-lauren-pfister.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251127T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251127T173000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20251119T090114Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T090114Z
UID:1215037-1764259200-1764264600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL: Philosophy Café
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-philosophy-cafe-2/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/teal-and-orange-gradient-abstract-tech-conference-poster-3.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260114T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260114T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260112T081659Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T081659Z
UID:1226122-1768411800-1768417200@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "A Zhuangzian Critique of Epistemic Authority" by Dr. Manuel Rivera Espinoza\, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile\, Chile
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nThis article examines how the Zhuangzi systematically subverts the epistemic hierarchies of its time by inverting the values traditionally associated with “wisdom” and “ignorance.” I propose the concept of “the unmaking of wisdom/knowledge (zhi 知)” to describe a recurrent dynamic in the text: the supposed wisdom of nobles\, courtiers\, and specialists—figures tied to political authority and scholarly prestige—is portrayed as a form of ignorance\, self-deception\, or rigid fixation\, whereas the apparent ignorance of commoners\, artisans\, and other marginalized figures comes to be seen as type of wisdom/knowledge. Through close readings of a range of episodes—encounters between rulers and commoners\, officials and artisans\, etc.—I show how the Zhuangzi dismantles conventional criteria of epistemic authority by dramatizing the practical and existential failures of “official sages\,” in contrast to the efficacy\, spontaneity\, and freedom of those who make no claim to authoritative knowledge. Rather than advancing a new positive doctrine of knowledge\, the text cultivates modes of not-knowing\, conceptual detachment\, and openness to contingency. In this sense\, “not-knowing” does not denote a simple lack of information but names a critical disposition that resists codified knowledge and makes room for relational\, situated\, and embodied forms of understanding. \n  \nBio \nManuel Rivera Espinoza is a FONDECYT Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Aesthetics of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Previously\, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Koselleck-Project “Histories of Philosophy in a Global Perspective” at the Institute of Philosophy at Hildesheim University. An expert in intercultural and comparative philosophy\, intellectual history\, and decolonial theory\, with a particular focus on ancient Chinese thought\, Manuel holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Macau (China). He has published articles and book reviews in various journals and has presented his research at numerous international conferences and workshops. Fluent in Spanish and English\, with a working knowledge of classical Chinese\, he is also an active member of several academic associations related to Chinese and Asian studies.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-a-zhuangzian-critique-of-epistemic-authority-by-dr-manuel-rivera-espinoza-pontifical-catholic-university-of-chile-chile/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/poster-manuel-rivera-espinoza.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260128T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260128T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260127T023530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T023928Z
UID:1233014-1769621400-1769626800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Crossing Rivers\, Crossing Minds: How Yu Became “Metaphor/Analogy” in Early China" by Prof. Zhou Boqun\, The University of Hong Kong\, Hong Kong
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nAlthough sinologists have long debated the existence of metaphor in ancient China\, the word often regarded as the classical Chinese equivalent of “metaphor/analogy\,” yu 喻\, has received relatively little scholarly attention. This lecture offers a new account of the semantic development of yu\, drawing on recent paleographic studies of the etymology of yu 俞. In oracle bone inscriptions\, yu originally denoted “traveling along a river in a boat” or “crossing a river.” This core meaning later differentiated into words within the same phonetic series expressing physical and abstract forms of “carrying over”: in the physical domain\, yu 逾/踰 “to cross over” and shu 輸\, “to transport”; in the abstract domain\, yu 喻/諭 “to convey\, to communicate.” In Warring States texts\, yu 喻/諭 is almost always glossed as “to tell” (gao 告) or “to understand” (xiao 曉) and only rarely as “analogy\, comparison” (bi 比)\, reflecting the communicative process at both sender and receiver ends. It gradually acquired the sense of “analogy” or “metaphor” because Warring States thinkers relied heavily on these devices or vehicles to convey their ideas. Building on this historical-semantic analysis\, the lecture further compares yu with the Aristotelian notion of “metaphor\,” noting that both involve a form of “transfer\,” though of different kinds: in yu\, an idea moves from one mind to another\, whereas in metaphor\, a word shifts from its ordinary to an extraordinary context. \n  \nBio \nZhou Boqun is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chinese at The University of Hong Kong. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Before joining the School of Chinese\, he taught at the Institute for World Literatures and Cultures at Tsinghua University as a member of the Tsinghua-Michigan Society of Fellows. His research focuses on the intellectual history of early China\, the history of science and technology\, and excavated texts. In recent years\, he has examined mechanical and optical metaphors and analogies in philosophical writings. His work has appeared in Early China\, Ziran Kexueshi Yanjiu (Studies in the History of Natural Science)\, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy\, Philosophy East and West\, and Monumenta Serica. He has also published English translations and studies of several of the Tsinghua bamboo manuscripts.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-crossing-rivers-crossing-minds-how-yu-became-metaphor-analogy-in-early-china-by-prof-zhou-boqun-the-university-of-hong-kong-hong-kong/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/poster-zhou-boqun.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260204T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260204T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260202T082518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T082747Z
UID:1234142-1770226200-1770231600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "How to read Mafalda: An example of philosophical humor in Latin American comic strips" by Mr. Arqueles Estrada Cartagena
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/rx3pei7o \n  \nAbstract \nThe Argentine comic strip Mafalda is a paradigmatic case of graphic philosophical humor in Latin America. Drawing on theory of comics and sequential art\, and on detailed comic strips analysis exemplified by Karasik and Newgarden’s How to Read Nancy\, I argue that Mafalda’s childish enquiries confront adults’ discourse using a humorous and philosophical attitude. Through micro-analyses of selected strips\, I want to show how Quino —Mafalda’s creator— uses graphic discourse to present questions about politics\, ethics\, and modernity in the everyday life of her drawn daughter. Comparative references to other strips like Nancy or Calvin & Hobbes will clarify what is distinctive about Mafalda: a humor grounded less in simplified gag mechanics or personal fantasy and more in a collective\, historically situated critique of the world from the Global South. Mafalda is a philosophical comic strip containing jokes and comments that invite its readers to look at society’s problems. I blend theory of comics and philosophy of humor as my toolset for reading comic strips as social and political commentary\, highlighting the contribution of Latin American artists in this discipline. \n  \nBio \nArqueles Estrada is currently a third year PhD student in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Macau. Graduated with honors at National Mexico Autonomous University and Graduated from the Master’s degree program in Chinese Studies at El Colegio de México. He has worked as radio producer\, is a certified yoga instructor\, musician\, sound enthusiast and melomaniac. His research interests are focused on philosophy of humor\, phenomenology of sound\, music aesthetics\, Nietzschean studies\, Daoist philosophy\, and more recently\, media philosophy.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-how-to-read-mafalda-an-example-of-philosophical-humor-in-latin-american-comic-strips-by-mr-arqueles-estrada-cartagena/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/poster-arqueles-estrada-cartagena.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260211T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260211T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260206T085714Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T085829Z
UID:1235368-1770831000-1770836400@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Don’t Say Farewell to the Modal Theory of Luck " by Prof. Jesse Hill\, Lingnan University\, Hong Kong
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nIt has recently been argued that Frankfurt-Style lottery cases are counterexamples to the modal account of luck\, which claims that an event is lucky only if it is modally fragile. However\, Frankfurt-Style lottery cases aren’t counterexamples to the modal or other accounts of luck. This is because lucky events are matters of chance and significant\, but winning a Frankfurt-Style lottery is neither a matter of chance nor significant. While how one wins a Frankfurt-Style lottery (that is\, with or without any interference from a Frankfurtian manipulator) is modally fragile\, one isn’t lucky to win a lottery that one is guaranteed to win. \n  \nBio \nJesse Hill is a Research Assistant Professor at Lingnan University and Fellow at the Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre. Most of his work focuses on the nature of luck and on the role that the concept plays in debates in ethics\, free will\, and epistemology. He also has research interests in ethics and social & political philosophy. Here is a link to Jesse’s PhilPeople page: https://philpeople.org/profiles/jesse-hill
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-dont-say-farewell-to-the-modal-theory-of-luck-by-prof-jesse-hill-lingnan-university-hong-kong/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/poster-jesse-hill.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260304T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260304T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260227T040102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T020423Z
UID:1237780-1772645400-1772650800@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Work-in-progress Seminar - "Wandering Political Authority: The Emergence of Abdication Theory in Early China" by Ms. Qiao Yiwen
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/ptupr7d5 \n  \nAbstract \nNarratives of abdication\, most famously the account of Yao (堯) yielding the throne to Shun (舜)\, emerged prominently during the Warring States period (453–221 BCE) and persisted throughout imperial China\, despite their tension with the prevailing norm of hereditary succession. This paper examines abdication theory as a philosophical response to the problem of legitimate political succession by analyzing both excavated Warring States texts – most notably Tang Yu zhi dao唐虞之道 and Rong cheng shi容成氏 – and transmitted sources including Mengzi\, Guanzi\, and Hanfeizi. \nI argue that these texts articulate competing evaluations of a model of political succession in which authority is not fixed by lineage but remains conditionally transferable. This model conceptualizes political power as capable of “wandering\,” insofar as its legitimate transfer depends on contingent factors such as virtue\, tian天 (heaven)\, and shi時(timing) rather than institutionalized inheritance. The paper further contextualizes this philosophical debate through the failed abdication between King Kuai of Yan燕噲王 and his minister Zi Zhi子之\, a historical episode that exposes the practical instability of unanchored authority. Taken together\, the debate over abdication reveals an early Chinese philosophical commitment to uncertainty as an integral element of political legitimacy. Although abdication could not be stabilized as an institutional model\, it functioned as a durable philosophical critique of hereditary rule by foregrounding uncertainty in the transfer of political authority. \n  \nBio \nYiwen Qiao is currently a second-year PhD student from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-work-in-progress-seminar-wandering-political-authority-the-emergence-of-abdication-theory-in-early-china-by-ms-qiao-yiwen/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/poster-qiao-yiwen.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260307
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260309
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260310T102308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T102308Z
UID:1239809-1772841600-1773014399@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Conference: "Methods in Chinese and Comparative Philosophy"
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-conference-methods-in-chinese-and-comparative-philosophy/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/methods-workshop-poster-v2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260311
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260506
DTSTAMP:20260425T090833
CREATED:20260311T040348Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T102239Z
UID:1240025-1773187200-1778025599@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL: The Mario Echano Prize for the Best Undergraduate Philosophy Essay
DESCRIPTION:The Mario Echano Prize for the Best Undergraduate Philosophy Essay is awarded for excellence in philosophy. Students enrolled in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies undergraduate courses are eligible to enter an essay for the annual award. \nStudents are invited to submit an academic essay written as an assignment in one of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies’ undergraduate courses this academic year (AY2025/2026). Essays of any length are acceptable. The organisers reserve the right not to award the prize if essays are not of sufficiently high standard. \nPlease submit essays by e-mail with the subject line ‘Submission for the Mario Echano Prize’ to Maggie Wong at MaggieWong@um.edu.mo. Attach your essay to the message as a Microsoft Word document (other formats will not be accepted). Please give your name\, student number\, and the name of the course for which you wrote the essay\, on the first page of the essay. The deadline for submission is Friday\, 5th May 2026. \nWe look forward to your submissions.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-the-mario-echano-prize-for-the-best-undergraduate-philosophy-essay-5/
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mario-echano-prize-for-the-best-undegraduate-philosophy-essay.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260311T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260311T190000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090834
CREATED:20260304T104833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T104348Z
UID:1239081-1773250200-1773255600@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Lecture Series – "Mandarin Robes\, Jesuit Body: Accommodation and the Early Modern Origins of Comparative Philosophy" by Prof. Mateusz Janik\, Polish Academy of Sciences\, Poland
DESCRIPTION:Microsoft Teams: https://go.um.edu.mo/7mnk1eav \n  \nAbstract \nThe first Jesuit missionaries who entered China\, landing first in Macao\, adopted Chinese attire\, learned the Chinese language\, and adapted the Christian message to Chinese culture. This is often understood as a successful hermeneutic practice that facilitated intellectual exchange between China and Europe. The Jesuit reception of Chinese thought may be viewed as one of the founding moments of comparative philosophy. It is also a fascinating case study for observing the process of intellectual transmission between two distinct cultures. By examining how ideas change and interact in different conceptual environments\, we can grasp the formation of new philosophical concepts\, discursive spaces\, and intercultural identities. In this lecture\, we will examine the philosophical assumptions and challenges inherent in the accommodationist strategy and consider its impact on the perception of Chinese philosophy in early modern Europe. \n  \nBio \nMateusz Janik (1983) is a historian of ideas\, working in the field of global history of philosophy and  comparative political studies. He is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Studies (Polish Academy of Sciences). His latest research is focused on the genealogy of Sino-Spinozism and monist interpretations of Neo-Confucian philosophy in early modern Europe.
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-lecture-series-mandarin-robes-jesuit-body-accommodation-and-the-early-modern-origins-of-comparative-philosophy-by-prof-mateusz-janik-polish-academy-of-sciences-poland/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/poster-mateusz-janik.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260313T040000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260313T173000
DTSTAMP:20260425T090834
CREATED:20260310T103434Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T103839Z
UID:1239877-1773374400-1773423000@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:Philosophy Forum: Distinguished Scholars Series - 10: "手段與目的 ─ ─ 康德的哥白尼式革命再審視"，李秋零教授，中國人民大學/山東大學，中國
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/philosophy-forum-distinguished-scholars-series-10-%e6%89%8b%e6%ae%b5%e8%88%87%e7%9b%ae%e7%9a%84-%e2%94%80-%e2%94%80-%e5%ba%b7%e5%be%b7%e7%9a%84%e5%93%a5%e7%99%bd%e5%b0%bc%e5%bc%8f%e9%9d%a9/
LOCATION:E21A-G049
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ias-lecture-0313.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Institute%20of%20Advanced%20Studies%20in%20Humanities%20and%20Social%20Sciences%20and%20Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies%2C%20FAH":MAILTO:ias.enquiry@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260314
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260316
DTSTAMP:20260425T090834
CREATED:20260310T102840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T102840Z
UID:1239843-1773446400-1773619199@fah.um.edu.mo
SUMMARY:FAH/DPHIL Conference: "Kant’s Philosophy and His Contemporary Legacy"
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://fah.um.edu.mo/event/fah-dphil-conference-kants-philosophy-and-his-contemporary-legacy/
LOCATION:E21A-3118
CATEGORIES:Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://fah.um.edu.mo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/kant-conference-poster.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Department%20of%20Philosophy%20and%20Religious%20Studies":MAILTO:maggiewong@um.edu.mo
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR