ISCWP Establishment Announcement

(March 2002)

Purposes and Missions

Established in 2002, the International Society for Comparative Studies of Chinese and Western Philosophy (ISCWP) is a non-profit, independent philosophical society in the international academic arena. The Society aims at (1) promoting comparative studies of Chinese philosophy and Western philosophy, (2) facilitating academic contact and exchange of ideas and information among interested philosophers in various regions without regard to their ethnic origins, educational backgrounds and methodological orientations, and (3) providing channels to bring together Chinese and Western philosophers for learning from each other and joint endeavor to contribute to the common philosophical enterprise.

With the preceding general purposes, the Society emphasizes (but is not limited to) the constructive engagement between Chinese philosophy and Western mainstream philosophy (analytic tradition as well as continental tradition in the West in their broad senses); the Society stresses the sensitivity of such comparative studies to contemporary development and resources of philosophy; and the Society strives for contributing to philosophy as the human common wealth through the characteristic path of comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy. The Society also emphasizes building up a channel and outlet for the academic exchange and communication between the homeland of Chinese philosophy and the Western world in the field of comparative philosophy.

Activities

The Society maintains its academic activities through its coordinated international workshops/ conferences and through its regional meetings and sessions in (currently) two major geographic regions on the two sides of the Pacific Ocean, i.e., the North American region (the USA and Canada) and the East Asian region (including the mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan). In the North American region, the Society tentatively plans to meet annually at the Pacific Division meetings of the American Philosophical Association. If interest warrants, sessions may be organized at the Eastern and Central Division meetings as well. In the East Asian region, the format of meetings and sessions is under plan.

The Society plans to provide to its members with some substantial academic services (e.g., to periodically provide updated bibliographies of literature in comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy, to set up some peer study groups when interest warrants, and to offer various channels for academic exchanges).

The Society plans to hold its international workshop/conference series aiming at the constructive engagement between Chinese philosophy and Western philosophy. The first one, �Philosophical Engagement: Davidson Philosophy and Chinese Philosophy,� is tentatively planned to be held in the summer of 2003. �Call for Papers� for the conference is forthcoming.

Constitution

The Society is temporarily directed by its Preparatory Committee before the Board of Directors are elected in the near future. The Preparatory Committee consists of the following members:

      Dr. Fang, Wan-chuan (Academia Sinica, ROC-Taiwan);

      Dr. Fung, Yiu-ming (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong);

      Dr. Liu, Jee-loo (State University of New York at Geneseo, USA);

      Dr. Mou, Bo (San Jose State University, USA; Coordinator);

      Dr. Wang, Qing-jie (Chinese University of Hong Kong / Oklahoma State University, USA);

      Dr. Zhang, Xiang-long (Peking University, P. R. China).

The following distinguished scholars in Western philosophy as well as in Chinese and comparative philosophy are members of the Advisor Board for the Society:

      Allinson, Robert (Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong);

      Ames, Roger (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA):

      Cua, A. S. (Catholic University of America, USA);

      Cheng, Chung-ying (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA);

      Davidson, Donald (University of California at Berkeley, USA);

      Hansen, Chad (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong);

      Holenstein, Elmar (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland);

      Inada, Kenneth (State University of New York at Buffalo, USA);

      Kern, Iso (Bern University, Switzerland);

      Li, You-zheng (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, P. R. China);

      Liu, Shu-hsien (Academia Sinica, ROC-Taiwan);

      Morton, Adam (University of Bristol, UK);

      Neville, Robert Cummings (University of Boston, USA);

      Ricoeur, Paul (Paris University, France);

      Rorty, Richard (Stanford University, USA);

      Shun, Kwong-loi (University of California at Berkeley, USA);

      Wong, David (Duke University, USA);

      Ye, Xiu-shan (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, P. R. China).

Membership

Membership is open to all interested philosophers in various regions. There are no membership dues at this time.

To join the Society, please send an email, which states your name, academic affiliation (if applicable), research/interest areas, contact information and your desire to become a member of ISCWP, to �bmou@email.sjsu.edu�.

Inquiries about the Society may be made to the email address �bmou@email.sjsu.edu� or to the following mailing address:

Bo Mou, Department of Philosophy, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA. Tel(O): 408-924-4513; Fax(O): 408-924-4527