Master Forum | Polity vs. Dao: Perspectives in Political Philosophy
On 9 November at 4pm, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) is honoured to welcome Professor Wang Shaoguang, Emeritus Professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to the Master Forum. He will give a speech on the topic of "Polity vs. Dao: Perspectives in Political Philosophy ."
Welcome our teachers and students to attend the lecture.
Event Arrangement
Topic: Polity vs. Dao: Perspectives in Political Philosophy
Speaker: Prof. Shaoguang Wang
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023
Time: 16:00-17:30
Venue: Teaching Complex 102
Language: Chinese
Speaker Profile
Shaoguang Wang is an Emeritus Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He studied for his LL.B. at Peking University and his Ph.D. at Cornell University. He taught at Tijiao High School in Wuhan from 1972-1977, Yale University from 1990 to 2000, The Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2017, and Tsinghua University from 2017 to 2020. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 books and hundreds of journal articles in Chinese and English. His research interests include the history of democracy, comparative governance, comparative political economy, fiscal politics, and welfare politics.
Abstract
In comparing the political philosophies of the East and West, it is clear that Western scholars have traditionally fixated on the structure of the state, known as polity, while Chinese intellectuals have delved into the concept of Dao, which pertains to the right path or principle of governance. The concept of polity only permeated Chinese discourse in modern times. This lecture carefully traces the lineage and evolution of polity and Dao thought, offering a nuanced analysis of their parallels and divergences, as well as assessing their respective merits and limitations. The essence is that through the lens of Dao, as opposed to the Western lens of polity, one arrives at fundamentally different interpretations when considering the political history, current governance, and potential future of China.
