FURTHER IDEAS ON SINO-GREEK CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY FORUMS

The bigger conference should, I think, be accompanied by a couple or so of more specialized and focused Symposia, on the pattern of those organized by the Institute for Philosophical Research in the field of ancient Greek philosophy. I’d propose two from the following four such smaller meetings:

a) On cosmic order (Nos. 1 and 2 of my initial outline).

b) On human order (Nos. 4 and 5).

c) On the common principle and structure of cosmic and human order (No. 3).

d) On the nature of money and the genesis of coinage in ancient China and Greece (in this area, too, developments also paralleled each other astoundingly).

One of these (say b) might take place in China, one (a) in Greece.

Symposia of this kind could continue to be held during the following year (c in China, d in Greece), building up an important body of work in this more or less virgin area of investigation and forming a process which would culminate with another big conference and attendant stricter colloques in the summer of the Beijing Olympics. Further subjects for these Symposia may be:

e) The “dialectical” schools of thought in China and Greece. Epistemological issues.

f) Physis and Nomos in Greece and China.

g) The Way of Things, the Way of Truth, the Way of Fulfillment, the Way of Salvation.

h) Chinese Book of Odes and (early) Greek Epic.

i) Greece and Empire (Macedonian Kingdoms, Roman Imperium) – China and Empire (Qin and Han Dynasties).

j) China and Buddhism – Greece and Christianity, China and the South – Greece and the East.

k) China and Greece vis-à-vis the West.

A number of these can be held in winter on the more usual compacter manner (each lasting for two or three days).

Many other appropiate subjects may be chosen, also from postclassical times. In fact, the dynamics of this project is such that one may envisage a strong permanent scholarly (and beyond) preoccupation with, and involvement in, SinoHellenic Studies in the future, in which case the establishment of a standing committee after the 2007 or 8 inauguration and of an organisation (say an Institute for Advanced SinoHellenic Studies) in the sequel (may be in advance of the Beijing Olympics) can be an act of wisdom. But this has to be resolved and carefully planned now.