Emerson Society

Call for Papers: Online workshop on Emerson and Zhuang Zi

Dear Colleagues,

You might be interested in the following workshop on Emerson and Zhuang Zi

Due to rapid processes of urbanization and globalization, self-identity, which has once been closely related to places and cultures, is undergoing destruction. During this process, spiritual crises are taking place in many cultures around the world. However, this at the same time also opens up the possibility for a reconstruction of the self and the formation of new values. In this Special Issue, we will focus on Emerson and Zhuang Zi’s work to address the concepts of self-transcendence, Values and Power which are key elements of the burgeoning field of spirituality research. This will represent a new interdisciplinary approach to the study of Emerson and Zhuang Zi since we seek to integrate psychology and philosophy into religious studies.

Emerson and Zhuang Zi are both creators of new values. Their power of self-transcendence stems directly from values and their new conceptions of values are, in both cases, related to the concept of nature. However, due to their different interpretations of the concepts of the self and nature, their values differ. The new values they create have had a deep influence on social aesthetics, nature aesthetics, nature painting, architecture, and wilderness conservation.

The suggested themes covered by this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  1. The religious and philosophical dimensions of Emerson and Zhuang Zi in their understanding of the self and power;
  2. The concept of the self in Emerson and Zhuang Zi;
  3. Spiritual practice in Emerson and Zhuang Zi;
  4. The concept of nature in Emerson and Zhuang Zi;
  5. Emerson’s influence on wilderness art;
  6. Zhuang Zi’s influence on Chinese painting and Chinese garden design;
  7. Comparative Studies of Emerson and Zhuang Zi;
  8. Value and Power in Emerson’s work;
  9. Value and Power in Zhuang Zi’s work;
  10. The concept of self-transcendence in Emerson and Zhuang Zi.

If you are interested in the workshop, please submit the 500 words of abstract to sgao@suda.edu.cn Deadline for submission of abstracts is Oct. 31st. Workshop will take place from Jan. 31st to Feb. 2nd by Tencent Meeting.

After the workshop, the selected papers will be published in the special issue of Religions: Comparative Study of the Concepts of Self-Transcendence, Value and Power in the Works of Emerson and Zhuang Zi

Here is the website.

Workshop Organizer: Shan Gao Associate Professor

Department of Philosophy

The Founder of the Study of Nature, Wilderness and Civilization (NWC)

Soochow University