The Department of World Languages & Literatures and the Institute for Asian Studies invite you to a lecture by visiting scholar Tom Michael from Beijing.
Lecture title: A Comparison of the Four Greats of Daodejing Chapter 25 in Three Early Versions: Laozi, Heshang Gong, and the Xiang’er
About the Lecture: The Daodejing is the foundational work of Daoist philosophy, and its insights into the Dao remain highly popular throughout the contemporary world. However, there are many different versions of the work, including Laozi’s original version that is grounded in phenomenology, Heshang Gong’s later version that is grounded in metaphysics, and the Xiang’er version that is grounded in theology. This presentation discusses these different hermeneutical attitudes by looking at their different interpretations of what Chapter 25 calls the Four Greats (the Dao, Heaven, Earth, and Humans). By doing so, it intends to bring out some of the ancient mysteries of the Daodejing that continue to attract the fascination of those who practice the cultivational arts of Daoism, those who contemplate the philosophy of Daoism, and those who are devoted to the religion of Daoism.
About the Speaker: Thomas Michael received his Ph.D. in History of Religions in the Divinity School from the University of Chicago in 2001. He currently is Associate Professor in the School of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University. He specializes in Early Chinese Religions, Daoism, and Shamanism.
Co-sponsored with the Department of World Languages & Literatures