What makes a “Chinese thinker” different from a “Western philosopher”? Beyond their beverage preferences—tea versus wine—the answer lies in how they linked politics, morality, and daily life. This talk begins in the Han dynasty, when rulers sought stability and intellectuals wrestled with questions of order, virtue, and the occasional butterfly dream.
The “Hundred Schools of Thought” provided fertile ground for debate: should society be guided by ritual (Confucius), by effortless non-action (Laozi), by universal love (Mozi), or by strict law and punishment (the Legalists)? Each offered a distinct path for politics and morality, often sounding like cross-talk comedians in dialogue with their Western peers— Plato with his ideal republic, Aristotle with his ethics of virtue, Bentham with his calculus of consequences, or the Stoics insisting on self-mastery.
The lecture concludes with a preview of the next session: how these early Chinese thinkers continued to shape ideas well into the 20th century?
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This event is part of season SIX of our philosophy cafés and it’s part of a Paris-based Cercle de Réflexion dedicated to sharing existential, philosophical, and leadership ideas that shaped (and are still shaping) our world!
This club-like English-speaking group meets every first Thursday of the month and is designed for anyone interested in educational discussions and resources about philosophy, where you don’t need to be a graduate-level philosopher to participate.
Format:
This discussion-type event will consist of a short lecture by Kim. The lecture will be followed by an open group discussion, inviting everyone's take on the subject matter.
Reminder:
No-shows and last-minute cancellations aren't tolerated.
No-shows usually get people removed from the group!
Also check out other Comedy events in Levallois-Perret, Entertainment events in Levallois-Perret.
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