【Academic Trends】The Contemporary Reflection on "Modernity" and the Third Yangzhou Cultural Academy Youth Scholar Forum was Held Successfully

On April 22, 2023, the "Modernity" and Contemporary Reflection, as well as the Third Yangzhou Cultural Academy Youth Scholar Forum, were held in the Art Hall of Yangzhou Jianzhen Library. This academic conference is hosted by the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of Wuhan University, the Higher Research Institute of Civilization Dialogue of Wuhan University, the School of Social Development of Yangzhou University, and the School of Literature of Yangzhou University. More than 40 experts and scholars from universities such as Wuhan University, Yangzhou University, and Nanjing University delivered speeches and conducted in-depth discussions on "modernity" and its related issues.

The opening ceremony of the conference was presided over by Professor Lu Hejian, Vice Dean of the School of Social Development at Yangzhou University. Professor Lai Yonghai, Dean of the Institute of Chinese Culture at Nanjing University, Professor Wu Genyou, Dean of the Institute for Advanced Study In Dialogue of Civilization at Wuhan University, Professor Li Qingjun, Dean of the School of Social Development at Yangzhou University, and Professor Zhang Tanghui, Vice Dean of the School of Literature at Yangzhou University, delivered speeches successively.

This meeting was divided into four seminars. The first seminar was chaired by Professor Cheng Haixia, Vice Dean of the School of Social Development at Yangzhou University. Professor Wu Genyou from the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University believed that modernity is not just a descriptive concept, but rather a metaphorical one. The uneven landscape of civilization requires diverse forms of modernization. Professor Xu Sumin from the Research Center for Chinese Thinkers at Nanjing University cited over ten Western literature and briefly summarized the key points related to family philosophy. Professor Li Wei from the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University pointed out that there have been two different approaches to Chinese classical thought since it was included in modern academic research in the early 20th century. He emphasized that valuing the characteristics of ancient argumentation is more helpful for understanding Chinese classical thought and depicting its modern form. Professor Fan Qinyong from the School of Social Development at Yangzhou University, elaborated on Xu Fancheng's ancient studies, and talked about the inspiration of Xu Fancheng's concept of transcendence and faith for modern academic construction. Assistant researcher Tu Yinshao from the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences explored the relationship between traditional kung fu and modern education using Tang Wenzhi as a case study, pointing out that Tang Wenzhi provided a creative and contemporary interpretation of traditional kung fu.

The second seminar was chaired by Associate Professor Hu Jia from the School of Literature, Yangzhou University. Associate researcher Chen Li from the Institute of Taoism and Religious Culture at Sichuan University analyzed the main issues and multidimensional relationships in media agenda setting for Christian faith groups in North America using big data and naive Bayesian models. Assistant Professor Zhao Zhengtai from the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University examined the five meanings of "respect" commonly used in Zhu Zi's thought, and elaborated on the formation, purpose, and significance of Zhu Zi's theory of respecting work. Professor Liu Qin from the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University examined the fundamental aphasia of Confucianism in modern women's issues, and explored the potential of feminism within the Confucian tradition from the perspective of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism. Associate Professor Wu Yun from the School of Humanities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University stated that "universal love" does indeed promise absolute "love without difference" on the basis of equality, but on this bottom line, it affirms "love with difference".

The third seminar was presided over by Teacher Liu Qin. Jin Shixiang, associate professor of the Institute of history of science and Cultural Heritage of Beijing University of Science and Technology, took the French Arts and Crafts Collection as a case, and discussed the problem of modernity from the perspective of the connection and flow between knowledge, action and artifacts. He Nian, associate professor of the School of Philosophy of Wuhan University, focused on the contribution of Blumenberg in thinking about the origin and essence of modernity, and believed that Blumenberg had walked out of the third path beyond the enlightenment of rational progress observation and religious secularization. Hu Su, a teacher of the Institute of history of science and Cultural Heritage of Beijing University of Science and Technology, analyzed the local chronicles map in the transformation of modernization in the late Qing Dynasty with the case of Tibet Tukao in 1866, advocated rereading Tibet Tukao, and tried to view the history of modernization from the perspective of people at that time. Associate Professor Wang Linwei from the Center for Traditional Chinese Culture Research at Wuhan University focused on the essential situation of Chinese thought since the late Qing Dynasty - the "meeting of ancient and modern China and the West", and clarified it from a metaphysical perspective.

The fourth seminar was chaired by Associate Professor Jin Shixiang. Liu Fengzhen, a teacher from the School of Social Development of Yangzhou University, discussed the transcendence and significance of Confucius' virtue spirit from the perspective of traditional sacred narrative and individual exploration. Professor Wang Bo from the School of Philosophy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology pointed out that Mei Wending took the thought of the Book of Changes as the foundation of his "understanding and communication" ideology, and clearly proposed the viewpoint of "all phenomena and numbers are learned from the mind". Professor Guo Xiaojun from the School of Social Development at Yangzhou University examined the possible impact of ChatGPT on humans and philosophy from a philosophical perspective, and specifically elucidated the differences between humans and artificial intelligence from three dimensions: emotional integration, empathy, and embodiment.

At the end of the meeting, Professor Li Wei and Professor Cheng Haixia delivered closing speeches, and the meeting was successfully concluded with warm applause from experts and scholars.

(Correspondent: Liu Siyuan, PhD student at Wuhan University)