Скачать или смотреть Tomasz Sleziak: Confucian and Neo-Confucian Concepts in Post-Human Sciences

In both modern sciences and intellectual notions borne out of the wider “postmodern” inquiry, Confucian heritage has been frequently juxtaposed against technological progress. Indeed, strict adherence to tradition and re-enacting of cultural patterns marks Confucianism among other Sinophone (and more generally East Asian) religions or metaphysical philosophies. In this talk, I examine how Confucian schools of thought, both of the “rational” and “idealistic” provenance find a suitable discussion space within post-, trans- and non-human contexts. For instance, could the Principle (理/이) be reframed as a common root of all biological existence? Or, would intelligent robots be classified as being closer to their human creators, or similar to “birds and beasts”? The topical possibilities are numerous. I outline selected issues from my chosen discipline, namely, the pragmatic dimensions of Korean Neo-Confucianism, and pinpoint ways in which post-human sciences could be utilized as a point of departure by researchers of Confucianism in ancient and modern East Asia alike.

About the Speaker
Tomasz Sleziak is a Research Associate at Oxford House Research and a scholar in Korean studies (particularly Korean but also global Confucianism) and posthumanism, conducting research on Confucian socio-legal and metaphysical discourse throughout Korean history, as well as its placement within the global discourse on posthumanism, transhumanism and nonhumanism. He completed his PhD at SOAS University of London. He was a recipient of Swiss Government ESKAS Research Scholarship at the University of Zürich. He has also conducted studies on Joseon-era legal data at the Harvard-Yenching Institute supported by the Library Travel Grant. He has published multiple papers on the role of Confucian tradition in South Korea, with the upcoming one focusing on the placement of animals within Korean Confucianism.