Newsletter No. 89

CUHK Newsletter 4 No. 89 19th May 1996 A Brief Report of the International Conference on Phenomenology: Interculturality and Life-World Phenomenologists Search for Keys toTrueCultura l Pluralis m H o w shoul d philosophica l reflection(s ) on intercultura l exchang e b e carrie d out ? From a phenomenologica l poin t o f view , we hav e t o star t wit h th e irrefutabl e evidence presented b y successfu l experience s of cross-cultura l communication , whil e a t the sam e tim e admittin g tha t obstacle s i n the wa y t o intercultural understandin g d o remain. I n a n age where cultural pluralis m is widely acknowledged , a genuine wa y t o promote intercultura l exchang e definitel y requires th e forma l recognitio n o f th e right o f existenc e o f individua l cultura l traditions, a s wel l a s a respect fo r thei r intrinsic value . But t o avoi d the deadlock int o whic h 'lazy pluralism ' shut s u s up , collectiv e efforts to search for openings towards other cultures ar e necessary . Thi s wa s th e ide a underlying th e origi n o f th e Internationa l Conference o n Phenomenology , co - organized b y th e CUH K Departmen t o f Philosophy, th e Germa n Societ y fo r Phenomenological Research , an d th e Chinese Societ y o f Phenomenology , fro m 9th to 13th April 1996 on campus. This was also the basic agreemen t reaffirmed a t the beginning o f thi s unprecedente d conference, which wa s attende d by som e 20 renowned phenomenologists from Belgium, China, Germany , Japan , Korea , Taiwan , USA and Hong Kong, to reflect on the theme 'Interculturality an d Life-World'. Prof. Bernard Waldenfels, president of the German Society for Phenomenologica l Research, argue d tha t t o attac k differen t forms of egocentrism and ethocentrism, we should admit that homeworld and alienworld co-originate, i.e., in any living culture there is not a core of untouchable normality and that 'homogeneou s an d heterogeneou s spheres interpenetrate in such a way that we should spea k with Rousseau of a child i n the adult and a savage in the citizen'. Prof. Liangkang Ni , presiden t o f th e Chines e Society o f Phenomenology , agree d tha t intercultural exchange is an ancient cultural phenomenon. He refreshed memories about Chinese history, wherein cultural exchanges of a large scale started to take place fromas early a s the fourt h centur y whe n India n Buddhism reache d China. Th e translatio n of original Buddhist texts brought about the discussion of the philosophical problem of 'Koyi' (格義) in intercultural understanding. Prof. Klaus Held, former president o f the German Society for Phenomenological Research, insisted that we should look fo r invariant structures among different cultures as a basis fo r intercultura l understanding . And Prof. Rudolf Bernet, director of Husserl Archives a t th e Universit y o f Leuven , Belgium, expressed the opinion that transcendental phenomenology develope d from the work s o f Husser l an d Merleau-pont y could provide ligh t fo r intercultura l communication, since it is 'a universal light that allows particular homeworlds to appear in their irreducibl e difference' , an d henc e enables us to move into a universal worl d without leaving our homeworld. Chinese phenomenologist s suc h a s Prof. Rula n Zhan g from Shanghai , Prof . Xianglong Zhan g and Prof. Jiayin g Che n from Beijing, however, thought that intercultural philosophical exchang e i s no t as easy a s Western thinkers hav e imagined . Prof. Chan-Fai Cheung from CUHK drew attention t o the fact that only on e famous Western phenomenologist studie s Chinese philosophy seriously , an d tha t work s comparing Chines e an d Wester n philosophies are usuall y superficial . Dr . La u Kwok-ying focused on the 'double epoche' a Chinese philosopher must perform in order to enter into any intercultural philosophical exchange with Western thinkers: sh e or he must expres s he r o r hi s idea s i n a n international language, usuall y English , usin g Western philosophical concepts or jargon in order to be understood. In the light of this, one ma y wonde r whethe r genuin e intercultural understanding between Chinese and Western philosophy actually exists. The othe r participant s o f th e conference —Profs. J . Sallis, D. Carr and L. Embree from the US, Profs. E. W. Orth and M. Sommer from Germany, Prof. T. Ogawa from Japan , an d Prof . K . K . Ch o fro m Korea —presented papers on the problems of politics, culture and everyday life-worl d in relation t o intercultural understanding . All participants expressed the wish to meet again i n CUHK i n tw o an d a half years ' time. Lau Kwok-ying Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Philosophy 新書 New Books The Chinese University Press Thefollowing books will be sold at a 20 per cent discount to staff members at the University Bookshop, John Fulton Centre. Growing Up the Chinese Way : Chinese Child and Adolescent Development Edited by Lau Sing, this is a collection of current research by noted scholars on the development of children i n China , and represents a rare source of information o n the subject. By understandin g how Chinese children develop, readers can gain a better understanding of China and its people. ISBN 962-201-659- 6 160 pages, paperback, HK$18 0 Journal of Chinese Studies N.S. 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Renditions, Chines e University of Hong Kon g Sha Tin, NT., Hong Kon g telephone: (852 ) 2609-7407 fax : (852 ) 2603-514 9 e-mail: renditions @ cuhk.edu . hk website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/rendition s