Internationale Akademie: Approaches to the Family

Dialogues between Chinese and German Philosophy

In Kooperation mit der Sihai Confucius Academy / Beijing

Leitung: Michael Spieker / Guo Yi

Sekretariat: Antonia Kreitner, Tel.: 08158 / 256-58

* Fester Teilnehmerkreis. Zusätzliche Anmeldungen nur nach Rücksprache mit dem Tagungssekretariat.

Discussing concepts like the self and the community in Chinese philosophy and German idealism leads, though with a different focus and orientation, rather quickly to the concept of the family, its meaning and validity. Moreover, in present Chinese and Western society, the role of the family has a different significance, emphasizing more the community or the individual respectively. Everywhere the family has become an object of state politics. An intercultural dialogue between Chinese philosophy and Western philosophy can significantly contribute to the better understanding of the family, while at the same time enabling a more profound understanding of the essentials of both Chinese and Western philosophies. As the issue of the family marks one of the fundamental, perpetual problems of philosophy, it is of no surprise that it is very important in contemporary philosophy too (see for instance 'recognition theory' and theories of 'collective intentionality') and of an amazingly societal relevance.