INVITATION TO PHILOSOPHY

If you are new to philosophy, our four first-year courses all aim to give you an introduction, and to get you thinking for yourselves. One is centred on ethics and politics, one is about the mind, another is about science and enquiry, and another is about the comparisons and contrasts between Chinese and Western thought. Two of these are new courses. All these courses are available to students in different faculties.

If you want to learn some logic, which may sharpen your mind, there is a new course "Elements of Logic" which will be available to students of all years in different faculties.

If you have already studied philosophy and want to take further courses, or to major in the subject, there are lots of possibilities. We are a very varied group of teachers, with different points of view, and a wide range of interests. We give you as students the opportunity to help us decide some of the courses to be put on.

If you are a B.A. student going into the second year, note that your choices include taking a double major, combining philosophy with another discipline (including disciplines from the Social Sciences Faculty, like Psychology, Political Science, Sociology or Economics), as well as the Philosophy and Politics "joint major" programme.

For more information, consult our department's Web site at http://www.hku.hk/philodep/.

CONTENTS

Our courses are divided into three levels and four groups. The three levels correspond to the three years of study for an undergraduate degree. But it is open to students in any Faculty to take, for instance, a first level philosophy course in any year of study (provided that the regulations of their own degree programme permit it). The four groups are rough indications of courses related to each other in subject-matter, though not necessarily in approach. The four first-level courses correspond to the four groupings of higher-level courses.

Students wishing to take the second/third level courses should normally have taken at least one first-level course, except where otherwise indicated. Apart from 07327 Seminar in political philosophy, 07207 Seminar on topics in linguistics and philosophy, 07335 Senior seminar and 07227 Senior thesis, they are all second or third level courses. Some of these courses are also available to students of other faculties as "broadening courses„.

Most of these courses consist of 18 lectures in one semester, together with tutorials. Many but not all of them involve three individual tutorials.

Of the 45 second and third level courses listed, twelve to sixteen will normally be given each year. This means that not every course will be available in any two-year period. Therefore, student preferences will play a part in determining which courses are given. Some courses, however, are likely to be given every year (because of our commitments to curricula outside the B.A., and for other reasons), and some we prefer to give at least once every two years to make sure that every student has an opportunity to take them.

Students who major in philosophy must take at least eight courses in philosophy, and are recommended to take at least one course from each of the following categories:

Third year majors are recommended to take the Senior Seminar (07335) in their final year, especially if they are considering further study in philosophy, provided that their second year grades reach a good level.

You may also double major, by combining Philosophy equally with any other discipline in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Social Sciences. This is a favoured and good pattern of work.

You may also major in a cross-disciplinary programme in Politics and Philosophy (see page ), or in Linguistics and Philosophy (see page ).

Those being given in 1998/99 are marked with an asterisk.

*PHIL 1006 Elementary Logic (available only to first year students in 1998/99)

07296 Chinese philosophy: metaphysics

07328 Philosophy and biology

07253 Philosophy of social science

07248 Philosophy of logic

07242 Philosophy of language

07282 Philosophical Chinese

07243 Logic

07254 Symbolism

07286 Pragmatism

07278 Paradoxes

07267 Theories of morality

07295 Chinese philosophy: ethics

07293 Marixst philosophy

07245 Philosophy and literature

07330 Confucianism and the modern world

07207 Seminar on topics in lingusitics and philosophy

07284 The beginnings of philosophy

07289 Confucius

07228 Plato

07229 Aristotle

07290 Mencius

07291 Zhuangzi

07230 Descartes

07258 Locke and Leibniz

07231 Hume

07233 Kant's critical philosophy

07332 Nietzsche

07333 Wittgenstein

07236 Sartre and phenomenology

07334 Habermas

07272 Special topic

07227 Senior thesis (double course)

(only students majoring in philosophy may offer a thesis)

The courses being offered this year were chosen in light of the preferences expressed by over a hundred respondents to a questionnaire in April 1998.

There are four first introductory courses in philosophy with different themes, each earning six credits :

- Knowledge of the World: an introduction to philosophy

- The Human Mind: an introduction to philosophy

- Ethics and Politics: an introduction to philosophy

- Chinese and Western thought: an introduction to philosophy

All these courses are available to Arts, Science, and Social Sciences students, and students of any other Faculties whose regulations allow them. There are no prerequisites.

PHIL 1001 Knowledge of the world: first semester

Children are curious. They constantly ask "Why ?" or "What ?" or "How ?" The desire of human beings to improve their knowledge takes many forms, and raises many questions. This course will explore such questions, to investigate how reason and experience contribute to our understanding of the world and ourselves.

This course involves some use of information technology, including electronic mail, word-processing and the World-Wide Web.

Assessment: one two-hour written examination (60% weighting);

PHIL 1002 The Human Mind: an introduction to philosophy first semester

The aim of this course is to provide a general introduction to philosophy, with an emphasis on understanding the human mind and what makes us distinctively human : our ability to communicate, to reason, to judge our own actions and the actions of others, to establish rules for living together. Questions to be discussed include: What is the relation between thinking and speaking ? Could a computer possess understanding ? What kind of mistakes do we make when reasoning, and why do we make them ? What are pains, dreams, thoughts, and what is the difference between creatures that have such things and creatures that don't ? What is a good life ? Should there be limits set to what people should be allowed to say and do in public ? Can we prove God's existence by thought alone ?

The course text is L. Goldstein, The Philosopher's Habitat (London and New York, Routledge, 1990). This text demands no prior knowledge of philosophy, and all or parts of it can be read before the course starts. Other useful introductory texts are Keith Lehrer, Philosophical Problems and Arguments (Indianapolis, Hackett, 1992), and Adam Morton, Philosophy in Practice (Oxford, Blackwell, 1996).

Assessment : one two-hour examination (50% weighting) and coursework (50% weighting); demonstrated use of I.T.

Credits : 6 (plus 3 for the I.T. component:

these three credits do not count towards faculty requirements)

PHIL 1003 Ethics and politics: an introduction to philosophy second semester

In a letter to his student, the famous philosopher Wittgenstein writes, `what is the use of studying philosophy if all that it does for you is to enable you to talk with some plausibility about some abstruse questions of logic, etc., and if it does not improve your thinking about the important questions of everyday life, if it does not make you more conscientious'. This course aims to provide a general introduction to philosophy, but it is especially designed for those who want to think about some of the moral and political issues we face in our lives.

We shall discuss the following questions: What makes a society a just one ? Does political thinking require moral foundations ? Is there a necessary trade-off between freedom and community ? Should men and women be treated equally in social and political life ? Is there an East Asian challenge to Western liberalism ? We will discuss both classical and contemporary approaches to these questions.

Assessment : one two-hour examination (50% weighting) and coursework (50% weighting)

Credits : 6 (plus 3 for the I.T. component:

these three credits do not count towards faculty requirements)

PHIL 1004 Chinese and Western thought: second semester

This course introduces philosophical thought from both the Chinese and Western traditions. We shall discuss eight philosophers from major movements in the history of philosophy : Plato (Ancient Greece), Mencius (Classical Confucianism), Zhuangzi (Classical Daoism), Nietzsche (Existentialism), Zen (Ch'an Buddhism), Wittgenstein (Positivism), John Dewey (American Pragmatism), and Mao Tse-tung (Chinese Communism).

Assessment : one two-hour examination (50% weighting) and coursework (50% weighting)

Credits : 6 (plus 3 for the I.T. component:

these three credits do not count towards faculty requirements)

All first year students are encouraged to learn some elementary logic using the Computer-assisted learning package, Logic Tutor, which was developed in our department. It is available in the department, is easy to use, and should not take more than about four hours in total.

PHIL 1005 / 07123 Critical thinking and logic first semester

The aim of this course is to teach students how to think critically, and to express ideas clearly and systematically. The basic concepts and methods of critical thinking will be introduced, and through tutorials and exercises students will learn how to evaluate arguments and avoid typical mistakes in reasoning. We shall also be studying some basic logic to understand better the structure of arguments.

There is no prerequisite for this course, and it is open to all first, second and third year students. This course is a prerequisite for those who want to take philosophy of language and philosophy of logic. However, it is suitable for all students, not just those who intend to major in philosophy. This is because whatever you choose to do in the future, being able to think critically is probably very important, and this is a course specially designed to improve your critical thinking skills.

There is no set text for this course. Appropriate readings will be assigned later.

Assessment : one two-hour examination (50% weighting) and coursework (50% weighting)

Credits: 6

PHIL 1006 Elementary Logic first/second semeseter

This course introduces elementary logic. There are no lectures or tutorials. The course requires use of a computer package developed in the department of philosophy.

Load: 10 to 20 hours of independent work using a computer package and texts, with opportunities for consultation

Assessment: one 45 minute written examination

Exemption: Students passing this course are exempt from the University's I.T. requirement

Credits: 3

All second and third-level courses are assessed by one two-hour examination (50% weighting) and coursework (50% weighting), unless otherwise indicated.

07331 Knowledge first semester

This course will examine some of the main problems in epistemology arising from the traditional analysis of knowledge and belief. We will look at several theories which link knowledge with certainty, reason, and experience and note the difficulties each has in dealing with the challenge of skepticism. Then we will look at some of the current naturalistic analyses of knowledge to see if they fare any better. Readings will be drawn from historical as well as contemporary sources and will include selections from Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, C.I. Lewis, A. J. Ayer, G.E. Moore, W.V. Quine, Hilary Putnam and others.

Preparatory reading: Aune, Knowledge of the External World

Kornblith, Naturalizing Epistemology

Combinations: any, but Early Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of Language and Philosophy of the Sciences are especially relevant

07264 Metaphysics second semester

At some point in our lives, we might reflect on questions we have never asked, such as whether there is a purpose of the universe, why anything exists at all, or whether there is anything whose existence is permanent. Or we might even ask, by reflecting on reflections, whether these questions are answerable or legitimate in the first place. Nowhere can we find a subject which would as seriously consider these and other related questions as Metaphysics.

Metaphysics concerns (the possibility of explaining) the existence of anything and everything in the universe. Topics for this course will include those mentioned above and the following: Is there anything which does, or even must, exist out there? Can we explain the nature of our existence? Are space and time real? Can we draw any distinction between reality and appearance? Equally important, we will examine some anti-metaphysical or post-metaphysical ways of thinking, which challenge such long-standing concepts as truth and objectivity and propose alternative accounts. The aim of this course is to present a balanced picture of a variety of philosophical positions on metaphysics, ranging from traditional metaphysics to radical antimetaphysics.

07252 Philosophy of the sciences second semester

For many people science provides the ultimate standards to measure and evaluate our claims and theories. Yet how is science different from other subject areas such as the humanities ? In the first part of this course we will look at some general issues in science such as the use of thought experiments, the role of simplicity, and the basis of scientific predictions and explanations. We shall then move on to more specific philosophical problems that arise in the particular sciences. Here we shall take into account students' preferences in deciding the topics, but here is a list of possible ones:

- paradoxes and metaphysical consequences of quantum theory,

- the possibility of Artificial Intelligence,

- the relationship between evolution and religion, and

- the coherence of time travel.

Combinations: any, but the course is likely to most benefit those who bring with them expertise in one or more scientific disciplines.

This is a second or third level course. However, there are no prerequisites: it is open as a "broadening course„ to any second or third year student in the University. The course is normally given every year.

07265 The mind first semester

What is the nature of the mind and how is it related to the brain ? Is the mind identical to the brain, or is it an immaterial substance ? Or is the mind the software of the brain ? In this course we will look at different theories of the mind, such as dualism, behaviourism, materialism and functionalism. We will also address more specific issues such as: what is thinking and do we always think with images or symbols ? What is consciousness and can it be explained scientifically ? We might also look at other philosophical issues in psychology and Artificial Intelligence.

Textbook: D. Braddon-Mitchell & F. Jackson, Philosophy of Mind and Cognition (Oxford, Blackwell, 1996)

07280 Philosophy and cognitive science first semester

Although our sciences have given us a lot of knowledge about the universe and the world we are in, the nature of our own mind remains an area about which we know very little. Cognitive Science is the science of the mind and it is an exciting area which has undergone tremendous development in recent years. By building computational models and studying the neurobiology of the brain, cognitive scientists help us better understand issues such as: what is the nature of reasoning and consciousness ? Can we build robots and computers that think and behave like we do ? Do dreams have any function ? How do we acquire a language ? Are we born with any innate knowledge ? We shall be discussing such issues and the conceptual and philosophical questions which they raise.

This is a compulsory course for Cognitive Science students, but it is open to all other students as well who are interested in finding out how the mind works.

Combinations : any, but this course should blend well with The Mind or Philosophy of Language.

H. Gardner The Mind's New Science

J. Leiber An Invitation to Cognitive Science

S. Pinker The Language Instinct

Horgan & Tienson Connectionism and the Philosophy of Psychology

07244 Moral Problems first semester

This course will deal with practical problems that give rise to moral controversies. Questions such as the following will be addressed: "Should people be treated equally, and in what sense?"; "Is homosexual behaviour right or wrong?"; "Is abortion morally acceptable, and should it be legally permitted?"; "Should pornography, or certain types of it, be banned?"; "Can capital punishment be justified?"; "Is it right to take affirmative action in favour of groups that have been discriminated against in the past?"; "Should terminally ill and suffering patients be helped to die if that is what they request?"; "What is the basis and content of human rights?". These are all questions that have important implications for public policy, but we shall also consider ethical issues, such as sexual morality, that we face in our everyday lives.

This is a second or third level course. However, there are no prerequisites: it is open as a "broadening course„ to any second or third year student in the University.

07329 The Philosophy of Politics second semester

What moral obligations do we have towards each other ? Which ones are matters of public responsibility, to be enforced through governmental institutions ? Liberal philosophers, whatever their differences, typically insist upon the importance of drawing a sharp boundary between private and public responsibilities: the government has an obligation to provide a fair framework for individuals to lead freely chosen lives, but it should stay out of the business of promoting other kinds of responsibilities such as family and religious obligations. This brand of liberalism has become the dominant political philosophy in contemporary Western liberal democracies.

Liberal philosophy, however, is not without its critics. Feminists oppose the way liberal theorists tend to focus on legal discrimination, ignoring the deeper causes of women's oppression in social and family life. Marxists oppose the way liberal theorists tend to focus on "formal" civil and political rights, ignoring the deeper causes of inequality in capitalist societies. Communitarian theorists argue that liberalism is overly individualistic, and that it neglects the value of community. Non-Western critics, particularly in East Asia, criticize the liberal tradition of universalistic moral reasoning, which typically draws only on the moral aspirations and political practices found in Western societies and ignores the contributions of non-Western cultural traditions.

Following a brief survey of the arguments of contemporary liberal theorists such as John Rawls, this course will focus on feminist, Marxist, communitarian, and East Asian alternatives to Western liberalism.

Preparatory Reading: Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy

(Oxford University Press, 1990)

Daniel A. Bell, Communitarianism and its Critics

(Oxford University Press, 1993)

07287 Philosophy of Law first semester

Lecturer : Professor Hansen

We shall set the scene by contrasting classical Western and Chinese views of law. Then we shall focus on what moral and political presuppositions are required to justify the rule of law. This will guide our view of how one ought to reason in interpreting the law, and finally see what the implications of theory of law are for our views of punishment, rights, justice, equality, responsibility, insanity, and negligence. This course should help you evaluate the arguments for the importance of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

A set of ten examination questions will be distributed in advance.

07251 Philosophy of Religion first semester

This survey of philosophy of religion will have three parts:

(1) traditional Jueao-Christian issues, e.g. arguments for God, monotheism, and religious (divine command) ethics. Here we will also look at the conflict with science and more modern "death of God" criticism of Christianity.

(2) comparative (Chinese) religions, e.g., the different concepts of religion required to include Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. We will try to analyze the nature of mystical "spirituality" and address whether Maoism should be treated as a religion.

(3) modern analyses of religion including a look at some prominent psychological, sociological, and anthropological theories of religion and at Wittgenstein's linguistic analysis of religious discourse.

The Readings will include a core text by John Hicks, a dialogue by David Hume, Nietzsche's The Anti-Christ, a discussion of creationism v. evolution, Daoism and Zen.

A set of ten examination questions will be distributed in advance.

07327 Seminar in political philosophy second semester

This seminar, taught by staff of the Department of Politics & Public Administration and the Department of Philosophy, provides an opportunity to study in some depth some of the most recent issues and developments in political philosophy. These issues include recent theories of justice, communitarian critique of liberalism, and ethical issues in global politics such as distributive justice between states, justice between generations, environmental ethics, and international enforcement of human rights, and other issues which may be considered appropriate.

In 1998/99 this course will focus more specifically on the East Asian challenge to Western liberalism. We will discuss such topics as the East Asian contribution to the international discourse on human rights and the relevance of liberal democracy in an East Asian context.

This course is intended primarily for students meeting the requirements specified in the curriculum for the major in Philosophy and Politics; however the course will also be available to all other philosophy students.

Examination : There will be no written examination, and grades for this course will be awarded solely on the basis of coursework.

07285 Early modern philosophy second semester

It is no accident that what we call Early Modern Philosophy started at the same time as modern science, for many philosophical questions arise from the broader aspects of scientific enquiry. Questions such as: `What is the world really made of ?' and `How much of that world can we ever really know ?' set the scene for what have become classic philosophical issues. This course will take a topics-based approach to the history of philosophy in a way which shows the connections between the various early modern philosophers. (This has two advantages: it enables us to rely much less upon the difficult primary texts; and it allows us to see philosophy in action when we compare one philosopher's views on a particular issue with that of another philosopher).

Two excellent elementary texts cover a lot of ground:

R.S. Woolhouse The Empiricists, and J. Cottingham The Rationalists - both are Oxford University Press paperbacks.

The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy (edited by N.F.Bunnin and E.P.Tsui-James) has useful chapters on Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume.

07335 Senior Seminar second semester

The Senior Seminar provides an opportunity for third year students who have shown philosophical talent, as well as for first year postgraduate students, to pursue topics through intensive discussion. This year, the choice of texts or topics, the assessment method, and the overall theme, if any, will be determined at the beginning of the course in light of the interests of the participants. Those interested in enrolling are invited to communicate their specific interests to fctmoore@hkusua.hku.hk before the beginning of the first semester. Enrolments will be limited to about ten.

07227 Senior Thesis

A thesis may be prepared under supervision for submission not later than March 31 of the final year. Notice of intention to offer a thesis must be given before June 15 of the second year, and this intention will be confirmed or modified on the supervisor's advice by the end of the first week of the first semester of the final year, after the candidate has had the opportunity to do and submit preliminary work over the summer vacation. The thesis will earn twelve credits. Only students majoring in philosophy may offer a thesis.

Assessment will be based entirely on the completed thesis.

This is an option in the B.Soc.Sc and B.A. degree curricula which has been on offer since September 1993.

If you want to know more about this programme, you may contact either of the following, who will be happy to answer your questions:

Dr. Daniel Bell

6. What is the content of this programme ?

7. How to enrol in the programme

This programme is jointly organised by the Department of Linguistics and the Department of Philosophy. If you need any further information you may contact either of the following members of staff who will be happy to answer your questions :

Philosophers have long been interested in languages for various reasons. First, our linguistic capacity is one of our most distinguishing features. It allows us to express and record complex ideas, and to communicate with each other. Understanding this capacity is one way to find out more about human nature and our psychology.

Second, many philosophers think that language has a deep connection with many philosophical problems. Some philosophers think that we should study languages because they reflect the structure of reality. Others think that our ordinary languages are actually not precise enough and that artificial languages should be constructed for philosophical and scientific purposes. Still others think that philosophical problems are not real problems, and that they arise because we misunderstand the nature of our own languages.

Finally, many philosophers are interested in language simply because it is in itself a fascinating topic. This is especially more so with the recent growth of linguistics. Linguistics is the scientific study of our language capacity. The development of linguistics is exciting because it offers new perspectives and methods in looking at many philosophical questions about language, questions such as : How are the rules of language different from other social norms? To what extent is our language capacity innate? Is it possible to build machines that understand languages as well as we do? These and similar issues involve not just empirical studies but also conceptual clarification. This is why philosophers and linguists collaborate and debate with each other actively on such matters, and this makes the field even more interesting.

Studying philosophy improves critical thinking and analysis, since you will have to think systematically about both sides of an issue, and evaluate arguments and reasoning carefully. In studying linguistics, students will learn more about the role of language in our psychology and society, and acquire concepts that help them gain a deeper understanding of the grammar, history and sound system of natural languages. By majoring in these two areas, students not just gain the benefits of studying both disciplines. It also helps develop the ability to integrate theories and information from two different subjects. The intellectual and linguistic skills you acquire as a result will be very important for a wide variety of occupations, both in the private commercial sector and in the public sector.

This programme is open to all Arts students who have passed the following first-year courses :

(a) LING 1001 Introduction to Linguistics

(b) PHIL 1001 Knowledge of the world: an introduction to the philosophy

or

PHIL 1002 The human mind: an introduction to philosophy

or

PHIL 1003 Ethics and politics: an introduction to philosophy

or

PHIL 1004 Chinese and Western thought: an introduction to philosophy

In order to major in Linguistics and Philosophy, a student must study in the second and third year no less than eight courses in the two departments, including :

B0205 Semantics : meaning and grammar

07242 Philosophy of language

and any two of:

07265 The Mind

07123 Critical Thinking and logic (This course may be taken in the first year)

07243 Logic

07248 Philosophy of logic

07278 Paradoxes

07280 Philosophy and cognitive science

07282 Philosophical Chinese

07333 Wittgenstein

and an obligatory third year course

(e) 07207 Seminar on Topics in Linguistics and Philosophy

In addition, a student should choose either an extra philosophy course from (d), or any course from the Linguistics Department, provided that the relevant prerequisites are satisfied.

The remaining eight courses in a student's second/third year programme may be selected from those offered by any department, as permitted by the regulations.

It should be noted that not all Philosophy courses are offered every year. Choices are subject to approval by the head of the department.

On your second year enrolment form, enter your major under A : "20 Linguistics and Philosophy", and fill in your course selections according to the requirements given above.

THE department offers two higher degrees by research, the M.Phil and the Ph.D, and can arrange for supervision over a wide range of philosophical topics. We currently have 16 postgraduate students: 9 at Ph.D. level, and there is a regular graduate seminar at which reports of work in progress are presented.

The main areas of research of the current department members are:

D.A. Bell political philosophy, comparative philosophy

J. Ci moral and political philosophy, social criticism

L. Goldstein philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, cognitive science, Wittgenstein

C. Hansen Chinese theory of language, classical Chinese philosophy, Daoism

E.P.T. James history and philosophy of science, James & Dewey, philosophy of mathematics

J.Y.F. Lau philosophy of mind, philosophy of language

M.R. Martin early Confucianism, moral & social philosophy, history of early modern philosophy

F.C.T. Moore philosophy of social science, ethics, philosophy of mind, French philosophy

he following names may be useful:

Lau Tsui Kwan Tai, Ping Clerk

Wan Li Fung Yi, Loletta Clerk

Chin Chin Shing, Arthur Chairman, Philosophy Society

Postgraduate students and tutors may include:

Master of International Studies (Sydney)

Daniel Bell was born in Montreal, Canada, the eldest and most important son of a French-speaking mother and an English-speaking father. He went to McGill to major in psychology, but discovered in his final year that political philosophy is far more intellectually stimulating. From there he went to Oxford to pursue a master's and a doctorate in political philosophy, although his studies were interrupted somewhat when he met a fellow graduate student from mainland China who subsequently became his wife. Nonetheless, a revised version of his doctoral thesis entitled Communitarianism and Its Critics was eventually published by Oxford University Press.

The next stop was The National University of Singapore, where he taught political theory for three years. A co-authored book entitled Towards Illiberal Democracy in Pacific Asia emerged from this experience. After that he spent a wonderful year at Princeton University's Center for Human Values, although truth-seeking activities were once again temporarily put on hold following the birth of a 10 pound 4 ounce son. And now he is honored to serve as a member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. His impressions of the one on one tutorial system are highly favorable - the tutorial is a wonderful way to get to know students !

I was educated in Beijing and Edinburgh, and then taught in Beijing for six years before taking up fellowships at several American universities and research institutions. My main areas of interest are in moral and political philosophy, with an emphasis on theories of justice. I believe that making sense of morality and moral philosophy itself in their social and historical context is as important as constructing normative and metaethical theories, and for this reason draw on a variety of philosophical traditions in my teaching and research. I am also interested in the rich analytical resources philosophy offers for understanding history and conducting social criticism, and have published a book in this vein, entitled Dialectic of the Chinese Revolution: From Utopianism to Hedonism.

Laurence Goldstein started teaching at the University of Hong Kong in 1976. He has taught at universities in the U.S.A., Scotland, New Zealand, Germany and South Africa. His main areas of research at present are the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. He has just finished a book on Wittgenstein, and is currently working on a book about paradoxes in which he hopes to finally solve problems some of which have remained unsolved for over 2000 years.

Under Laurence's skillful captaincy, the staff 5-a-side football team has never lost against the students, and we plan to keep it that way.

Chad Hansen first came to Hong Kong over thirty years ago where he became fascinated with Chinese language and culture and set out to understand and explain Chinese philosophy. Returning to the United States, he went to University where he majored in philosophy then went to the University of Michigan to study for a Ph.D. He studied Mandarin in Taiwan for a year then returned to Hong Kong after a decade for his dissertation research. He finished his dissertation at the University of Michigan and began teaching philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972 where he was enlightened two years later.

From there he went to the University of Vermont after the publication of Language and Logic in Ancient China. Later he was selected as University scholar for his second book, A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought. He has also served as visiting professor at The Universities of Michigan, Hawaii, Hong Kong, UCLA and Stanford before returning to HKU in 1991 where he was appointed Professor in 1994.

He is presently translating the Daode-Jing and writing a book on Comparative East-West Ethics and an introduction to Chinese Philosophy. Besides Chinese philosophy, his main interests are in comparative ethics, philosophy of law, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind. He values the dynamism of Hong Kong as well as the language and especially the food. He is married to Joyce Wong and has a 6 year old son, James "Hobbes" Hansen.

Eric James came to Hong Kong in 1990. Prior to this he had been a lorry driver, a psychotherapist, a professional musician, and a lecturer for two years at the university of Oxford. Although his initial academic research was concerned with the history and philosophy of mathematics and science, his interests have broadened considerably, as have his teaching areas-both benefiting from H.K.U.'s commendable lack of rigid syllabus restraints. He is presently engaged in a study of pragmatism in all of its forms (historical, `classical' and contemporary) and is preparing an introductory book on the real history of pragmatism.

For the past three years Eric has been engaged in editing a large volume of essays on all aspects of philosophy, The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy. This was published in January 1996, with a Chinese translation forthcoming. An off-shoot of this project has been a growing interest in developing academic links with The Summer School of Philosophy: China, Britain, Australia which is held every year in the P.R.C.

Away from the university Eric tries to recapture his youth in music. His days of playing guitar in front of an audience are over, but he has built a computer-based MIDI recording studio in his home and is on the brink of releasing his first solo effort.

Joe Lau left Hong Kong after `O' Levels and did two years of high school somewhere in Wales. Having read too many books by Paul Davies, he went to Oxford for physics and philosophy, graduating in 1990. While at Oxford, he was hooked on the philosophy of mind, and decided to go to MIT. He wrote his Ph.D. thesis on semantic and psychological issues regarding belief. He finished in 1994 and came back to Hong Kong to join the Department. His research interests include philosophical issues in cognitive science. Other interests include the philosophy of language and the philosophy of science. His general concern is how the scientific image of human beings as natural objects relates to our understanding of ourselves as thinking and conscious creatures capable of right and wrong. When he is not doing philosophy, he likes to watch movies, go hiking, or surf the world wide web. He shall be on leave in the second semester of the 1998/99 academic year.

Dr Martin grew up on the relaxed and environmentally pure shores of Honolulu, Hawaii. After receiving his university and postgraduate training on the east coast of the United States, he came to HKU in 1980. His main philosophical interests are moral and social philosophy, and early Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism. In his teaching Dr Martin's main courses include Topics in Social Philosophy, Theories of Morality, Philosophy East and West: Ethical Topics, and Early Modern Philosophy. Since 1993, Dr Martin has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, after serving five years as Associate Dean. In his leisure time Dr Martin enjoys art collecting, travel and swimming.

My Chinese name is . , because it sounds like my given name `Tim', and because it suggests trying to do something `more' (which also rhymes with my family name). As a student at the University of Oxford, I studied Greek and Latin and Philosophy, but then I went to France to study a French philosopher. While I was a teacher at the University of Birmingham (UK), I also spent three years on secondment teaching philosophy in the Sudan. When I arrived in Hong Kong in 1979 to take up the Chair of Philosophy, it was another new field of activity. We built up the department steadily, in terms of the range of the curriculum and the number of students.

As for my own work, in published books and papers, it ranges widely. I have published books and articles on moral philosophy, philosophy of social science, folklore, the history of French philosophy, computer aided learning, game theory, and various other subjects. My latest book, on the French philosopher Bergson, was published by Cambridge University Press in Spring 1996.

I do not think that we should limit ourselves to a narrow academic view of philosophy. We should do more, intellectually and practically.

This committee meets regularly to discuss any matters of concern, and to consider ways of improving the work of the department. All students are welcome to make suggestions, and to attend the meetings.

This booklet was produced in the

Department of Philosophy, University of Hong Kong,

in June 1998, using Nota Bene*, and camera-ready

copy was prepared on an HP LaserJet* printer.