Event overview
A British Academy symposium on 100 years of China's place in Europe's linguistic, political, and philosophical formation.
We often hear about China in the news in connection to changes in the global political economy—concerning, for instance, the new infrastructural world order (Belt and Road Initiative), supply chains and their dependencies, and rebalances in the relation of law and traditional culture (tianxia or 'Chinese' universalism; 'civilisational' harmony). Yet much less consideration has been given to the direct impact that cultural translations broadly conceived and moving in multiple directions have on the fashioning of 'China' as a new global political and economic actor. Drawing examples from the British-German-Chinese 1920s to the 2020s, this public symposium and roundtable will explore the links between: (i) the teaching of modern non-European languages and the setting up of institutions to facilitate this teaching (eg SOAS) in support of British and German trade interests abroad; (ii) the specific role that philosophical and literary translations play in constructing the image of China as a political and economic counterpart during times of shifting geopolitical relations; (iii) the contribution of public intellectuals such as Bertrand Russell and Richard Wilhelm; and (iv) reinventions of Confucian and Daoist traditions by public intellectuals seeking to legitimise or criticise policy in China. How might a consideration of these moments in the translative process help us more deeply understand and critically analyse the pictures of political economy given to us in times of seemingly unprecedented change?
Speakers: Prof Timothy Barrett (SOAS), Dr Jan Vrhovski (Edinburgh), Prof Leigh Jenco (LSE), and Dr Julia Ng (Goldsmiths)
Free and open to the public, though registration is required. Registered attendees will receive a booklet containing a collection of artefacts selected by the speakers for consideration ahead of the event as well as an opportunity to submit a question for possible inclusion in the roundtable discussion.
To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/translating-china-in-the-changing-political-economy-1920s-2020s-tickets-804851200607
For more information including abstracts, please visit https://daoismandcapitalism.wordpress.com/2024/02/03/public-event-1-translating-china-in-the-changing-political-economy-1920s-2020s-march-25-2024/ or https://cpct.uk/2024/02/03/symposium-translating-china-in-the-changing-political-economy-1920s-2020s-march-25-2024-senate-house-london/
This event is the first of three associated with Dr. Julia Ng's British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship project Daoism and Capitalism: Early Critical Theory and the Global South (MCFSS23\230039). Thanks also go to Goldsmiths' Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought and Royal Holloway's Centre for Continental Philosophy for their generous support.
Programme, abstracts, and speaker information
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 2024 | 3:30pm - 6:45pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
