Theorizing at Rowan: Youru Wang, "Friendship and Forgetfulness in Daoist Zhuangzi and Jacques Derrida"

​The Department of Philosophy and World Religions is pleased to announce the next event in this Spring’s Theorizing at Rowan lecture series.

​On Wednesday April 2, at 5 pm, in Business Hall 301, Youru Wang (World Religions, Rowan University) will present a lecture entitled ‘Friendship and Forgetfulness in Daoist Zhuangzi and Jacques Derrida.’

​Prof. Wang has provided the following description of his talk:

​“Taken from his new book The Ethical Dimension of Forgetfulness, Dr. Wang will present Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi’s notion of friendship and its famous relation to forgetfulness in a comparison with Derrida’s postmodern theorizing of friendship. It will argue that Zhuangzian friendship is more comparable to Derrida’s non-classical approach than to Aristotle’s. Both the Derridean and Zhuangzian conceptions include a temporal dimension and value the loss and mourning of friendship despite the contrast between Derrida’s melancholic tone and the Zhuangzian celebration of natural destiny. Both criticize self-sameness and see difference, distance and disruption (3 “Ds”) as inevitable to friendship. Both relate forgetfulness to friendship although the Zhuangzi is more able to thematize forgetfulness in regard to friendship and develop a moderate style of friendship based on the practice of forgetfulness and avoidance of extremes.”

​This event is co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program and College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

​If you would like to receive event updates and notifications when recordings become available, please register.

​

​Upcoming Events:

​Tuesday April 8, 5 pm, Rowan University Art Gallery (301 High Street, Glassboro) — ‘The Feminism We Need’ — Serene Khader (Philosophy, Brooklyn College / CUNY Graduate Center) and Sophie Lewis (Center for Research in Feminist, Queer, and Transgender Studies, University of Pennsylvania) — co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the College of Communications, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences — reception to follow.

​

​Series Info

​Theorizing at Rowan is a series of public, work in progress lectures covering a range of topics of relevance to scholars in philosophy, religion studies, and other related disciplines. The goal of the series is to promote scholarly exchange involving the Department of Philosophy and World Religions, the university, and interested scholars throughout the region. Speakers will include members of the department as well as faculty from other departments at Rowan and from other institutions.

​All Theorizing at Rowan events are free and open to the public.

​Further information about the series, including posters and abstracts for individual events, can be found at: http://theorizing-at-rowan.tumblr.com/