24-26 November 2010, Workshop on History of Logic in China, Amsterdam

Do different cultures embody fundamentally different styles of thinking? An emphasis on rigorous explicit logic has often been considered a hallmark of Western culture, dating back to Greek Antiquity. But things are more complex, and cultures sometimes have surprising similarities beyond their standard images.

In fact, logic started independently, roughly around the same time, in Greece, India, and China. What does this tell us about analogies in thinking across human beings and their cultures? How do we or should we perceive it? The aim of this workshop is to get clearer on these issues.

The workshop brings together experts in Chinese logic and Western logic, comparing themes and insights in these two traditions in detail. While focusing on the School of Mohism in the Pre-Qin period, the workshop will also study logical contributions by other schools, for instance, Confucianism. Basic concepts and reasoning patterns will be extensively explored at the workshop, linking up with modern logical notions and theories. We will also discuss how ancient Chinese logic developed, even into the 20th century, and study how this affects current ways of thinking. While the main emphasis of this event is scholarly, it also touches on major scientific and cultural issues today.

For more information, see http://www.sciencehistory.asia/history-logic-china