Citizenship Lab Research Project: “Relational Egalitarianism and Economic Liberty”

The Humanities Research Center’s Citizenship Lab proudly funds Jiyuan (Dmitry) Sun’s Signature Work project

Student: Jiyuan (Dmitry) Sun, Class of 2024, Ethics and Leadership/Philosophy

Mentor: Joseph Mazor, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

This project centers on two concepts in contemporary political philosophy: relational egalitarianism and economic liberty. It will investigate the place of economic liberty within the theoretical framework of relational egalitarianism. By revealing the incompatibility between existing conceptions of economic liberty and relational egalitarianism, it strives to reconcile the two concepts by redefining economic liberty. It will ideally reach the conclusion that economic liberty is not only compatible with relational egalitarianism but an essential constituent of the latter. It takes a pragmatic concern with carving out an institutional design in which people are both economically free and equal in socio-political relations under democratic citizenship, and a further theoretical concern with the fluid interactions between freedom and equality.

This project is expected to start during summer 2023 and conclude during spring 2024. Its research process will involve (i) literature reviews of Elizabeth Anderson’s (1999) conception of relational egalitarianism, including Value in Ethics and Economics (1995) and “What is the Point of Equality?” (1999); (ii) comparative studies of multiple existing theories of economic liberty; (iii) independent argumentation on the relationship between relational egalitarianism and economic liberty; (iv) potential interviews with renowned scholars concerning relational egalitarianism and economic liberty; (v) peer-review seminars coordinated with the DKU Citizenship Lab.

Citizenship Lab Research Project: “Familial Love or Social Justice? Confucian Dilemmas of Ethics and Politics”

The Humanities Research Center’s Citizenship Lab proudly funds Xiaoliang Yang’s  Signature Work project.

Student: Xiaoliang Yang, Class of 2023, Ethics and Leadership/Philosophy

Mentor: Lincoln Rathnam, Assistant Professor of Political Science

In this project, I consider Classical Confucians’ treatments of ethical dilemmas, as reflected in Confucian classics (especially the Analects and Mengzi). I respond to current scholarly debates, including where scholars (e.g., Fan Ruiping and Liu Qingping) frame Confucian ethics as “familial favoritism,” which means that familial interests possess higher priority than social goods. I argue that their account of Confucian familial favoritism is entirely based on Confucians’ compliments of those who prioritize familial interests in ethical dilemmas between family vs. society. But the acceptance of one choice does not necessarily lead to the refutation of the other, since Confucians might also praise those who prioritize social interests. In the latter parts of the thesis, I provide theoretical reasons for why I support an ethically pluralistic interpretation of Classical Confucianism and analyze why Confucians will also credit those who prioritize social interests where there are conflicts between family and society. Some of the sources I will incorporate in my research include primary and secondary literature in Classical Confucianism, such as the Analects, Mengzi, Xunzi, works of the New Confucian Mou Zongsan, Stephen Angle’s Contemporary Confucian Political Thought, and Joseph Chan’s Confucian Perfectionism. Ultimately, this project rejects the commonly held notion of “familial favoritism” ascribed to Confucianism by unveiling the underappreciated dimension of Confucianism in which social interests can be prioritized as well. This research also seeks to reconstruct Classical Confucianism as a system encompassing high tolerance of diversified solutions for the same problem. It aims to demonstrate the internal complexity and flexibility of Classical Confucianism, deepening our understanding of Confucian responses toward ethical dilemmas.

Superdeep Nighthawks: “Waking Life” (Linklater 2001) | Mar 2, 9pm

IB 1008 (IB Auditorium)

Week 7 — homework tests finals Signature Work Superdeep thoughts early till late… Are we even still awake or already dreaming…or still dreaming or already awake again?  Join the Nighthawks to find out: this week with Richard Linklater‘s 2001 rotoscoped feature Waking Life (& food & drinks…). Thu, Mar 2, 9 pm, IB Auditorium.

HRC Superdeep Nighthawks meet on Thu eve (9pm till late). Their current screening series, revolving around dreams in film, is hosted in collaboration with the HouTu Research project Unforgotten Dreams.

Student Report on Ghost Rivers in the Urban Anthropocene

Reported by Cody Schmidt, class of 2025

This talk was hosted by HRC’s Citizenship Lab. The Citizenship Lab seeks to understand the transformation of citizenship and the ways in which citizenship is expressed through ecological, temporal, and spatial terms.

Professor Kregg Hetherington from Concordia University joined Duke Kunshan’s Citizenship Lab on February 17th to deliver a presentation titled “Ghost Rivers in the Urban Anthropocene.” Moderated by Citizenship Lab co-director Robin Rodd, the lecture recounted the story of the St. Pierre, a river that once ran through Montreal and nourished the city in its foundation, now considered a “ghost river.” Continue reading “Student Report on Ghost Rivers in the Urban Anthropocene”

Anthropocene XR Lab is accepting proposals for the “Onsite Student Hackathon”

HRC Anthropocene XR Lab presents:
Onsite Student Hackathon Registration Open

Interested in XR (VR&AR) and environmental designs? Come and learn, practice, have fun with us!

Submit your team/individual hackathon proposals to get:

  • Funding: up to ¥ 5,000 per project
  • Equipment support: VR headset, AR glasses, etc.
  • Mentorship; indicate a DKU faculty mentor/seek mentorship from XR lab co-directors

Timeline:

Feb: Accepting Proposals
Feb-Mar: Workshops and Individual Mentoring Sessions
March 17-18: 48 hours of Hackathon
March 18: Showcase / presentation

Check out the HRC website to learn more about the Lab! sites.duke.edu/dkuhumanities/projects/anthropocene-xr-lab/ Any question, please email: leiyuan.tian@dukekunshan.edu.cn

Anthropocene XR Lab Presents: Entrepreneurship in AR/VR/XR

Date/Time: Fri, Feb 24, 12-12:45pm China time
Zoom ID: 879 6872 6939
Guest Speaker: Dr. Simon Mak

Biography: Dr. Simon Mak is Executive Director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Practice in the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Business Economics at the SMU Cox School of Business. He directs the Caruth Institute staff and its many community service programs, such as the Dallas 100 Entrepreneur Awards, the Southwest Venture Forum, the Starting A Business certificate course, and the Startup Camp for Teens. In addition, Dr. Mak leads the academic entrepreneurship programs at Cox by overseeing the BBA Specialization in Entrepreneurship and the MBA/graduate program in entrepreneurship, managing a team of over a dozen adjunct professors in teaching over 20 entrepreneurship courses. Dr. Mak also works with the Lyle School of Engineering on the MS in Engineering Entrepreneurship degree program.

Superdeep Nighthawks: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (Gondry 2004) | Feb 23, 9pm

IB 1008 (IB Auditorium)

Presumably inspired by the Superdeep Nighthawks’ last two gatherings, even the last Philosophers’ Cave ended only at 12:07am. To glimpse some sunlight again, the Nighthawks will resume on Thu Feb 23, 9pm to bask in Michel Gondry‘s 2004 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (…& food & drink).

The screening will be the second Superdeep event that day, following Superdeep #17 (“Lucid Dreams Elucidated”) at 6pm in IB 2026.

HRC Superdeep Nighthawks meet on Thu eve (9pm till late). Their current screening series, revolving around dreams in film, is hosted in collaboration with the HouTu Research project Unforgotten Dreams.