Celebrating the 800th Anniversary of Thomas Aquinas: Notre Dame–China Medieval Philosophy Project Continues to Evolve
On March 29, in collaboration with the Notre Dame Jacques Maritain Center and Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Notre Dame Beijing co-initiated and organized a virtual research discussion on Thomas Aquinas focused on the theme of “Mind and Action.” The event was promoted in China by Notre Dame Beijing. Around 50 audience members participated in the lectures by Zoom, and 148 people watched over Bilibili, a Chinese live-streaming platform.
The research discussion began with a talk titled “Thomas Aquinas on What It Means For the Mind to be Immaterial” given by Professor Therese Cory, director of the Maritain Center and John and Jean Oesterle Associate Professor of Thomistic Studies at Notre Dame. She discussed how Aquinas describes the human intellect as "immaterial," but pointed out that "immateriality" is often seen as a negative term, describing something we know almost nothing about. Her paper makes suggestions about how we can understand the intellect's immateriality in positive terms, as something familiar.
The second lecture was given by Associate Professor Lingchang Gui from the School of Philosophy at HUST. His discussion on “The Causal Features of Action and Their Moral Implications in Aquinas’ Theory” explored how willed actions establish causal connections with the universal good and the external world. It also examined how these causal features provide the foundation for constructing the morality of action and its essential elements.
Prior to this event, Professors Cory and Gui connected thanks to Notre Dame Global’s Asia Guest Scholar/Artist Partnership Program, which allowed Professor Gui to visit Notre Dame’s campus and meet Professor Cory in person, strengthening the ties between their respective institutions.
Dr. Yu Qiu, who received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Peking University, commented on the lectures and raised questions. Aimee Cheng from Notre Dame Beijing served as the moderator and relayed questions from the online participants to the speakers.
The audience was made up of undergraduate students, graduate students, and scholars from a variety of academic institutions across the US, England, and Greater China. High school students from Beijing No. 4 High School and their counselors also joined the audience. In addition to the students, Notre Dame Chinese alumni, parents, local partners from ND Beijing, and friends also tuned into the event.
In her opening remarks, ND Beijing Executive Director Jingyu Wang reviewed the history of the collaboration and partnership, sharing, “This event builds upon a rich history of engagement in medieval philosophy between Notre Dame and China, launched by the Notre Dame Maritain Center and Notre Dame Beijing.” She noted how the following events laid a strong foundation for the ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas:
- April 17, 2021 — ND Beijing hosted an in-person lecture by Associate Professor Tianyu Wu at Peking University. His lecture titled “Rational Individuals: An Introduction to Aquinas’s Philosophical Anthropology” This lecture is the kick-off event in a series on Western medieval philosophy co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Beijing, the Jacques Maritain Center at Notre Dame, and the Thomistic Institute at the Angelicum in Rome, Italy.
- May 15, 2021 and June 16, 2021 — ND Beijing organized virtual lectures titled “Faith and Reason in the Medieval Philosophy” and “Tranquility and Toil: Maimonides on the Ultimate Perfection of Human Intellect” by Professor Dunhua Zhao from Peking University and Professor Xiuyuan Dong from Shandong University, respectively.
- January 28, 2022 — The Virtual Colloquium on Thomas Aquinas and Natural Law—organized by ND Beijing, the Maritain Center, and the Thomistic Institute at the Angelicum in Rome—brought together leading scholars from the US and China to discuss the Angelic Doctor's philosophy and theology of Natural Law.
“Scholarship on Western medieval philosophy is flourishing in China. Building relationships among scholars working on Aquinas around the world is a major priority for the Maritain Center, and we are delighted with the ongoing development of this collaboration,” Professor Cory shared. “By sharing his expertise during his visit, Professor Gui has enriched our academic life here at the Maritain Center. I am grateful for his initiative in bringing this event to fruition.”
Looking to the future, the Maritain Center, HUST, and ND Beijing hope to welcome more Notre Dame faculty and Chinese scholars to a conference in China to continue the evolution of the project. Wang expressed, “This conference will represent Phase IV of the Notre Dame–China Medieval Philosophy Project. We anticipate it being another significant milestone in our ongoing engagement.”