CHIU Wai-wai

Associate Professor

Career Profile

  • Ph.D. in philosophy with 10+ years teaching and research experience (at Aug 2020) in Chinese philosophy
  • Area of Specialization: pre-Qin Daoism and Mohism
  • Area of Competence: pre-Qin and Wei-Jin Chinese philosophy, normative ethics
  • Published in Asian Philosophy, Dao, Journal of Chinese Philosophy, Philosophy East and West
  • Capable of using Putonghua, Cantonese or English as language of instruction
  • Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gaEoGXEAAAAJ&hl=en

Education Background

  • Ph.D. in Philosophy, The University of New South Wales (2009~2012)
  • M. Phil. in Philosophy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2006~2008)

Publications (Articles and Book Chapters)

  • Chiu, Wai wai. 2021. “Zhuangzi’s skillfulness and uselessness.” In Tom, Angier, and Lisa Raphals ed., Skill in Ancient Ethics: Perspectives from China, Greece and Rome. London: Bloomsbury.
  • ____. 2021. “Zhuangzi’s evaluation of qing and its relationship to knowledge.” Asian Philosophy 31 (3): 288-304.
  • ____. 2019. “Skilful Performances and the Zhuangzi’s lessons on orientation.” In Lai, Karyn and Chiu, Wai wai ed., Skill and Mastery: Philosophical Stories from the Zhuangzi. London: Rowman and Littlefield International Limited.
  • ____. 2019. “The Forger and the Use of Things.” In Lai, Karyn and Chiu, Wai wai ed., Skill and Mastery: Philosophical Stories from the Zhuangzi. London: Rowman and Littlefield International Limited.
  • ____. 2019. “Spontaneity, Perspectivism and Anti-intellectualism in the Zhuangzi.” Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 18 (3): 393-409.
  • ____. 2018. “Zhuangzi’s Knowing-How and Skepticism.” Philosophy East and West 68 (4): 1062-1084.
  • ____. 2017. “Tension and Harmony: A Comment on Chenyang Li’s The Confucian Philosophy of Harmony.” Philosophy East and West 67 (1): 237-245.
  • ____. 2016. “Zhuangzi’s idea of ‘spirit’: acting and ‘thinging things’ without self-assertion.” Asian Philosophy 26 (1): 38-51.
  • ____. 2015. “Goblet Words and Indeterminacy.” Frontiers of Philosophy in China 10 (2): 255-272.
  • ____. 2014. “Assessment of li in the Mencius and the Mozi.” Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 13(2): 199-214
  • Lai, Karyn and Chiu, Wai wai. 2013. “Ming in the Zhuangzi Neipian: Enlightened Engagement.” Journal of Chinese Philosophy 40 (3-4): 527-543.
  • Chiu, Wai wai. 2013. “Jian ai and the Mohist attack of early Confucianism.” Philosophy Compass 8 (5): 425-437.

Publications (Book Edited)

  • Lai, Karyn and Chiu, Wai wai ed. 2019. Skill and Mastery: Philosophical Stories from the Zhuangzi. London: Rowman and Littlefield International Limited.

Publications (Book Reviews)

  • Chiu, Wai wai. 2014. “Review of Chenyang Li, The Confucian Philosophy of Harmony.” Sophia 53(4): 579-580.

Conference Presentations

  • Chiu, Wai wai. “Zhuangzi’s Knowledge and Its Evaluation of qing.” Presented at the 21st International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, Bern, 2-5 July 2019.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi and anti-intellectualism.” Presented at the 20th International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, Singapore, 4-7 July 2017.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi’s knowing-how and skepticism.” Presented at 2nd Singapore-Hong Kong Symposium on Chinese Philosophy, Hong Kong, 29-30 Apr 2016; International Conference on the Contemporary Significance of Zhuangzi’s Philosophy, Taipei, 2-4 Oct 2015.
  • ____. “Filial piety in the Zhuangzi－‘let the parents forget you’.” Presented at the 19th International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, Hong Kong, 21-24 July 2015.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi’s Idea of Spirit and Nourishment of Life.” Presented at the 1st Singapore-Hong Kong Symposium on Chinese Philosophy, Singapore, 13-14 Mar 2015.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi’s idea of ‘spirit’: Self, thinging things and the nourishment of life.” Presented at Tunghai University Conference: Mind and Nature in Chinese Philosophy, 25-26 Apr 2014.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi and the Co-existence with Nature: Going Beyond a Human Perspective.” Presented at the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy 2011 Annual Conference, Hawaii, 25-28 Mar 2011.
  • ____. “The Critique of Benefit in the Mencius and Mozi.” Presented at Tenth East-West Philosophers’ Conference, Hawaii, 16-24 Mar 2011.
  • ____. “Zhuangzi’s ‘Cheng Xin’ As a Challenge to the Correspondence Theory of Knowledge.” Presented at Australasian Association of Philosophy Conference 2010, Sydney, 4-9 July 2010.
  • ____. “A Critique of ‘Neutral’ Knowledge in the Zhuangzi.” Presented at APA Pacific Division 84th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 31 Mar – 3 Apr 2010.
  • ____. “A problem of translation in ‘Interpreting Chinese by Western Methodology’.” Presented at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Conference: Taoist Textual Interpretation: Historical Approach versus Self Expression International Conference, 19-21 Dec 2007.
  • ____. “A Cultural View with Philosophy in Its Centre.” Presented at Nanjing University Conference: Traditional Culture and Contemporary Civilization, 1-7 Sept 2007.

Grants Received

  • Project title: Zhuangzi’s conception of Knowledge
    Funded by: Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
    Duration: 1 Jan 2017 – 31 Dec 2018
    Amount: $173, 000 HKD
  • Project title: Nature and Self-cultivation in the Zhuangzi and the Commentary on the Zhuangzi
    Funded by: Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
    Duration: 1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022
    Amount: $99, 209 HKD

Research Work in Progress

  • Chiu, Wai wai. “Filial piety in the Zhuangzi—‘let the parents forget you’.” In Chong, Kim-chong ed., Dao Companion to the Zhuangzi. Dordrecht: Springer.
  • Chiu, Wai wai. “Debate of xing in the Outer Chapters.” Journal article.
  • Chiu, Wai wai. “Guo Xiang’s xing and the reconciliation between spontaneity and the teaching of names.” Journal article.

Teaching Experience

  • Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Lingnan University (Aug 2014~)
    • Course Taught:
      • History of Chinese Philosophy (from pre-Qin to Han), around 40 students
      • History of Chinese Philosophy (from Wei to Ming), around 30 students
      • The Philosophy of Mozi, around 15 students
      • The Philosophy of Zhuangzi, around 20 students
      • Chinese Political Philosophy, around 40 students
      • Chinese Ethics, around 30 students
      • Introduction to Chinese Thought, around 20 students
      • Understanding Morality, around 30 students
      • [MA programme] Guided Studies: Zhuangzi, around 20 students

Administrative Duties

  • Programme Admissions Officer (2020-2021)
  • Undergraduate Admissions Committee Chair (2020), Member (2019)
  • Faculty Admissions Coordinator (2019)
  • Chairperson of Staff-Student Consultation Committee for Year 1 BA students (2015~2019)
  • MA in Practical Philosophy Programme Programme Director (2015~2019), Assistant Programme Director (2014-2015)
  • Coordinator of Chinese, History and Philosophy Interdisciplinary Major (2015~)
  • Information Day Coordinator (2014-2019)
  • Department Seminar Coordinator (2014~2017)

Awards

  • Outstanding Teaching Award for Early Career Faculty (Lingnan University), Nov 2016

Community Services

  • HKDSE subject committee member (Liberal Studies), Oct 2014 – Sept 2020