13 Mar 2026 (Fri)
From Wang Yangming to Spinoza: Jesuit Reception of Neo‑Confucian Thought and Its Impact on Early Modern Philosophy in Europe
| Date: | 13 Mar 2026 (Fri) |
| Time: | 16:00-17:30 |
| Location: | CEC1002 |
| Speaker: | Dr. Mateusz Janik, Polish Academy of Sciences |
| Language: | English |
This lecture examines several key philosophical assumptions and challenges encountered by the early Jesuit missionaries who helped popularize a monist interpretation of Neo‑Confucianism in early modern Europe. It explores the metaphysical framework through which they received and interpreted Chinese philosophy, reassesses the role of late Ming Confucian culture in shaping the Western image of Chinese thought, and considers its impact on early modern European understandings of monism among contemporary thinkers.
Dr. Mateusz Janik
Mateusz Janik (1983) is a historian of ideas and a political scientist who works in the field of comparative studies. Since 2019 he is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Studies (Polish Academy of Sciences). His research focuses on Sino-European intellectual exchange and the global history of early modern philosophy. His latest research is devoted to the genealogy of Sino-Spinozism and monist interpretations of Neo-Confucian philosophy in early modern Europe.
