Normative Issues in Chinese Art Practice

This small, discussion-oriented workshop brings together work in aesthetics, ethics, and Chinese philosophy around one question: how should we understand the relation between artistic value, cultural tradition, embodied practice, aesthetic perception, and moral cultivation? The four papers approach normativity in Chinese art practice from different angles: cross-cultural aesthetic judgment, calligraphy and embodied character, perception and xiang (象), and the relationship between moral cultivation and music performance.

26 June 2026 — Paper session (open to the public; in person and online), 9:30 AM–5:05 PM (China Standard Time)

• James Harold (Mount Holyoke College), “On Cultural Deference in Aesthetic Judgment”
• Xiongbo Shi 史雄波 (Lanzhou University), “Brush, Body, Self: Exploring Ethico-Aesthetic Judgment in Chinese Calligraphy”
• Shuting Liao 廖舒婷 (Wuhan University), “Reframing Perception with Xiang (象): A Structural Account of Perceptual Intelligibility”
• Yili Zhou 周奕李 (Duke Kunshan University), “Morality and Music: How Moral Self-Cultivation Contributes to Musicianship”

27 June 2026 — Works-in-progress session (closed-door)

Each paper runs 30 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of discussion.

Recordings (26 June paper session)

• Welcome and opening remarks, Yili Zhou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUoTD3PRiqY
• James Harold, “On Cultural Deference in Aesthetic Judgment”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBPPOtjAl30
• Xiongbo Shi, “Brush, Body, Self: Exploring Ethico-Aesthetic Judgment in Chinese Calligraphy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNNQTDT9eqs
• Yili Zhou, “Morality and Music: How Moral Self-Cultivation Contributes to Musicianship”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVIXyAlybkA

The recording of Shuting Liao’s talk is not publicly available. The works-in-progress session was not recorded.

Organiser: Yili Zhou (Duke Kunshan University)