We are excited to announce that the Summer School on the Kyoto School 2026 is now inviting applications from bachelor’s degree graduates and postgraduate students. This program is co-organized by the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Japanese Studies.
Theme: Totality and Contradiction
Description: While major Western philosophical movements in the 20th century looked upon claims to absolute knowledge with deep suspicion, the Kyoto School never abandoned philosophy’s sacred vocation to know the absolute. Against the dominant disposition to look upon contradiction as an obstacle to absolute knowledge, the Kyoto School recognizes contradiction as the key to unlocking the secrets of absolute totality. The Summer School will engage with major thinkers of the Kyoto School on totality and contradiction. Philosophizing with Nishida, Takahashi, Tanabe, Nishitani, Ueda, Miki, Tosaka, and Watsuji, the Summer School will also explore the contemporary relevance of the Kyoto School for philosophical thought in the 21st century.
Date: 1-12 June 2026
Venue: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Keynotes: Yūjin Itabashi (Rissho University), Mayuko Uehara (Kyoto University), Satoshi Urai (Kyoto University), Graham Priest (CUNY), Gregory S. Moss (CUHK), Kyle Peters (CUHK), and Dennis Prooi (HKBU)
Organizers: Gregory S. Moss (CUHK), Kyle Peters (CUHK), and Dennis Prooi (HK Baptist); Co-organized by the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Japanese Studies with support from the Faculty of Arts, CUHK
Eligibility: No background in the Kyoto School is necessary to apply, however, a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, East Asian Studies, or a closely related discipline is a requirement. We invite graduate students, both master’s and PhD students, to apply. All non-local students accepted to the programme will be provided with accommodation. Some meals and some local transportations will also be covered.
Deadline for application: 1 March 2026
Link for application: https://cloud.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/webform/view.php?id=13724876