PRIMARY RESEARCH
My current research bridges Chinese Buddhism and contemporary analytic metaphysics by carefully uncovering, critically examining, and systematically developing the underlying metaphysical commitments behind main Chinese Buddhist schools: Tiantai 天台, Sanlun 三論, Huayan 華嚴, and Chan/Zen 禪. This project (i) shows how contemporary philosophical resources can enhance Chinese Buddhism, (ii) deepens our understanding of the theories and practices of Chinese Buddhism, (iii) expands the scope and methodology of contemporary ‘mainstream’ philosophy, and (iv) in general models a way of illustrating how different traditions can enrich each other and how crosscultural collaborations can advance our inquiry into the big questions about the world and ourselves.
PAPERS
Papers in the metaphysics of Chinese Buddhism:
Additional papers in Buddhist philosophy:
During my PhD years, I was mostly intrigued by structures of interdependent entities (e.g., the natural number structure and scientific structures) and worked on the following two papers:
Near the end of my PhD journey, I serendipitously stumbled upon the thesis of the interdependence of all things in Huayan Buddhism. This discovery turned out to become my own rabbit hole into the enchanting wonderland of Chinese Buddhism. From that point forward, I have been self-teaching Chinese and Buddhist philosophy, while bridging the gaps between Chinese Buddhism and contemporary analytic philosophy.
- “The Relative Identity of All Objects: Tiantai Buddhism Meets Analytic Metaphysics”. 2024. Ergo. [Available through PhilPapers.]
- “How It All Depends: A Contemporary Construct of Huayan Buddhism”. Forthcoming. The Oxford Handbook of Chinese Philosophy, edited by Justin Tiwald. Oxford University Press. [Available through PhilPapers.]
- “From Emptiness to Interconnectedness: Identity and Dependence in Chinese Buddhism”. Forthcoming. Philosophy Compass.
- A paper on the argument for interdependence in Huayan Buddhism.
- A paper reconciling the tension between emptiness and ultimate reality in Huayan Buddhism.
- A paper reconstructing metaphysical indeterminacy in Sanlun Buddhism.
- A paper on the underlying metaphysics and the roles of language in Chan/Zen Buddhism.
Additional papers in Buddhist philosophy:
- A paper developing a Buddhist account of social groups.
- A paper on the key concepts of Chinese Buddhism.
During my PhD years, I was mostly intrigued by structures of interdependent entities (e.g., the natural number structure and scientific structures) and worked on the following two papers:
- A paper developing a structuralist view of grounding.
- A paper defending nomic structuralism.
Near the end of my PhD journey, I serendipitously stumbled upon the thesis of the interdependence of all things in Huayan Buddhism. This discovery turned out to become my own rabbit hole into the enchanting wonderland of Chinese Buddhism. From that point forward, I have been self-teaching Chinese and Buddhist philosophy, while bridging the gaps between Chinese Buddhism and contemporary analytic philosophy.
