Time: 17:00–18:00 (Dublin time), February 5th, 2025
Speaker: Alex Lee, University College Cork

 

Negative Forms of Knowledge in Daoist Epistemology

Abstract:
Daoist religion and philosophy places greater emphasis on the negative aspects of reality compared to Western traditions, whether in the physical or mental realms. When this perspective intersects with traditional epistemology, it raises intriguing questions about how ‘knowledge’ can exist in a negative or non-accessible form. Drawing on primary Daoist texts such as the Dao de Jing and the Zhuangzi, Alex Lee will first provide a foundational explanation of relational ontology and subsequently analyze selected passages to explore the conceptualization of negative knowledge.

About the Speaker:
Alex Lee is a third-year BA Philosophy student at University College Cork (UCC). Their primary interests include Chinese philosophical studies (particularly Daoism), epistemology (with a focus on our existence in a scientific society), existentialism, and aesthetics. UCC is uniquely positioned as the only national university in Ireland with East Asian philosophical studies as a dedicated subsection within its philosophy department, providing Alex with a distinctive background for this discussion.


For inquiries about the Zoom link, please contact Prof. Felix Ó Murchadha at felix.omurchadha@universityofgalway.ie, or Jess Masterson at jessica1607@outlook.ie.

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