Abstract: Representation, a vital concept in accounting for how we perceive and engage with the world, has emerged as a significant subject across various fields, including anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, cultural studies, cognitive science, and visual culture. Focusing specifically on Asian religions, philosophy, and aesthetics, this course explores profound existential and ethical inquiries that have played a formative role in shaping and impacting those societies.
We are glad to announce our upcoming one-week Doctoral School “Systems of Representation in Asian Religious and Philosophical Traditions” and encourage interested students in applying to attend.
October 9th – 13th, 2023.
Venue: De Abt Meeting Center Ghent.
Organizers (Ghent Univ.)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Anderl,
Prof. Dr. Daniela De Simone,
Dr. Henry Albery.
Primary instructor:
Prof. Dr. Robert Yelle (Interfaculty Programme for the Study of Religion, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)
Supporting instructors
Dr. Polina Lukicheva (Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich)
Dr. Henry Albery (Junior Postdoctoral Fellow, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO), Department of Language and Cultures, Ghent University)
Dr. Juen Chien (Assistant Professor, Department of Buddhist Studies, Fo Guang University, Taiwan)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Anderl (Prof. of Chinese Language and Culture, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University)
Registration
Ghent PhD students: Registration through the Doctoral Schools website
External participants: Please send an application to christoph.anderl@ugent.be. The Doctoral School accepts the participation of up to five external PhD researchers. Applicants should attach a short CV and letter of motivation to the email. For the accepted students, a fee waiver will apply. Application deadline: Sept. 10th.
Course description
Representation, a vital concept in accounting for how we perceive and engage with the world, has emerged as a significant subject across various fields, including anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, cultural studies, cognitive science, and visual culture. Focusing specifically on Asian religions, philosophy, and aesthetics, this course explores profound existential and ethical inquiries that have played a formative role in shaping and impacting those societies.
The objective of the course is to offer a systematic study of systems of representation and symbolism within Asian thought and practice and provide students with a cutting-edge conceptual apparatus in semiotics and anthropology, enhancing their theoretical grounding through an introduction to key concepts from these disciplines. It shall examine the evolution of systems of representation and their function in conveying complex concepts in different historical contexts and communities, providing the students with both a specialised knowledge in the history and cultural contexts of the regions considered, whilst fostering a comprehensive understanding of the terminologies and histories of specific forms of representation. Through an interrogation of fundamental theoretical frameworks, case studies, and analyses of textual and visual materials, the course is designed to equip students with the analytical, methodological and theoretical skills for usage in their research.
This course is specifically designed for doctoral students specialising in Buddhist studies and related fields which focus on the cultural traditions of Asia. It offers a deep exploration into the working of systems of representation and symbolism within specific cultural frameworks, illuminating their role in shaping existential and ethical attitudes and conveying religious and philosophical ideas. Through such an exploration, students will develop a new conceptual lens with which they shall nuance their understanding of the traditions they study.
The course covers a wide range of topics within the field, from establishing and exploring theoretical frameworks for studying the complexities of representation to examining concrete case studies. It includes the analysis of textual and visual materials, alongside an investigation into the terminology and history of concepts pertaining to the problematics of representation, e.g.:
• Multifaceted perspectives on representation: ontological assumptions, cognitive processes, and communicative functions;
• Symbolic systems and the construction of meaning: unravelling layers and referential dynamics in representation, such as pragmatic versus semantic functions;
• Representation and Transcendence: investigating the interactions between the perceived and unperceived, the sign and signlessness, form and formlessness and meaning and meaningless in ritual, meditative and aesthetic practices;
• Analysing terminology and concepts of representation: exploring philosophical theories and primary sources (including accounts on meditation, visualization, observation and contemplation. e.g., the conceptual history of guan 觀) and Buddhist theories of mind, perception and cognition;
• Representation and Aesthetics: exploring the intersection of artistic expression and (religious) symbolic systems;
• Exploring symbolism in Buddhist ritual practices and arts and the significance of (the representation of) the Buddha’s body.
Programme
Monday 9th October: Theories of representation
10.00 Welcome (Christoph Anderl and Daniela De Simone)
10.00-12.00 Lecture: “Conceptual Foundations of a Semiotics of Religion” * (Robert Yelle)
12.00-13.30 Lunch
13.30-15.00 Lecture: “From Semantics to Pragmatics in the Semiotics of Religion” (Robert Yelle)
15:00-15:15 Coffee break
15.15-16.30 Lecture: “Representation: Bridging the Gap Between Idealism and Realism” (Polina Lukicheva)
Tuesday 10th October: Methodological applications
10.00-12.00 Lecture: “The Semiotics of Ritual Performance” * (Robert Yelle)
12.00-13.30 Lunch
13.30-16.00 Source analysis: Case Studies from Ritual Traditions (Robert Yelle)
Wednesday 11th October: Perspectives from South Asia
10.00-12.00 Lecture: “The Structure and Function of Mantras” * (Robert Yelle)
12.00-13.30 Lunch
13.30-14.30 Source analysis: Case Studies from Selected Hindu and Buddhist Texts (Robert Yelle)
14:30-15:50 Coffee break
14.50-16.30 Student presentations (Moderator: Robert Yelle)
Thursday 12th October: Meditation traditions of Central and East Asia
10.00-12.00 Source analysis: “Semiotic Ideology and Buddhist meditation in Central Asia” (Henry Albery)
12.00-13.30 Lunch
13.30-16.00 Source analysis: “Mental representation in Yogācāra and Chan: the case of the three natures and guan 觀” (Chien Juen and Polina Lukicheva)
Friday 13th October: Representation and Narrative in Dunhuang
10.00-12.00 Source Analysis: Text-Image relations in the narration of Buddha’s life in Dunhuang Cave 61 (Christoph Anderl)
12.00.13.30 Lunch
13.30-15.30 Student presentations (Moderator: Christoph Anderl)
15.30-16.00 Closing discussion
Reading materials: A list of recommended reading materials will be sent to the participants ca. three weeks prior to the beginning of the Doctoral School.
Note: Lectures marked with * are planned to be open to the general public and will be broadcast via Zoom. After registration for the public lectures (via email to christoph.anderl@ugent.be), a Zoom link will be sent.
Update: doctoral school pictures
