Call for Applications Summer School on “Way and Being”(TÜBIngen, Germany) August 24–29, 2026

Way and Being: Between Daoist and Presocratic Approaches is a summer school
designed for students engaged in or interested in research opportunities within the
constellation of Chinese, Greek, and German philosophy of Way and Being. The
program includes presentations and discussions led by invited speakers on related
topics. Additionally, students will have the chance to share and discuss their ideas with
peers and speakers.
This summer school aims to foster philosophical and critical engagement by
facilitating dialogues between ancient Chinese and Greek sources within the context
of contemporary philosophical discourses, focusing but not limited to those
influenced by Martin Heidegger’s Way of thinking. We encourage discussions and
research that go beyond cultural clichés and agendas, approaching classical studies
with an attentiveness to modern reconstructions of ancient texts in both Chinese and
Greek traditions.
The encounter between early Chinese and Greek thought invites reflection on
how each tradition articulates the relationship between Way and Being. Parmenides’s
theory of Being, for instance, is also a theory of the way or ways: it raises the question
of whether there is only one way of being, or also a second way of non-being, or even
a third way between the two. Comparable questions have also shaped modern
Western and Chinese interpretations and translations of the Daoist classic Laozi 老子,
which has often been read as a philosophy of Way. “Way” (dào 道 or odos οδός) opens
up far-reaching and still little-explored approaches to Chinese and Greek philosophy.
These approaches include, among others, a systematic dialogue between the two
traditions through the theme of walking, wandering, and journeying.
This summer school continues the discussions of two previous meetings: one
at the Free University of Berlin (July 2025), also titled “Way and Being: Between Daoist
and Presocratic Approaches,” and another at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou (August
2025), titled “Philosophies of the Way: Laozi, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Readings of
Heidegger.” The aim of this third meeting is to prepare the publication of two special
issues in 2027: “Way and Being: Between Daoist and Presocratic Approaches” (Asian
Studies, Ljubljana) and the joint special issue “Walking, Wandering, and Journeying:
Approaches from Chinese and Greek Thought” (Religions and Philosophies).

How to Apply
To facilitate in-depth exchanges and discussions, the summer school will be limited to
20 graduate students with the oportunity to present their work. Interested
participants should send their applications (CV and abstract) to Niels Weidtmann
([email protected]) by March 31, 2026. Admission will be
confirmed by April 30, 2026.

Further Details
See the document attached

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