“Difference” is the symbolic keyword of modern/postmodern thoughts and culture. Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault, Derrida，Adorno，Lyotard and Deleuze all devoted to making a breakthrough through “difference”on substance, entity and identity in order to save western cultural crisis due to metaphysics and open wide the future of human beings. The basic themes of modern and postmodern thoughts are recognizing, presenting, spreading as well as publicizing “difference”. Nevertheless, "difference" is not the patent of modern / post-modern thoughts. There is a long-standing ideological tradition of “difference” both in China and West. Literary works in different times most directly and vividly embody the thought of “difference”.
In the view of the thought of “difference”, it is either the foundation for the existence of things or the natural state of the world; either the guarantee of the diversities of the world or the driving force of generation, movement and change of the world. Differences are also the natural state of thoughts and the emphasis on “differences” is a return to the original state of thoughts. The Workshop is committed to making a conversation between Chinese and Western literature to explore their different concepts and ideas in Epistemology and Substantialism. Meanwhile the workshop hopes to treat “difference” in plural and developing perspective so as to figure out ontology of “difference”. Literary Thoughts Center of Guangzhou University will hold International Workshop on “Differences and literary Thoughts” in October 20 to 21, 2018. The essays of the workshop will be complied into proceedings and published after the workshop. We sincerely and heartily look forward to your coming!
Languages of the workshop: Chinese, English and German.
Theme of workshop: Difference and Literature Thoughts
Topics of Workshop
1. Dialogues between the Concepts of "Yi" and "Hua" of Chinese traditional thoughts and the theory of "New Materialism" of West.
2. Different dimensions, historical evolution and literary expressions of Chinese and Western Transcendentalism (substantialism).
3. “Difference” within the Traditional Vision between China and West
4. “Difference” and Literature/Cultural Exchange
5. “Difference” in Modern and Post Modern Thoughts
6. “ Difference” and the Future of Literature
7. “Differences” both in Thoughts and Literature within the horizon of Pluralism and Process
Essays
Please email your essay before 31th, August,2018 to WXSX2018@163.com
Contact: Sha Hong-Bing:13600073769
Zhao De-Bo: 15099956313
Email：WXSX2018@163.com
Address: Literary Thoughts Center, No.230 Waihuan West Road, Panyu District, 510006, Guangzhou, China.
August 3st, 2018
Literary Thoughts Center of Guangzhou University
