In an effort to ensure the most coherent and fruitful interactions at the conference, all papers must be submitted in advance in electronic form, with a final deadline of December 31, 2005. Papers will be circulated to all attendees, and presentations at the conference will be limited to ten-minute summaries. There will be no designated discussants; all attendees will have read the papers and take part in collective discussion of each panel’s papers and themes.

It is suggested that contributions fall into one of the following broad topics:

1. How might Neo-Confucian thinkers engage productively with any area of contemporary philosophy? In other words, in what ways might a contemporary Confucian learn from ways in which his or her Neo-Confucian sources might be enhanced or critiqued by other contemporary philosophical traditions? In what ways might other contemporary philosophical traditions develop in light of enhancements or critiques offered by Neo-Confucianism?
2. What methodological issues are highlighted by thinking about Neo-Confucianism philosophically? Examples might be the lack of a hard distinction between Neo-Confucianism’s “philosophical” and “spiritual” or “religious” aspects; Neo-Confucianism’s emphasis on personal experience and cultivation, as versus the professionalization of contemporary philosophy; or issues raised by the differences between classical Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism.
3. Are new interpretations of Neo-Confucian thinkers or texts occasioned by an engagement with contemporary global philosophy?

In addition to several panels at which we will discuss these issues, there will be a roundtable discussion of the current state of the philosophical study of Neo-Confucianism, both in the US and globally, and an effort made to determine what steps should be taken to improve this situation.