With:
Michael Sandel (Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University)
Joseph C.W. Chan (Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong)
Hahm Chaibong (President, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Korea)
Inoue Tatsuo (Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, University of Tokyo, Japan)
Qu Hongmei (Professor, Department of Philosophy, Jilin University, China)
Chaired by Elizabeth Perry (Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government, Harvard University; Director, Harvard-Yenching Institute)
Organized by the Harvard-Yenching Institute, co-sponsored with the Asia Center, the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, and the Korea Institute
The roundtable is held in conjunction with the publication of Encountering China: Michael Sandel and Chinese Philosophy (Harvard University Press, January 2018). In the book, leading scholars of Chinese philosophy explore points of contact between Michael Sandel’s work and the Confucian and Daoist traditions. In a concluding chapter, Professor Sandel replies to their commentaries. This roundtable will seek to elaborate and expand upon this dialog between Western and Chinese political thought, and to assess the response to Sandel’s work in China, Japan, and South Korea. Following the roundtable, a book signing by Professor Sandel will be held in the CGIS concourse, with copies of the book available to purchase.
Upcoming Events
Visiting Scholar Talks
The Economics of Bloodline: Language, Social Class, and the Racialization of Damunhwa Youth in South KoreaMonday, October 5, 2026
Visiting Scholar Talks
When Men Marry into the Wife’s Family: Patriarchy, Intimacy, and Masculinity in Everyday Family Life of Post-Reform ChinaTuesday, October 13, 2026
Visiting Scholar Talks
Between Village and City: How Ede Communities Navigate Urbanization in Vietnam’s Central HighlandsTuesday, October 20, 2026