University at Buffalo (UB)
Jiyuan Yu's philosophical legacy is examined in two new books
Published November 1, 2023
The philosophical legacy of Jiyuan Yu is examined in two new books. Published in 2023, both books are written in Chinese. The first, Between Ancient and Modern China and the West: Academic Anthology of Jiyuan Yu, is a collection of his important articles and of responses by other scholars. The second, Lecture on Aristotle's Metaphysics, contains a series of lectures delivered in 2011 by Professor Yu at Shandong University that were later compiled by Professor Yu’s doctoral students.
Jiyuan Yu (1964-2016) became a faculty member of the Philosophy Department of the University at Buffalo in 1997, and served as Director of the UB Confucius Institute from 2013 to 2016. He had an international reputation for his work in ancient Greek philosophy, classical Chinese philosophy, and comparative philosophy. Read more.
Between Ancient and Modern China and the West: Academic Anthology of Jiyuan Yu (2023)
This book is a collection of Jiyuan Yu's important articles and responses from other scholars. Parts 1 to 5 include 22 papers by Jiyuan Yu, an internationally renowned expert on ancient Greek philosophy, on virtue ethics, and on comparative studies of China and the West. The Appendix contains Chinese and foreign scholars’ research on Jiyuan Yu’s thoughts, consisting of nine papers of academic dialogue. Jiyuan Yu stands at the forefront of academic research, carrying out creative and pioneering research, debating between China and the West, ranging from a thorough study of ancient Greek philosophy to a thorough comparison of contemporary Chinese and Western philosophy, and finally to a study of virtue, and of the interactions between the ethical thinking of ancient and modern China and the West, tracing the origins of philosophical issues and raising questions about the future of philosophy
Lecture on Aristotle's Metaphysics (2023)
A lecture delivered by Professor Yu at Shandong University in 2011 and later compiled by his doctoral students into a single volume. The book presents Aristotle's metaphysical thoughts in a systematic form, covering not only the important issues addressed in the Metaphysics, but also relevant thoughts in Physics, Categories and On the Soul.
There are nine chapters in the volume: Chapter 1 focuses on the works, nature and methods of Aristotle’s metaphysics. Chapters 2 to 4 on Aristotle’s categories, on being, and on ontology and attributes; focusing on the treatment of being qua being in volume 4 of the Metaphysics. Chapter 5 begins a discussion of change and a treatment of ontology and the subject. Chapter 6 focuses on arguments establishing claims on behalf of essence and form. Chapters 7 to 9 focus on Aristotle’s account of formal cause, nature and teleology, on the potential and the real, and on theology and metaphysics.
This lecture follows the style of Professor Yu’s book on Plato’s Republic and not only pays attention to the original reading and interpretation of the issues, but also introduces relevant discussions in contemporary academic circles, including the author's own views. It is thus also an original contribution to academic research. The appendix at the end of the lecture includes the course syllabus in English, together with references used in the course, and reading lists of related works.