Life, death and meaning - Eastern and Western perspectives

Life, death, and meaning are themes that have been discussed by thinkers in both the East and the West for centuries.

At this event speakers from Japan and the UK will address these profound philosophical questions from multidisciplinary perspectives. This event is organised as part of the University of Birmingham's ongoing collaboration with Waseda University in Tokyo.

All welcome, no need to register!

1:00-1:45:
‘Spirituality and the Meaning of Life: Perspectives of Religion and Psychology’
Prof. Norichika Horie (Death and Life Studies, University of Tokyo, Japan)

1:45-2:30:
'Existential Optimism and Evil’
Prof. Yujin Nagasawa (Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham)

2:30-2:45: Coffee break

2:45-3:30:
‘The Body as a Source of Ethical Independence in the Tradition of Daoism’
Prof. Yuria Mori (Chinese Philosophy, Waseda University, Japan)

3:30-4:15:
‘Optimism, Agency, and the Meaning of Life’
Prof. Lisa Bortolotti (Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences, University of Birmingham)

4:15-4:30: Break

4:30-5:15:
‘The Ontological Status of the Deceased Person who Continues to Appear in this World’
Prof. Masahiro Morioka (Philosophy and Ethics, Waseda University, Japan)