汪純瑩 Gustav Chun-Ying Wang

Chun-Ying Wang developed his interest in Kant's philosophy early in his high-school years. He planned to study Kant as a key to the western philosophy and in return as a methodological path back to the philosophy of his own culture, particularly Daoism (Taoism) and Buddhism. He began with Kant's aesthetics because of his beautiful experience in high-school wind ensemble and orchestra, as the French horn player and the conductor, and extended his interest to Kant's critical philosophy as a whole during his college and graduate years. He wrote his master thesis with a German scholar Professor Dr. Dr. Christian Helmut Wenzel (presently Distinguished Professor at National Taiwan University - Philosophy). The thesis title is: Imagination in Kant. It deals with the relationship between the faculty of rules and logic, understanding, and the faculty forming sensible experience, imagination, in Kant. On the one hand, he uses Kant's theory of aesthetic ideas and genius to present the creative employment of imagination as a counterpart of the more widely noticed appreciative employment of the faculty, attempting to bring forth more systematic meanings of Kant's theory of free play in the context of the whole critical philosophy. On the other hand, he presents a theory of three modes of imagination's association (three different kinds of cooperation between the two faculties) based upon Kant's theory. The three modes correspond to three kinds of judgment, namely, (1) cognitive judgment, (2) cosmological/moral judgment and (3) aesthetic judgment. These three kinds of association also correspond to three different mental states/layers: (1) particularly determined cognition (the consciousness of a particular object), (2) universally determined cognition (the consciousness of belonging to the kingdom of nature or the kingdom of ends, in which the particular determined object is cognized or willed) and (3) the cognition in general (Erkenntnis überhaupt; the consciousness of itself in freedom). He argues, each former state/layer takes (not in temporal causal relation) its next as its conditional basis.

Distinguished Professor Chen-kuo Lin (National Chengchi University)'s long-term NSC Talent Cultivation Projects “Buddhist Epistemology (2007 – 2008)” and “Indian Buddhist Thought in 6th-7th Century China (2009 – 2013)” led him into the field of Buddhist studies, particularly the field of Dignāga's logic and epistemology. In his PhD program, continuing his study in Kant's critical philosophy, he got himself acquainted with the disciplines of Madyhamaka philosophy (Nāgārjuna) and Yogacārā epistemology (Dignāga's pramāṇavada and hetuvidyā). His ultimate concerns with the materials both from the east and the west center on the issues of self-awareness, freedom, and the relation between the immediate (sensible) and mediate (logical/conceptual) faculty of cognition. His initial problematic putting Dignāga and Kant together, beside of following the issues his predecessors such as Master Yinshun 印順導師, Zongsan Mo牟宗三, Stcherbatsky, Murti, and Roberto Pinheior Machado (2008), have brought forth, is that: to identify whether there is a systematic flaw in Kant by enquiring whether the challenges against Dignāga raised by the later Madhyamaka thinkers, such as Candrakīrti, could succeed. For he believes, the philosophical position of Kant's transcendental idealism is exactly the position of Madhyamaka, while Kant's approach to establish the philosophical position is what Dignāga chooses. If epistemology in the end is proved to be insufficient to support the philosophical view that rejects any cognition-free existence, the same predicament may also fall in front of Kant's face.

He's recently become PhD candidate in philosophy (2013 spring) at National Chengchi University under the supervision of Distinguished Professor Chen-kuo Lin. His dissertation title is: Transcendental Logic and Spiritual Development – Following Dignāga's and Kant's Critical Epistemology (summary). He will deal with a common interpretation controversy in the commentary literature of Dignāga and that of Kant – the subtle disagreement understanding the epistemological terms with or without the attribution of any ontological value. He believes, the radical understanding (without attributing any ontological value) of the two epistemic systems can better help sustain the systems themselves, not only because the removal of the ontological attributes to the epistemological terms can help resolve several obvious interpretative problems in the commentary history, but also because this even allows for their better fitness to their practical purposes – morality (the up-lifting and distinctive position of self-awareness from the cognized subjects – empirical self and psychological self) and freedom (autonomous state as not being conditioned by the experience at all and beginning a new causal series).

In recent years, Chun-Ying Wang also devoted himself to the interdisciplinary research in collaboration with computer science. He started a company, as one profit-oriented social enterprise, MEPO Humanity Technology, Inc., with one of his high-school friends in 2008 winter, a CS PhD student in academic suspension at University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, the U.S. The team particularly worked on information retrieval and search technology, artificial intelligence, innovating web services and the interlayer structure communicating programs and visual effects (particularly for web communications and strategic communications). The team worked for the Division of International Cooperation, National Science Council, Taiwan between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012. The team began to work for the General Political Warfare Bureau, Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan since 2009 spring. From 2012 on, the team also provided services for the ministry's Office of Adjutants General and the ministry's Military News Agency. The team's service for the ministry's another press unit Youth Daily News started since 2013 summer.

RESEARCH

INTEREST

Philosophy of Kant, Indian/Chinese Buddhist Epistemology (and Logic), Philosophy of Mind, Aesthetics, Computer Science

EDUCATION

PhD Program in Philosophy

National Chengchi University, July 2008 ~

(Presently PhD Candidate; Dissertation Title: Transcendental Logic and Spiritual Development – Following Dignāga's and Kant's Critical Epistemology, in progress, supervised by Professor Dr. Chen-kuo Lin, written in English)

PhD. Diss. Proposal, May 2014: PDF download

M.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature,

National Chi-Nan University, July 2002 ~ June 2004

(Degree Thesis: Imagination in Kant, supervised by Professor Dr. Dr. Christian Helmut Wenzel, written in English)

B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature,

National Chi-Nan University, July 1998 ~ June 2002

Provincial (National) Taichung First Senior High School, July 1995~ June 1998

HONORS

Researcher at Center for Applied Philosophy and Ethics, Kyoto University (2014 May ~ )

Founding Member of KICAS (Kyoto International Consortium for Asian Studies)

Member of the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Society, R. O. C.

PUBLICATION

Master Thesis:

Imagination in Kant. National Chi-Nan University, 2004. Supervised by Professor Christian Helmut Wenzel. (English)

Conference Paper:

[2] “Self-knowledge of Self-Awareness and the Interpretation Discrepancies among Dignāga's Commentators,” in Proceedings of the 2012 Peking University PhD Students Forum on Chinese Philosophy and Religion, Department of Philosophy, and of Religious Studies, Peking University. Beijing: 2012.4.19. (Chinese)

[1] “Between the Indeterminate and the Determined: from the Viewpoints of Dignāga and Kant,” in Proceedings of the Conference of Buddhist Epistemology 2009, NSC Talent Cultivation Project: Indian Thought in 6th-7th Century China 2009. Taipei, 2009.12.19. (English)

Presentation:

[4] "​Does Freedom Contradict Causal Exhaustion? – A Critical-Epistemological Resolution," 2015 KU-NCCU Graduate Workshop on Asian Philosophy. Taipei: 2015 March. (English)

[3] "From 4 Pramāṇa-s to 2 Pramāṇa-s. How Does Dignāga's “Combination Argument” Work in PS(V) 1.2-3?," the 17th Conference of International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS XVII), IABS. Vienna: 2014 August. (English)

[2] "The Missing/Mysterious Dimension: the Significance of the Ultimate in Buddhist Epistemology and the Transcendental in Kant," in the First Chengchi-Kyoto Joint Workshop on Buddhist Analytic Philosophy. Taipei: 2013.2.18. (English)

[2b] "The Missing/Mysterious Dimension: the Significance of the Ultimate in Buddhist Epistemology and the Transcendental in Kant," in Kyoto University Asia Studies Unit (KUASU) Professor Graham Priest Lecture Series "Introduction to Analytic Asian Philosophy II". Kyoto: 2013.11.17. (English)

[1] "An Essay Establishing Critical Epistemology – Following Dignāga and Kant,” in the 16th Conference of International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS XVI), IABS. New Taipei: 2011 June. (English)

Invited Lecture:

[1] “Kant's Aesthetics: Create a Beautiful Life! Aesthetics, Artistic Creation and Career Planning,” for College of Planning and Design, China University of Technology. Hsinchu County, 2012.11.30. (Chinese) (album)

WORK

EXPERIENCE

*Founder and Vision Provider/Architect,

MEPO Humanity Technology Inc., Taiwan (2008/10~)

．Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan: *

[1] General Political Warfare Bureau, “Military Strategic Communications Management System,” military line, confidential (2013~)

[2] General Political Warfare Bureau's Psychology Operations Division, “All-out Defense Course Application System,” construction and maintenance (2013~)

[3] Headquarters, “Military News Agency Online Press Service Platform,” construction and maintenance (2012~)

[4] Office of Adjutants General, annual event website construction and maintenance (2012~)

[5] General Political Warfare Bureau's Psychology Operations Division, annual event website construction and maintenance (2009~; joint annual press conference, 2011~)

[6] Headquarters, Youth Daily News Realtime News Module, dual-line service (public/military line) (2013 ~ )

[7] Office of All-Out Defense Education, Political Warfare Bureau, World Wide Web of All-Out Defense Education (2013 ~ )

．National Science Council, Taiwan:

NSC International Cooperation Sci-Tech Newsbrief Project (2009/01~2012/12)

-Project Manager, Site (Bilingual, Chinese and English) Editor, and Columnist of “Sci-tech Taiwan”

．Taipei Astronomical Museum, Taiwan:

“Virtual Astronomical Museum,” construction (2012 Spring)

-Project Manager

Executive Assistant to Manager-General ,

SMS Intelligence International Co., Taiwan (2007/09~2008/05)

．Complete Car Agency

Representative Case: 10-year Contract between SAIC Motor (China) and Proton Motor (Malaysia)

．Car electronics (European Representative)

．Ore and oil trading between China and Australia

Experience suspension due to family catastrophe (2006/10~2007/09)

Computer Solider, (military service)

269R5BHQ, National Army, Taiwan (2004/10~2006/12)

Database Maintainer

System Maintainer

English & French Tutor; Volunteer English Teacher in Aboriginal Tribes (Puli and Renai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 1999/6~2004/6)

SKILLS

Fluent in Chinese, Taiwanese, English,

Reading German and French

Yi-Jing 《易經》

EXTRA-

CURRICULARS

Conductor and French Horn Chair, Wind Ensemble of National Taichung First Senior High School, Taiwan, 1996-1998.

French Horn Chair, Rising Star Orchestra, the City Orchestra of Taichung City, Taiwan 1996-1997.

[1] "An Essay Establishing Critical Epistemology – Following Dignāga and Kant,” in the 16th Conference of International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS XVI), IABS. New Taipei: 2011 June. (English)

[1] "Between the Indeterminate and the Determined: from the Viewpoints of Dignaga and Kant," in Conference of Buddhist Epistemology. Taipei: 2009 December. (English)

佛教知識論（Buddhist_Epistemology）

中觀（Madhyamaka）

先驗理想主義（Transcendental_Idealism）

康德哲學（Philosophy_of_Kant）

社會企業（Social_Enterprise）

原住民（Aboriginal）

受持讀誦（Buddhist_Sutra_Quotations）

國際現勢(International_Present_Situation)