The 2024 IAS Lecture on Frontiers in Humanities – a book sharing entitled “Law Without Heaven: Darwinian Constitutionalism from Katō Hiroyuki and Justice Oliver Holmes to John C. H. Wu,” was successfully held by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) on May 10th. Professor Billy Kee Long So, a fellow of Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and a visiting fellow of HKU Law School, was invited to deliver the lecture. Professor Io Cheng Tong, Dean of the Faculty of Law (FLL), was invited to be the moderator. Professor Xiaobo Zhai, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law (FLL), and Professor Xingzhong Yu, Dean of IAS and Chair Professor of FLL, were invited to serve as discussants.

Law Without Heaven, a book co-authored by Prof. K.L. So and Prof. Sufumi So, takes a profound look at what law, society and human nature is: concepts that deeply shapes the humanity. Balancing respect and empathy in the clash between the desire for conquest and superiority, is not only a conflict between Social Darwinism and humanism but also the key to reshape human society. Prof. So highlighted the dangers of Social Darwinism, such as eugenics and fascism, which have had far-reaching negative impacts on human society.

Prof. So then drew further on the ideas of three constitutional law scholars – Hiroyuki Kato, Holmes, and Wu Jingxiong – to explore how the jurists of the time balanced the relationship between heaven, law, and society to find their own equilibrium. Hiroyuki Kato linked the concept of heaven to the gift of the Emperor, which was closely related to the historical background of Japanese society at that time. He believed that science had nothing to do with ethics, thus denying the gift of human rights, but at the same time, he firmly believed in the sanctity of the Emperor, a contradiction that embodies Japan’s unique mode of thought of “Western learning for the use, and Japanese thought for the main purpose”. Holmes’s view is more direct. He believes that law is directly related to the structure of social power, which determines everything, and that there is no such thing as natural human rights; human rights are entirely determined by social power, and the nature of law does not lie in logic, but in the accumulation of experience. John C. H., Wu, as a representative of Jungle Constitutionalism, also has his contradictory side: he has a great respect for the traditional Chinese law, believing that China is the first to put forward the concept of fairness and justice. But he has not very much appreciation of the traditional culture, and he also had a lot of criticism towards Confucianism. He is a great admirer of Holmes’s ideas and is eager to promote them in China.

During the discussion, the professors shared numerous insightful comments and analysis the book from multiple perspectives, including jurisprudence and legal history studies. The lecture attracted students and faculties from different fields to participate, fostering a robust atmosphere of academic discourse. IAS will continue to follow the latest research trends, and organize more high-quality academic activities to promote the exchange of knowledge and the collision of ideas in the future.

The 2024 Cultural Lecture — the book sharing of “Revolution by Means of Culture: The Late Qing Revolution and Zhang Taiyan”, organized by IAS, was successfully held on 22 April, 2024, at the E34 Cultural Building. Professor Lin Shaoyang from the Department of History, FAH, and the Head of Academic Programme and Publication of IAS was invited to be the speaker; Professor Liu Shih-Diing, Professor of the Department of Communication, FSS, and also the Senior Research Fellow of IAS, was invited to be the discussant; and Professor Wang Di, the Chair Professor of the Department of History, FAH, and Associate Director of IAS, was invited to be the moderator.

During the lecture, Prof. Lin provided a comprehensive analysis of Zhang Taiyan’s political thoughts, the comments towards Zhang Taiyan within the academic community, the social background of the New Culture Movement and the Xinhai Revolution. He posited that “though the New Culture Movement and the mainstream interpretations of the Xinhai Revolution seem to be unrelated, in fact they are connected.” He then articulated his perspective on the dichotomy between revolution and progress. He posited that the dichotomy between progress and revolution has profoundly influenced Chinese realpolitik. In his interpretation of the Xinhai Revolution, Prof. Lin highlighted that when examining historical events, it is possible to consider them within a broader temporal and spatial context; in other words, within a “long duration”. This approach to historical analysis differs from the conventional opinions of events as a “short duration”, and it leads to the identification of overlooked aspects. When it comes to the final part of his speech, Prof. Lin presented a summary of the compositional elements of the late Qing revolution: 1) armed insurrection; 2) autonomy movement; 3) revolution by means of “culture”. When describing the purpose of this book, Prof. Lin stated that he is attempings to reconstruct the general recognition of “what socialism is,” and also to reinterpret Chinese modernity by focusing on the historical position of Zhang Taiyan and his surroundings, as well as on the historical position of the late Qing Dynasty in Chinese modernity.

During the discussion session, Prof. Wang offered some insights on the subject. He posited that the way to understand the revolution is crucia and concurred with Prof. Lin’s perspective of examining historical events through a longer and broader temporal and spatial lens. Additionally, he mentioned that it is vital to grasp the intricate interrelationship between progress and revolution. Prof. Liu, on the other hand, interpreted the book from an emotional and spiritual point of view. He offered a political-psychological interpretation of Zhang Taiyan’s mental state. He posited that Zhang Taiyan is akin to a “psychopath” who resists cure, yet he transforms the term “psychopath” into a political concept, offering an alternative cultural imagination with a certain socio-political critique. The identity of ” psychopath” opens up additional space for discussion in the current context, promoting social and cultural change.

During the Q&A session, the audiences engaged in discourse on a number of topics, including “Japan as an entry point for the late Qing Revolutionary Movement in the study of modern Chinese history,” “how to define the duration of time,” “how to differentiate between subjective will and objective consequences,” “Zhang Taiyan’s opinion of the May Fourth Movement,” and “the understanding of culture”. Prof. Lin stated that the relationship between these factors is complex and cannot be reduced to a simple matter. Instead, it involves a broader geographical field that must be considered. The temporal scope is not constrained by any specific limits but rather depends on the specific focus of the research. What is more crucial is that the research can contribute to the liberation of the blind spots of conventional cognition. The “world” he discussed in this book is a moral and intellectual construct, imbued with universalist values, that differs from the contemporary concept of the “world”. He believed that when studying contemporary history, it is essential to pose more questions and engage in more critical thinking.

The lecture attracted students and faculties from a variety of academic disciplines, fostering a robust exchange of ideas. As a forum for interdisciplinary discourse, the lecture provided an opportunity for participants to expand their knowledge and perspectives, infusing their future academic and professional endeavors with vitality.