Viren Murthy, Department of History, University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, – Rethinking Polarization through Intercultural Philosophy

Abstract: In the past few decades, politics has been polarized around conservatives and liberals, who are sometimes misrepresented as radicals. Can intercultural philosophy help us understand this situation and suggest solutions? The ancient Chinese philosopher, Zhuangzi (369-286 BC) has a famous passage about the difficulty of resolving disputes. In Western philosophy, one of the most relevant discussions of polarization is Kant’s antinomies, which appear unresolvable without a leap beyond the understanding. Zhuangzi’s discussion of disputes is not limited to disputes, but he speaks of equalizing things in the light of tianni (天倪) or heavenly equality. However, he tells us little about how to do this. From his somewhat cryptic remarks heavenly equality, we can surmise that the term refers to a ground that is the condition for the possibility of both positions. This dialectical method of grasping polarized positions suggests that rather than choosing between one position as politicians encourage us to do, one should look at polarizations as a symptom of a deeper problem. Using this Hegelian interpretation of Zhuangzi’s concept of heavenly equality, I will revisit contemporary conflicts as one-sided responses to the contradictions of global capitalism. Conservatives use a racially based nationalism to confront the malaise caused by the neo-liberalism. This might cause people to embrace liberal pluralism. However, this position forgets that it is the liberal support for neo-liberal capitalism that gave rise to the conservatives in the first place. Because they fail to grasp the conditions of their respective positions, both sides ultimately undermine their ideals, which might be something like human flourishing within the bounds of a nation-state. My talk will conclude by suggesting some ways to move beyond polarization.

Viren Murthy ist Associate Professor am Department of History, University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA. Er untersucht die historischen Bedingungen für die Möglichkeit von Philosophie und Politik in der modernen Welt und in Ostasien im Besonderen.