Narrative CV (Intellectual Contributions)

My research area is the philosophy of intelligence, with a core focus on the phenomenon of intelligent action. While humans perform a wide variety of actions daily, not all actions qualify as intelligent actions; only certain actions reveal underlying special mental states or qualities, such as intelligence or skill. The primary philosophical questions I investigate include: (1) How can humans, through learning only a limited number of sentences, grasp and understand infinitely many sentences, including those never previously encountered? (2) How can humans still make moral judgments and take actions that mutually benefit one another when explicit moral rules do not provide clear guidance in complex situations? (3) These two questions can be seen as special cases of a more fundamental question: How do humans think and act within a specific domain when faced with uncertainty and complexity, successfully and reliably achieving domain-specific goals? By exploring these questions, my research aims to uncover the nature and deep structure of intelligence while further elucidating the relationships among mind, knowledge, and action.

Reflecting on my academic journey, my research can be broadly divided into three stages, each corresponding to one of the three questions above and making significant contributions to these areas of inquiry. In the first stage (doctoral research), my work focused on the relationship between linguistic knowledge and linguistic competence, engaging with theories of meaning proposed by contemporary analytic philosophers such as Donald Davidson and Michael Dummett. I proposed a virtue-theoretic approach to semantics, called virtue semantics, as a novel perspective on linguistic understanding. In the second stage, I worked on developing a theoretical account of knowledge-how, formulating the conception of hybrid skill, which builds upon yet surpasses the anti-intellectualism of British philosopher Gilbert Ryle. This conception elucidates the nature and structure of practical knowledge.

In the third stage of my research, spanning roughly the past decade, I have deepened the conception of hybrid skill, using it as a foundation to construct a theory of practical wisdom (phronesis). Practical wisdom is the most excellent form of practical reasoning, yet debates persist regarding its nature and acquisition. In response to these challenges, I proposed the expertise theory of wisdom, arguing that wisdom should be regarded as a skill. I have specified the necessary conditions for wisdom-as-skill, defined its conception of well-being, and addressed theoretical objections. This philosophical theory has interdisciplinary implications, providing a conceptual foundation for the psychology of wisdom. Additionally, my research on wisdom engages with the emotional revolution, examining the role of emotions in wisdom in depth. I developed the skill account of the emotions of the wise as a supplement to the expertise theory of wisdom, further refining my theoretical framework for the study of wisdom.

The study of wisdom holds both theoretical and practical value. On one hand, wisdom, as an excellence in practical reasoning, plays a crucial role in judgment and decision-making in complex situations, and in this regard, it serves as a valuable subject for philosophical and psychological inquiries into the mind. On the other hand, wisdom research contributes to understanding the practical capacities needed in contemporary society, such as political wisdom and civic wisdom, fostering deeper discussions and solutions for social issues. Currently, my wisdom research extends to the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI), examining how AI impacts human cognition and well-being from a philosophical perspective. I also explore the theoretical and practical possibility of artificial wisdom, offering novel perspectives and directions for the future development of machine ethics.

Personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/tsaich/ 

 

EDUCATION

• Ph.D. in Philosophy, National Taiwan University, 2006
• Dissertation: Virtue Semantics: Towards an Agent-Based Theory of Linguistic Understanding

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Research Fellow, Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica, 2018.8-
• Joseph K. Twanmoh Chair Professor, Soochow University, 2017.1-2018.7
• Professor, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University, 2014.9-2018.7
• Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University, 2011.3-2014.8
• Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University, 2007.8-2011.2
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University, 2006.9-2007.6
• Adjunct Professor, Center for General Education, National Taiwan Normal University, 2012.9-2018.7
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University, 2007.1-2007.12

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Philosophy of Intelligence, Epistemology, Virtue Theory, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind
• Representative Research: Virtue Semantics; Hybrid Knowing-How; The Expertise Theory of Wisdom

ACADEMIC SERVICE

• Convener, Philosophy Division, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, 2018.1-2020.12

• Director, Taiwan Philosophical Association, 2015-

• Editor-in-Chief, EurAmerica, 2023-

• Editor, NTU Philosophy Series, 2023-

• Editorial Board, NCCU Philosophical Journal, 2020.8-2024.7

• Executive Editor, EurAmerica, 2019.1-2020.12

• Editor, Soochow Journal of Philosophical Studies, 2011.8-2017.7

AWARDS AND GRANTS

• Outstanding Research Award, National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, awarded in 2025
• Outstanding Research Award, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, awarded in 2016
• Ta-You Wu Memorial Award, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, awarded in 2014
• Research Award for Junior Research Investigators, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, awarded in 2012
• NSTC Research Grant, Title of Project: “The Expertise Theory of Wisdom Deepened, Extended, and Applied”, 2023-2026
• MOST Research Grant, Title of Project: “The Skill Model of Practical Wisdom Developed, Defended, and Applied”, 2020-2023
• MOST Research Grant, “Intelligent Action: The Hybrid Skill Model of Practical Wisdom”, 2014-2019
• MOST Research Grant, “Intellectualism and Anti-Intellectualism in Epistemology”, 2010-2013
• MOST Research Grant, “On Language of Knowledge and Knowledge of Language”, 2007-2010
• MOST (Ministry of Science and Technology) Research Grant, “The Normativity of Language”, 2007

PUBLICATIONS

 Research (Google, Scopus, Intelligence)   

I. Monographs 

1. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2023). Wisdom: A Skill Theory. Cambridge University Press doi; detailed contents

II. Articles 

1. Tsai, Cheng-hung & Ku, Hsiu-lin (2025). “Why AI May Undermine Phronesis and What to Do about It,” AI and Ethics.  doi 

2. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2025). “Beyond Intuitive Know-How,” Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 24(2): 381-394.  doi 

3. Tsai, Cheng-hung & Ku, Hsiu-lin (2024). “Sport, Technology, and Achievement: When the Use of Technology in Elite Sports Is Justified,” Physical Education Journal 57(4): 361-376. 

4. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2024). “Phronesis and Emotion: The Skill Model of Wisdom Developed,” Topoi: An International Review of Philosophy 43: 1011-1019.  doi

5. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2023). “Wisdom as Knowing How to Live Well: An Epistemological Exploration,” Soochow Journal of Philosophical Studies 47:33-64.  pdf 

6. Ku, Hsiulin & Tsai, Cheng-hung (2022). “Phronesis-Oriented Philosophical Counselling: Focusing on Semantic Sentiment,” (in Chinese), Universitas 49(12): 77-98.  link

7. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2022). “Practical Wisdom, Well-Being, and Success,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 104(3): 606-622.  doi 

8. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2022). “Habit: A Rylean Conception,” Philosophies 7(2): 45.  doi 

9. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2021). “Wen-Kwei Liao’s Philosophical Enterprise” (in Chinese), in R. Wu and K. Wu (eds.), Selected Papers of Joshua Wen-Kuei Liao (Taipei: National Taiwan University Press), pp. 11-13.   

10. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2020). “Phronesis and Techne: The Skill Model of Wisdom Defended,” Australasian Journal of Philosophy 98(2): 234-247.  doi 

11. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2020). “Artificial Wisdom: A Philosophical Framework,” AI & Society 35(4): 937-944.  doi 

12. Tsai, Cheng-hung & Lien, Chinfa (2018). “On How to Defend or Disprove the Universality Thesis,” in M. Mizumoto, S. Stich, and E. McCready (eds.), Epistemology for the Rest of the World (Oxford: Oxford University Press), pp. 267-278.  doi 

13. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2018). “Wen-Kwei Liao’s Moral Intuitionism” (in Chinese), in T. Hung and D. Deng (eds.), Enlightenment and Rebellion: 100 Years of Taiwanese Philosophy (Taipei: National Taiwan University Press), pp. 155-184.    

14. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2016). “Ethical Expertise and the Articulacy Requirement,” Synthese 193(7): 2035-2052.  doi  

15. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2015). “Knowledge of Language in Action,” Philosophical Explorations 18(1): 68-89.  doi 

16. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2014). “The Structure of Practical Expertise,” Philosophia 42(2): 539-554.  doi  

17. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2014). “Techne and Understanding,” NTU Philosophical Review 47: 39-60.  pdf 

18. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2014). “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology,” (in Chinese), Universitas 41(3): 121-141.  pdf; Eng. ver 

19. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2014). “Virtue Epistemology and the Philosophy of Education” (in Chinese), in Y. Chou et al. (eds.), Philosophy of Education 2012 (Taipei: Pro-Ed), pp. 371-386. 

20. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2011). “The Metaepistemology of Knowing-How,” Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 10(4): 541-556.  doi 

21. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2011). “Linguistic Know-How: The Limits of Intellectualism,” Theoria 77(1): 71-86.  doi  

22. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2010). “Practical Knowledge of Language,” Philosophia 38(2): 331-341.  doi  

23. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2009). “Is Knowing-How a Species of Knowing-That?” (in Chinese), in R. Chen (ed.), The Art of Analysis (Taipei: Pro-Ed), pp. 63-88.  pdf  

24. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2008). “A Virtue Semantics,” South African Journal of Philosophy 27(1): 27-39.  doi  

25. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2006). “On the Epistemology of Language,” The Southern Journal of Philosophy 44(4): 677-696.  doi  

26. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2006). “Can Knowing-How Skepticism Exist?” accepted by The Electronic Journal of Analytic Philosophy, 2006.  pdf  

27. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2006). “Can, or Should, Dummett Solve the Delivery Problem?” Auslegung: A Journal of Philosophy, 2006, 28(1): 21-43.  doi  

28. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2003). “Dummett’s Notion of Implicit Knowledge,” Philosophical Writings 24: 17-35.  

29. Tsai, Cheng-hung (2002). “Generalizing and Normalizing Quine's Epistemology,” Philosophical Writings 19&20: 3-21.  pdf    

III. Selected Presentations  

1. “After Civil Philosophy: How Civil Wisdom Is Possible”, presented at the conference “Civil Philosophy”, held by Academia Sinica, Taipei, 4-5 May, 2023. 

2. “Practical Wisdom: A Fully Articulated Theory”, presented at Soochow University, Taipei, 28 April 2021. 

3. “From Artificial Intelligence to Artificial Wisdom”, presented at the HSS & AI Workshop, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 13 April 2019. 

4. “The Idea of Intelligent Habit”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge and Action, Soochow University, Taipei, 19 January 2018. 

5. “AI Robots and Moral Reasoning”, presented at the Department of Philosophy, Tunghai University, Taichung, 15 January 2018. 

6. “AI Robots and Moral Reasoning”, presented at the Workshop on AI and Philosophy, held by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, 25 December 2017.  pdf

7. “How Is Moral Knowledge Possible? W. K. Liao’s Moral Foundationalism vs. Dewey’s Moral Coherentism”, presented at the monthly meeting of the Taiwan Philosophical Association, 7 September 2016. 

8. “How Is Moral Knowledge Possible? W. K. Liao’s Moral Epistemology”, presented at the conference “The Absorption and Transformation of European and American Philosophy”, Taipei, 14 July 2016. 

9. “Virtue and Skill”, presented at the Workshop on Education and Philosophy, Taipei, 14 May 2016. 

10. “Practical Reasoning and the Skill Model”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge and Action, Taipei, 20 April 2016. 

11. “The Conclusion of Practical Reasoning: Three Views”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge and Action, Shanghai, China, 3 November 2015. 

12. “Practical Wisdom as Expert Skill”, presented at the Workshop on Morality, Knowledge and Practical Wisdom, Suzhou, China, 30 October 2015. 

13. “Ethical Expertise and the Articulacy Requirement”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge, Action, and Virtue, Shinagawa, Japan, 31 May 2015. 

14. “Ethical Expertise and the Articulacy Requirement”, presented at the Workshop on Logic and Knowledge, Taipei, 22 November 2014. 

15. “Ethical Expertise and the Articulacy Requirement”, presented at the Annual Conference of the Taiwan Philosophical Association, Taipei, 2 November 2014. 

16. “Ethical Expertise and the Articulacy Requirement”, presented at the Workshop on Philosophy, held by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, 27 September 2014. 

17. “Moral Skills”, presented at the Workshop on “Virtue: Epistemic and Moral”, Taipei, 12 March 2014. 

18. “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology”, presented at the Annual Conference of the Taiwan Philosophical Association, Hsinchu, 27 October 2013. 

19. “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology”, presented at the 23th World Congress of Philosophy, Athens, Greece, 6 August 2013. 

20. “Techne and Understanding”, presented at the Faculty Research Workshop, Soochow University, Taipei, 10 April 2013. 

21. “Techne and Understanding”, presented at the Workshop on “Virtue: Epistemic and Moral”, Soochow University, Taipei, 27 March 2013. 

22. “Virtue Epistemology and the Philosophy of Education”, presented at the Workshop on Philosophy of Education, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 24 November 2012. 

23. “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology”, presented at the Workshop on Virtue, Taipei, 30 May 2012. 

24. “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology”, presented at the Workshop on Philosophy, held by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, 12 May 2012. 

25. “Xunzi and Virtue Epistemology”, presented at the American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Meeting, Seattle, USA, 7 April 2012. 

26. “Knowledge of Language in Action”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge and Logic, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 15 January 2012. 

27. “The Metaepistemology of Knowing-How”, presented at the Workshop on Philosophy, held by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, 14 May 2011. 

28. “Knowledge of Language in Action”, presented at the Annual Conference of the Taiwan Philosophical Association, Taipei, 24 October 2010. 

29. “Knowledge of Language in Action”, presented at the Faculty Research Workshop, Soochow University, Taipei, 22 May 2010. 

30. “Consciousness and Knowledge-How”, presented at the Workshop on Chinese Philosophy and Virtue Epistemology, Taipei, 13 May 2010. 

31. “Linguistic Know-How: The Limits of Intellectualism”, presented at the Workshop on Philosophy, held by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taipei, 8 May 2010. 

32. “Language and Agency”, presented at the Workshop on Body, Cognition, and Meaning (IV), Taipei, 21 November 2009. 

33. “Language and Knowledge”, presented at the Workshop on Knowledge, Virtue, and Intuition, Taipei, 13 March 2009. 

34. “Is Knowing-How a Species of Knowing-That”, presented at the Workshop on “Philosophers’ Concern with Science”, Taipei, 14 December 2008. 

35. “Normativity and Theories of Meaning”, presented at the Faculty Research Workshop, Soochow University, Taipei, 29 March 2008.  

36. “A Virtue Semantics”, presented at the Workshop on Experience and Truth (IV), Taipei, 10 November 2007. 

37. “On the Conceptualist Ontology of Language”, presented at the Workshop on Realism and Anti-Realism, Taipei, 23 June 2007. 

Referee 

• Australasian Journal of Philosophy

• Behaviour & Information Technology

• Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review

• Erkenntnis

• Ethical Theory and Moral Practice

• EurAmerica

• Journal of Information Society

• Journal of Life Education

• Journal of the American Philosophical Association

• Journal of Taiwan Philosophy of Education

• The Journal of Value Inquiry

• NCCU Philosophical Journal            

• NTU Humanitas Taiwanica

• NTU Philosophical Review

• Philosophical Papers

• Philosophical Quarterly

• Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group 

• Societas: A Journal for Philosophical Study of Public Affairs 

• Synthese 

• Synthesis philosophica

• Universitas: Monthly Review of Philosophy and Culture