A Brief Introduction to My Research
Freedom and Thinking as the Core Concerns and the Starting Point of My Research
The question “Do we truly have the freedom to choose?” has long lingered in my mind as an unresolved puzzle—one that has accompanied me throughout my academic journey. Equally perplexing to me is the question, “What exactly is thinking?” This curiosity has led me down paths of logic, critical thinking, metaphor, and cognitive science. In attempting to synthesize these threads, I have centered my research on the phenomena of cognitive diversity, using the ideas of reframing perspectives and redefining problems as ways to organize and refine my research.
Research Concerning Cognitive Diversity and the Role of Reframing as a Strategic Method
Over the years, my contributions have mainly focused on how to effectively utilize the descriptive devices and conceptual tools from the research paradigms of cognitive linguistics, such as sensory-motor schemas, image schemas, the conceptual metaphor theory, and the conceptual blending theory, to analyze philosophical assumptions underlying the Language of Thought hypothesis, the Chinese Room argument in artificial intelligence, and the classic philosophical debate between Zhuangzi and Hui Shi on fish happiness. I have also branched out into studying the inferential patterns manifested in the pictorial designs in editorial cartoons, public service announcements, and brand advertising, and how metaphors form an interconnected web that is both experientially grounded in our basic (bodily) actions and simultaneously embedded within the contextual and institutional frameworks that shape individual and collective action.
How Cognitive Diversity and Reframing Shape Civic Philosophy
In recent years, driven by the aforementioned mix of curiosity and wonder, I have sought to make a breakthrough in political philosophy by proposing an approach I term “civic philosophy,” focusing specifically on U.S.–Taiwan–China relations as its principal case study. This philosophy is based on three basic core principles: reframing philosophy, embracing cognitive diversity, and orienting research from a civic perspective. A key argument in Civic Philosophy is that the idea of civic community is apt for anchoring our understanding Taiwan's constitutional democracy. Another major point is an analysis of how to embed the idea of free choice into a framework of causality that is both scientifically robust and mathematically formalizable. Taking freedom as its sensible and intelligible core value in today’s techno-scientific civilization, this analysis of free choice and causality opens up new possibilities for a civic and philosophical reinterpretation of political values.
The Importance of Civic Perspective in Contemporary Philosophy
It is noteworthy that many contemporary philosophers have begun to approach their work from a civic perspective. Prominent figures in this intellectual shift include John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, Axel Honneth, and Philip Pettit. Rawls’ political liberalism, Dworkin’s liberal egalitarianism, Honneth’s critical theory, and Pettit’s republicanism all emphasize the significance of the civic viewpoint. While they each engage in reframing perspectives and redefining problems in distinctive ways, they did not explicitly present this as a philosophical method, nor did they focus on cognitive diversity or label their approaches as "civic philosophy." In this sense, what we call civic philosophy today can be seen as building on the foundations they laid, taking their insights a step further.
Expanding Civic Philosophy
As my journey continued, I adopted the hypothesis that China remains in the process of state-building. This hypothesis requires a broader view of contemporary China, coupled with critical reflection on its past and potential future. By stretching the lens of time, I argued for a shift in perspective, from the cross-strait perspective to that of U.S.–China relations, and proposed a new conception of freedom—what I call “freedom of self-cultivation,” a freedom rooted in our participating in human civilizations—and discuss questions about political values in China. Looking ahead, I ask and plan to comprehensively explore two interrelated questions. The first concerns the issue of one China: In what sense can the enduring, civilizational China be understood as a singular political entity that has emerged throughout history and persists to the present day? The second concerns political values in China: What enduring political values has the long-standing, civilizational China maintained to this day, or more specifically, what political values has it sought to preserve? I have started a book writing project to address and respond to these two questions through developing an idea of freedom of self-cultivation and a political imaginary of a prospective constitutional China from a Taiwan-based civic perspective. In addition, I will argue for the hypothesis that China is still in the midst of state-building, and explain its consequences.
Rethinking Civic Perspectives
As I engage in research on China-related issues, I also observe the rapid advancement in artificial intelligence. These developments, alongside our evolving understanding of non-human life, challenge the traditional concept of citizenship, which has historically been exclusive to humans. This line of my research seeks to explore an expanded framework of citizenship that encompasses not only human beings but also non-human life and artificial intelligence under specific conditions. At the heart of this inquiry is the conceptual lens of One Earth, Diverse Worlds, which highlights how different agents, including the non-humans among the humans, experience and construct reality in distinct ways. While all exist on the same planet, the political, legal, and philosophical realms they inhabit can be profoundly different. By rethinking citizenship beyond anthropocentric models, this research aspires to foster a more inclusive, adaptable, and bridgeable perspective—one that can offer fresh insights into U.S.–Taiwan–China relations as well as the ever-evolving, technology-driven and AI-constitutive landscapes we collectively and differentially navigate.
Bridging Academia and Civil Society
Throughout my work on civic philosophy, I have made a deliberate effort to balance the rigor of academic thought with a style accessible to a broader readership, hoping to contribute to Taiwan’s ongoing dialogue about political values and the challenges that lie ahead.