#  International Conference: Patterns of Hope and Foresight in Greece and China 

 



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## Κey information

- **Topic:** Patterns of Hope and Foresight in Greece and China
- **Dates:** July 13-14, 2024
- **Location:** University of Patras Conference Center, Greece
- **Organized by:** [Department of Philosophy, University of Patras](https://philosophy.upatras.gr/en/home-english/), CHS Greece
- **Language:** English
- **Academic Coordination:**  [Pavlos Kontos](https://philosophy.upatras.gr/en/staff/dep-staff/kontos-pavlos/) (University of Patras), Stefanos Gandolfo (University of Piraeus), [Nicolas Prevelakis](https://socialstudies.fas.harvard.edu/people/nicolas-prevelakis) (Harvard University/CHS)
- **Participants:** Stefanos Gandolfo (University of Piraeus), [Christoph Harbsmeier](https://www.hf.uio.no/ikos/english/people/aca/harbsmei/) (University of Oslo), [Fabian Heubel](https://sinica.academia.edu/FabianHeubel) (Academia Sinica, Taipei), [Lisa Indraccolo](https://www.tlu.ee/en/node/108042) (Tallinn University), [Richard King](https://www.philosophie.unibe.ch/about_us/staff/king/index_eng.html) (University of Bern), Pavlos Kontos (University of Patras), [Michael Lackner](https://ikgf.fau.de/people/index.shtml/michael-lackner.shtml) (University of Erlangen), [Wei Liu](https://ruc.academia.edu/liu) (Renmin University), [David Machek](https://www.philosophie.unibe.ch/about_us/staff/machek/index_eng.html) (University of Bern), [Michael Puett](https://anthropology.fas.harvard.edu/people/michael-puett) (Harvard University), Nicolas Prevelakis (Harvard University/CHS), [Lisa Raphals](https://complitlang.ucr.edu/people/faculty/raphals/) (UC Riverside)
- **Activity Administration:** Pavlos Kontos (University of Patras, <pkontos@upatras.gr>), [Christos Giannopoulos](/staff/christos-giannopoulos) (CHS Greece)

## About the conference

### Overview

The Department of Philosophy, University of Patras and Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece organize an international conference on the topic: "Patterns of Hope and Foresight in Greece and China."

Following last year's conference on ["Patterns of Evil in Greece and China,"](/events-conferences/patterns-of-evil) this year's conference focuses on patterns of hope and foresight in Greece and China, and has three main objectives: (1) To foster a comparative approach to philosophy and the history of ideas, particularly in the study of Greek and Chinese civilizations; (2) to question the prevailing belief that Ancient Greece or Ancient China lack a robust concept of hope, foresight and futurity when compared to Christian and post-Christian thought; and (3) to illuminate the interconnections between divine, natural, ontological, metaphysical, psychological, ethical, and political aspects of hope and foresight in Greek and Chinese philosophy and praxis.

The purpose of the conference is to shed light on how thinkers in both traditions conceived of some major issues related to hope and foresight, including (but not limited to): hope and its connection with emotions and intellectual skills, time, timeliness and futurity, knowledge of the future through techniques such as divination or the study of history, as well as the psychological grounding of adaptability. We believe that the notion of hope and foresight provides a meaningful analytic category – broad enough to encapsulate important issues but sharp enough to remain coherent. While recent publications have explored this direction, none specifically address the concepts of hope, foresight and futurity and thus we believe this conference can shed light to aspects of the Greek and Chinese traditions which have remained unexplored.

[See the Patterns of Hope and Foresight in Greece and China international conference's full program and abstracts of presentations.](/conferences/patterns-of-hope-and-foresight-program)

   ![Poster with information on the conference's implementation including participants' names. Two bridges, one in Greece and one in China sketched and nearly connecting in the center of the poster.](/sites/g/files/omnuum7151/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/chsgreece/files/2024_conference_poster_patterns_of_hope_and_foresight.jpg?itok=EkjeT6QV)