Tu Weiming, a philosopher and sinologist, was born in Kunming in 1940. His extensive academic career, rooted in Confucian thought, spans institutions ranging from Tunghai University to Harvard and Peking University. A scholar of the New Confucian movement, he has dedicated his life to the intersection of historical tradition, humanistic studies, and modern ethical discourse.
Academic Foundation
Tu received his Bachelor of Arts from Tunghai University in 1961, where he studied under Confucian scholars Xu Fuguan, Tang Junyi, and Mou Zongsan. He continued his studies at Harvard University, earning a Master of Arts in East Asian studies in 1963 and a Ph.D. in history and East Asian languages in 1968. His doctoral thesis, titled The quest for self-realization: A study of Wang Yang-ming's formative years, signaled his long-term research interest in Confucianism.
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His career includes faculty roles at Princeton University between 1968 and 1971, and the University of California at Berkeley from 1971 to 1981. He served as the Harvard-Yenching Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy at Harvard University from 1981 to 2010. During this period, he also directed the Harvard-Yenching Institute from 1996 to 2008. Currently, he serves as the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University.
Global Engagement
In 2001, Kofi Annan appointed him to the United Nations Group of Eminent Persons to facilitate a dialogue among civilizations. He participated in the development of a Confucian ethics school curriculum for the Singaporean government and presented on inter-civilizational dialogue to the UNESCO executive board in 2004. He remains a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Committee of 100.
Publications and Recognition
Tu has authored numerous volumes, including Neo-Confucian thought in action: Wang Yang-Ming's youth and Humanity and self-cultivation: Essays in Confucian thought. His work includes collaborative volumes such as New horizons in Eastern humanism with Daisaku Ikeda. He has received multiple honors, including the Thomas Berry Award for Ecology and Religion and the Confucius Cultural Award. In 2002, Shandong University granted him an honorary doctorate.
Fast facts
- Born: 1940, Kunming
- Citizenship: People's Republic of China
- Primary Religion: Confucianism
- Education: Tunghai University, Harvard University
- Languages: English, Chinese
- Professional Membership: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Notable Role: Founding Director, Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, Peking University
Questions readers ask
Which universities have employed Tu Weiming?
He has held positions at Peking University, the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Princeton University.
What is his field of study?
He is a philosopher, sinologist, historian, and writer specializing in New Confucian thought.
Achievements
- Held posts at Princeton University, Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley
