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Faculty

Zhen Chen Professor

Bio: 

Department of Philosophy and Research Institute for Moral Education

Nanjing Normal University

No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Room 618, Xingmin Hall

Nanjing, Jiangsu

China 210023

86-25-85891520 (home)

86-18951085520 (cell.)

E-mail: chenzhen@njnu.edu.cn

Education:

B.A. philosophy, Wuhan University, 1982

M.A. philosophy of science, 1986, Wuhan University, 1986

Visiting Research Scholar, Ohio University, 1988-1990

M.A. philosophy, Wayne State University, 1993

Ph.D. philosophy, Wayne State University, 1999

Dissertation: A Puzzle about Morality and Rationality (dir. Bruce Russell)

 

Employment/Teaching Positions:

1982-1994, Lecturer, American Philosophy Research Center and Department of Philosophy at Wuhan University

1990-1995, Teaching Assistant, Department of Philosophy at Wayne State University

1995-2003, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Philosophy at Wayne State University

2000-2003, Instructor, Department of Humanities and Philosophy at Macomb Community College

2004-Present, Professor, Department of Philosophy at Nanjing Normal University

 

Areas of Specialization:

Ethics (Metaethics and Normative Ethics) and Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy

 

Areas of Competence:

Philosophy of Mind, Chinese Philosophy

 

Research Funds/Awards:

  1. “Studies on One Hundred Years of Western Metaethics,” the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund of China (grant no. 19ZDA036; grant date: 2019.12.4), 2019.12.4-2025.12.31)
  2. Studies on the Problem of Moral Objectivity in Contemporary Western Metaethics, a key project of the National Social Science Fund of China (grant no. 17AZX012; grant date: 2017.6.30), 2017.6.30—2022.12.31
  3. Contemporary Anglo-American Ethics, a sub-project of Studies on the History of Western Moral Philosophy,one of the National Major Research Projects (China) (grant no. 12&ZD122), 2012.102018.12
  4. Studies on Western Virtue Ethics: Problems and Solutions, a project of the National Social Science Foundation (China) (grant no. 09BZX053; grant date: 2009.6.10), 2009.62014.8
  5. Frontiers of Contemporary Anglo-American Metaethics, one of the PRC Ministry of Education Planning Research Projects on Humanities and Social Sciences (grant no. 08JA720016; grant date: 2008.11.26), 2008.112011.10
  6. Studies on Contemporary Anglo-American Virtue Ethics,” a project of a Key Research Center of the Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education (Research Institute for Moral Education, Nanjing Normal University), grant no. DYS20170604, 2017.6.6—current
  7. Studies on Contemporary Western Virtue Ethics,” an invited project of a Key Research Center of the Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education (Research Institute for Moral Education, Nanjing Normal University), 2013.92015.12
  8. Studies on Western Virtue Ethics, a key project of the Collegial Foundation of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Department of Education of Jiangsu Province (grant no. 06SJB720015; grant date: 2006.8.28), 2006.72009.12
  9. Studies on Contemporary Western Metaethics, a sub-project of Studies on Contemporary Western Ethics, a Major Project of a Key Research Center of the Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education (Renmin University of China), (grant no.: 06JJD720014; grant year: 2006), 2006.10—2009.12
  10. Contemporary Western Philosophical Problems, a project of the Collegial Foundation of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Department of Education of Jiangsu Province (grant no. 04SJD720015; grant date: 2004.11.3), 2004.112006.5
  11. Studies on Contemporary Anglo-American Metaethics, funded by Nanjing Normal University (grant date: 2008.11.17)
  12. “Contemporary Western Philosophy of Mind,” funded by the Nanjing Normal University Initial Research Funds for Chinese Overseas Returnees (no. 0709059), 2007
  13.  Contemporary Western Normative Ethics, funded by the Initial Research Funds of Nanjing Normal University (from 211 Project Funds), 2004
  14. Winner of Travel Award Program for Graduate Students, The Humanities Center, Wayne State University, 1999
  15. Travel Stipend Award Winner, American Philosophical Association 1994

 

Teaching Projects/Funds/Awards:

  1. Contemporary Western Philosophical Problems (a bilingual course), one of the Projects of Bilingual Teaching Demonstration Courses of the Ministry of Education (grant date: 2007.12.17), 2007.12—current
  2. Contemporary Western Metaethics (a bilingual course),” granted as one of Jiangsu Excellent Graduate Courses of Year 2016, 2016.6.29
  3. A History of Western Philosophy (Lecture on René Descartes), awarded Excellent Class by the Ministry of Education of China, 2015
  4. “Wandering in Western Ethics, awarded Excellent Chinese MOOC by the Ministry of Education of China, 2013
  5. Contemporary Anglo-American Metaethics and Pragmatism and Ethics, as chapters of one of the key textbooks of the Ministry of Education: A History of Western Ethics, funded by the Ministry of Education of China, 2009.122011.12
  6. “Bilingual Courses for Western Philosophy: Development and Improvement,granted the Second Award of Jiangsu Provincial Higher Education Teaching Achievements of Year 2009 by the Department of Education of Jiangsu Province, April 2009
  7.  Studies on Contemporary Western Philosophical Problems” (a bilingual graduate course), funded by the NNU Core Courses for Graduates, 2009
  8. The Fourth NNU Yixi Quintessence Teacher Award, 2015
  9. The NNU Excellent Graduate Student Supervisor, 2015
  10. The Ninth NNU Teaching and Educating Award, 2013
  11.  Contemporary Western Philosophical Problems (a bilingual course) (specialty code: 010103), granted as one of Jiangsu Excellent Graduate Courses of Year 2009, 2009.11
  12. “Bilingual Courses for Western Philosophy: Development and Improvement,” the top grade award winner of the 14th Teaching Achievements of Nanjing Normal University, 2008
  13.  “Contemporary Western Philosophy” Teaching Team Project, funded by Nanjing Normal University (project code: 181220001512), 2008
  14. Western Philosophical Wisdom, granted as one of the NNU Excellent Courses of Year 2006 (outlay code: 1812200001A17), 2006

 

Honors

ISUD Board Member, 2018--

Distinguished Expert of All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Committee (2011.7)

Member of Executive Committee of Jiangsu Province Philosophical Association

 

Publications:


Books:

  1. Contemporary Western Normative Ethics, Nanjing Normal University Press, 2006
  2. (Co-authored with Shao Xianxia) Western and Chinese Philosophical Foundations of the Ideas of Honor and Shame, Peoples Publishing House, 2010
  3. (Co-authored with Gong Qun) Studies on Contemporary Western Ethics, Peking University Press, 2013

 

Chapters:

1. Chapter 15: Philosophy of Mind in Contemporary Western Philosophy, eds. Zhang Zhicang and Lin Dan, Peoples Publishing House, 2007, pp. 517-552

 

Articles:

  1. “Retrospect and Prospect of Contemporary Virtue Ethics,” Chen Zhen and Zhou Wentao, Jianghan Luntan, No. 6, 2022.
  2. “A Critique of Alasdair MacIntyre’s Critique of “the Enlightenment Project,” Journal of Nanjing Normal University, Social Science Edition, No. 6, 2021.
  3. Some Considerations on the Ontological Foundation of Normative Judgments,” Morality and Civilization, No. 5, 2021.
  4. “Gettier and the Gettier Problem,” Chinese Social Sciences Today, June 1, 2021.
  5. “Retrospect and Prospect of One Hundred Years of Western Metaethics,” Philosophical Trends, No. 11, 2020.
  6. “Why Is Virtue Ethics Not a Categorical Mistake?,” Morality and Civilization, No. 5, 2019.
  7. “What Is Emotive Rationality or Reason?,” Morality and Civilization, No. 2, 2018, 5-14
  8. “How Should We Do Ethics in Order to serve people for their own sake?,” South China Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 2, April 2018, 17-19
  9. How Does Michael Slote Derive Ought from Is?, Studies in Ethics, No. 4, 2016, 33-40
  10. A Defense of the Analytic Approach to Ethics, Philosophical Trends, No. 7, 2016, 5-15
  11. “What Is Virtue Ethics?, Philosophical Researches, No. 7, 2016, 94-101
  12. “Is All That Is Real Rational?: A Critique of Alasdair MacIntyre’s Virtue Ethics, Philosophical Researches, No. 3, 2015, 95-103
  13. Moral Relativism and A Priori Moral Objectivism, Morality and Civilization, No. 1, 2014, 12-22
  14. “The Ethics of Care and Sentimentalist Virtue Ethics, Studies in Ethics, No. 1, 2014, 52-58, 66.
  15. On Michael Slotes Moral Sentimentalism, Philosophical Researches, No. 6, 2013, 102-110
  16. From Conventionalism to Relativism: A Critique of Gilbert Harmans Moral Relativism, Journal of Nanjing Normal University (social science edition), No. 2, 2012, 26-35
  17.  Why We Care Whether Our Beliefs Are True: An Answer to Stephen Stich,in Frontiers of Philosophy in China, Volume 7, No. 1, 2012
  18. Between Facts and Values: A Critical Analysis of Charles Stevensons Emotivism, Philosophical Researches, No. 6, 2011, 98-107
  19. Status Quo and Trends of Virtue Ethics, Guangming Daily, January 25, 2011
  20. Why Did Socrates Think That ‘No One Does Wrong Willingly’?, Journal of Nanjing Normal University, Social Science Edition, No. 5, 2010, 5-11
  21. “Ayer’s Emotivism and Non-Cognitivism,” Jiangsu Social Sciences, No. 6, 2009, 39-44
  22. The Mind-Body Problem and John Searles Biological Naturalism,Studies in Dialectics of Nature, No. 12, 2009, 1-6
  23. Individual Liberty and the Principles of Legal Interference, China Applied Ethics 20072008: An Anthology of Ethics and Law, Guangming Daily Press, 2008, 16-28
  24. Moral Relativism and Moral Objectivity, Academic Monthly, No. 12, 2008, 40-50
  25. Rethinking on the Nature of Western Philosophy, Journal of Ningbo University, Humanities Edition, No. 6, 2008, 25-32
  26. “The Open Question Argument that Determines a Century of Anglo-American Metaethics, Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 6, 2008, 26-33
  27. “Moral Duty and Supererogation,” Studies in Ethics, No. 5, 2008, 62-67
  28. “Retrospect and Prospect of the Mind-Body Problem: From Substance Dualism to Biological Naturalism,” Philosophical Researches, No. 8, 2008, 82-90
  29. A Critique of R. G. Peffers Marxist Theory of Morality and Society, Philosophical Trends, No. 12, 2007, 48-54
  30. “Liberty-Limiting Principles in Law,” Morality and Civilization, No. 6, 2007, 92-95
  31. William David Ross Theory of Prima Facie Duty and Its Implications for Methodology, Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 4, 2007, 47-52
  32. On the Goals and Means of Bilingual Teaching for Western Philosophy, Journal of Peking University, Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition, May, 2007, 219-221
  33. New Area of Moral Philosophy: From Normative Ethics to Metaethics, Academic Monthly, No. 10, 2006, 47-53
  34. “Did Socrates Really Believe That Virtue Is Knowledge?,” Studies in Ethics, No. 4, 2006, 47-53
  35. Recent Developments of Contemporary Western Normative Virtue Ethics, Social Sciences Abroad, No. 4, 2006, 8-15
  36. Global Justice and Its Possibilities, Politics and Ethics: A Perspective of Applied Philosophy of Politics eds. Shan Jigang, Sun Jing and Winfried Jung, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Peoples Publishing House, 2006, 259-272
  37. “Do We Really Care Whether Our Beliefs Are True?” Newsletter of International Society for Value Inquiry, Fall 2005, 3-11
  38. Psychological Egoism and Ethical Egoism, Seeking Truth, No. 6, 2005, 48-54
  39. The Gettier Problem and Its Solutions,” Philosophical Researches, No. 11, 2005, 41-48
  40. “A Survey of Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics,” Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 6, 2005, 33-38
  41. “Virtue Ethics and Moral Education,” Jiangsu Social Sciences, No. 6, 2005, 60-64
  42. “ ‘Morality’ and ‘Equality’,” Philosophical Trends, No. 9, 2005, 42-46
  43. “On Thomas Scanlon’s Contractualism,” World Philosophy, No. 4, 2005, 4-10
  44. Prisoners Dilemma: Rationality of Morality and Moral Education of Citizens, Journal of Yunnan University, Social Sciences Edition, No. 6, 2004, 29-36
  45. A Survey of Contemporary Western Sexual  Ethics, Social Sciences Abroad, No. 5, 2004, 15-19
  46. A Critique of David Gauthiers Morals by Agreement,  Hebei  Academic Journal, No. 3, 2004, 58-61
  47. Recent Developments of Contemporary Western Virtue Ethics (Editorial Words), Seeking Truth, No. 2, 2004, 5-6
  48. Incommensurability between Morality and Prudential Rationality, Seeking Truth, No. 1, 2004, 5-11
  49. Several Issues in the Methodology of Applied Ethics, Philosophical Trends, No. 12, 2003, 28-32
  50. Practical Reason and Rationality of Morality, Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Social Science Edition, No. 4, 2003, 10-16
  51. “What Does the Agent Have Most Reason to Do When Morality and Prudence Conflict?” in Southwest Philosophy Review, Volume 16, No. 1, January, 2000, 181-188
  52. “Why Did Chinese Traditional Culture Not Facilitate the Development of Modern Science?,” A History of Chinese Philosophy, No. 3, 2000, 44-53
  53. “A New Inquiry into Bertrand Russell’s Theory of Descriptions,” Essays of Young Teachers (an Anthology), published by Editorial Office of the Journal of Wuhan University, 1986, 51-64

 

Translations:

Book (from English into Chinese):

1. John Pollock and Joseph Cruz, Contemporary Theories of Knowledge, Fudan University Press, 2008

 

Articles (from English into Chinese):

  1. Michael Smith, “From Knowledge of Our Existence to Normative Knowledge,” translated by Zhou Xiwei, and Chen Zhen, Jiangsu Social Science, No. 5, 2022.
  2. Michael Smith, “Are There Reasons to Act Morally?,” translated by He Yao, Zhang Jieting, and Chen Zhen, Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 3, 2020.
  3. Michael Smith, “Non-Naturalism in the Twenty-First Century,” translated by Wang Guiling, Xu Bei, and Chen Zhen, Studies in Ethics, No. 6, 2019.
  4. Simon Blackburn, “Some Trends in Contemporary Western Philosophy: Realism & Pragmatism,” South China Quarterly, No. 1, 2016.
  5. Allan Gibbard, “Could Normative Insights Be Sources of Normative Knowledge?,” Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 6, 2016.
  6. Stephen Darwall, The Normativity of Moral Obligation, Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 6, 2011 
  7. Daniel M. Hausman, “Preference Satisfaction and Normative Economics,” Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 4, 2009, 30-36
  8. Peter Koslowski, “Some Principles of Ethical Economy,” with Zhen Chen’s Comments, Academic Monthly, No. 10, 200715-24
  9. Thomas Scanlon, When Does Equality Matter? with Zhen Chens Comments, Academic Monthly, No. 1, 2006, 136-144
  10. Bruce Russell, Reasons, Rationality, and Morality, Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 5, 2005, 17-23
  11. Stephen Darwall, “Introduction” (to Contractarianism/Contractualism ed. Stephen Darwall, UK Oxford: Blackwell, 2003), World Philosophy, No. 4, 2005, 10-15
  12. Thomas Scanlon, “What is Morality?: Moral Motivation and the Fragmentation of the Moral,” Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 3, 2005, 22-28
  13. Bruce Russell, “What We Owe to Strangers: Considering the Extremes,” Jianghai Academic Journal, No. 2, 2005, 19-24
  14. Bruce Russell, “Contextualism on a Pragmatic, not a Skeptical, Footing,Hebei Academic Journal, No. 6, 2004, 56-62
  15. Ramon Das, Virtue Ethics and Right Action, Seeking Truth, No. 2, 2004, 15-24
  16. Henry E. Kyburg, Probability, Rationality, and a Rule of Detachment, Selected Works of Philosophy of Science, ed. Jiang Tianji, Hubei Peoples Publishing House, 1988, 338-350
  17. John Edwin Smith, “Retrospect of 50 years of Philosophy,” American Philosophical Trends, No. 2, June, 1982.

 

Articles (from Chinese into English):

1. Xiao Jiefu, “The Enlightenment of Anti-Neo-Confucian Thought During the Ming-Qing Dynasties, Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 16 (1989)

 

Abstracts

  1. “In Search of Nonsubjective Ground for Practical Reason,” Spring 2001, Michigan Academician
  2. “Incommensurability between Morality and Rationality,” May 1998, Michigan Academician
  3. “Why Has Chinese Civilization Not Facilitated Modern Science?” April 1998, Science and Culture
  4. “Understanding the Chinese Language and Culture,” April 1995, Science and Culture
  5. “‘Rules of the Games’ and Political Reform in China,” 1991, OCCUPY

 

Papers Presented and Conferences Attended:

  1. “Patriotism, Ultranationalism, and World Peace,” presented (July 11) at the ISUD [The International Society for Universal Dialogue] 12th World Congress: Philosophy in an Age of Crisis: Challenges and Prospects, July 10-15, 2018, Lima, Peru, the hosting institution: the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, PUCP).
  2. Wang Yang-ming’s Theory of Moral Knowledge,” presented at the USC-Shandong Conference on Ethics and Epistemology, hosted by Shandong University and University of South California, May 24-28, 2018.
  3. “Mohist Cosmopolitanism and Moral Responsibility for the World Peace,” presented at the Shangrao International Conference on “Moral Responsibility and Human Characters,” hosted by Shangrao Normal College, July 2-3, 2016.
  4. Global Justice and Its Possibilities and Mohist Cosmopolitanism, presented at the 27th International Conference of Philosophy: Global Ethics and Politics in Relation to Ecological Philosophy and Other Crucial Issues of Our Global Era, Vouliagmeni-Athens: 10-16 July 2015, host: International Association of Greek Philosophy.
  5. “Moral Relativism, Moral Objectivity, and Conflicts of Ideologies,” presented at a Meeting of Vienna meeting Nanjing, hosted by Universität Wien (the University of Vienna) and [Institute for Peace Support and Conflict Management of] the National Defence Academy of Austrian Armed Forces in Vienna, Austria, August 12, 2013.
  6. How Is Global Justice Possible, presented in one session and one roundtable session in the 23rd World Congress of Philosophy in Athens, Greece (at University of Athens) on August 5, 2013.
  7.  “Confucian Theory of Moral Education in the Great Learning: A New Sentimentalist Interpretation” (October 28, 2011), presented as a plenary key speaker at Journal of Moral Education 40th anniversary conference, Association for Moral Education 37th annual conference, Asia Pacific Network for Moral Education 6th annual conference (Conference Theme: “Cultivating Morality: Human Beings, Nature, and the World”), sponsored by Association for Moral Education (AME), Asia Pacific Network for Moral Education (APNME), Journal of Moral Education (JME), Nanjing, October 2428, 2011.
  8. “What is Philosophy in Western Tradition?,”  presented at the Conference of “Rationality of Science and Today,” sponsored by Associaçăo  De  Filosofia  Da  China  Em  Macau, Hong Kong Association of Humanities and Philosophy, and School of Philosophy at Wuhan University, Macau, August 14, 2010.
  9. “Rethinking on the Nature of Western Philosophy,” presented at the National Seminar on “Science and Culture,” sponsored by Association of Studies in Natural Dialectics, Research Center for Chinese and Western Comparative Philosophy and Nanhua Business College, Guangzhou, January 46, 2008.
  10. “On the Goals and Means of Bilingual Teaching for Western Philosophy,” presented at the National Seminar on Bilingual Teaching in Colleges and Universities,  hosted by Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Huanan University of Science and Technology, May 912, 2007.
  11. “Individual Liberty and Principles of Legal Interference,” (as one of the key speakers) presented at the National Sixth Conference of Applied Ethics: Ethics and Law: Dialogue between Two Kinds of Normativity, organized by CASS Institute of Applied Ethics and Southwest University of Political Science and Law, April 2325, 2007.
  12. “Freedom of Speech and Responsibilities of Media,” presented at the Huafan University Fifth Conference of Ethics: Cultural Promulgation and Social Responsibilites, Taipei, Taiwan, January 67, 2007.
  13. “On Certainty of Knowledge,” presented at the International Seminar on “Contemporary Philosophy of Science & Technology,” Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, November 1820, 2006.
  14. “Moral Considerations in Chinas Transition to a Market Economy, presented at the 33rd Conference on Value Inquiry (The Theme of the conference is Market Values and Moral Values), April 6-8, 2006, Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York, USA.
  15. “Global Justice and Its Possibilities,” presented at Politik und Ethik: Perspecktiven für eine angewandte politische (China-Germany “Politics and Ethics: A Perspective of Applied Philosophy of Politics), sponsored by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, CASS Institute of Philosophy and Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kuming, 13-14, December, 2005.
  16.  “Strengthening Governance and Alleviating Poverty, presented at the Launching Conference of the Network of Asia-Pacific Schools and Institutes of Public Administration and Governance (NAPSIPAG), the Conference Theme: “Role of Public Administration in Alleviating Poverty and Improving Governance,” organized by the Asian Development Bank in cooperation with the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN)- Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 68, 2004.
  17. Special Guest, invited for The International Seminar on Process Philosophy and Philosophy of Culture against the Background of Globalization, hosted by Heilongjiang University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, June 2004
  18.  Contemporary Western Sexual Ethics, (as one of the key speakers) presented at the 4th National Conference of Applied Ethics: Sex and Morality, Yichang, Hubei, May 2004
  19. “In Search of Nonsubjective Ground for Practical Reason,” presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters, March 9-10, 2001
  20. “What Does the Agent Have Most Reason to Do When Morality and Prudence Conflict?” presented at the Southwestern Philosophical Society 61th Annual Meeting, November, 1999
  21. “Incommensurability between Morality and Rationality,” presented at the 1998 Annual Meeting of Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters
  22. “Why Has Chinese Civilization Not Facilitated Modern Science?” presented at the Ninth Annual Institute for Liberal Studies Conference on “Science and Culture,” April, 1998
  23. “Why Has Chinese Civilization Not Facilitated Modern Science?” presented at the 24th Annual Meeting of International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations on Science, Religion and Civilization, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, June 1995
  24. “Do We Really Care Whether Our Beliefs Are True?” presented at National Graduate Student Conference, March, 1995, Emory University
  25. “Understanding the Chinese Language and Culture,” presented at the Sixth Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on “Science and Culture,” 1995, Kentucky, the Kentucky State University Institute of Liberal Studies
  26. The APA-AAPT Teaching Seminar at the 10th International Workshop-Conference on Teaching Philosophy August 5-8, 1994, Montreal, Canada
  27. National Graduate Student Conference October 22-24, 1993, Washington University in Saint Louis, Commentator of “Tough Talk and Turf Wars in Epistemic Justification”
  28. “‘Rules of the Games’ and Political Reform in China,” presented at 1991 Annual Symposium and Workshop of Ohio Chinese Academic and Professional Association (OCCUPY), Athens, Ohio, 1991
  29. The International Conference on Karl Popper’s Philosophy, Wuhan University, China, 1987.4.54.10, Interpreter/Translator