Manhua Li

Hi, I am a Doctor of Philosophy, working at Royal Holloway University as a Marie Curie Research Fellow in Philosophy since 2022. My research spans the areas of aesthetics, ethics, and political philosophy. My writing attempts to bridge the European and Chinese philosophical traditions in a contemporary context, on topics such as gender, art psychotherapy, philosophy as way of life, biopolitics, technology, and the pressing environmental crisis. My upcoming monograph in French Le corps ascétique will be published in September 2023, by Éditions Kimé (Paris). My academic publications and presentations can be viewed on Academia. You can also learn more about my lectures, and conference talks, and events on philosophy and art on my Website and Youtube channel https://youtube.com/@Dr.ManhuaLi.

I am the secretary of the executive committee of the Society of European Philosophy (SEP), a member of the British Society for the History of Philosophy (BSHP), and that of the British Society of Aesthetics (BSA).

Alongside my work in philosophy, I enjoy playing music and dancing, exploring mindful practices such as yoga, calligraphy, and meditation, and making photos and films that relate philosophy to my personal life.

Daoism and Confucianism

Philosophy as Way of Life (Intercultural Perspective)

Nietzsche and Post-Kantian German Philosophy

20th Century French Philosophy (Existientialism, Biopolitics, Deconstruction, etc.)

Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

Environmental Aesthetics, Bioethics, AI Technology

PY3901 Self-Cultivation in Chinese Philosophy

PY5003 20th Century French Philosophy

Summer School Module at University College London: Yin-Yang, Body, and Gender

My satire on ethnic discrimination (against Asian community in particular) in Paris during the pandemics in 2020 on the website of the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs of Northwestern University: Bas les masques !

My talk in French on bodily and spiritual practices of self-cultivation in Chinese ancient philosophy (Neo-Daoism/Xuanxue) in a research presentation contest Paris ("Ma thèse en 180 secondes", with Chinese subtitle): Le corps ascétique. You can also check out the official video of the contest MT180 PSL on YouTube.

My talk in German "Der Körper im antiken China: Ji Kang und seine asketische Praxis" at the University of Freiburg (Germany), available on YouTube.

My discussion on the way in which Daoist epistemology and metaphysics of "suppleness" can help to reconsider crimes and violence, and the potential socio-political impact of this research. I also commented on the interdisciplinary method of the project which engages actively with AI technology, traditional Chinese medicine, social sciences, and education. The recordings of the lecture and the discussion are available on YouTube.