Bio

I am a researcher based in Cambridge, UK, specialising in the comparative study of ancient Greek and early Chinese thought.

Why comparing the Greek and Chinese civilizations? As a Chinese-born classicist, it has always been my natural inclination to study the ancient Graeco-Roman world with a comparative lens, and indeed, I have found many interesting parallels between these two ancient civilizations. In particular, I am interested in how philosophers from these traditions approached some of the most fundamental questions in life, including human nature, moral education, and the good life. I am fascinated not just by how ancient thinkers answered important questions, but also what kinds of questions they asked, what ‘philosophy’ meant for them, and what, for them, really mattered.

Being bilingual in Chinese and English and trained in both Chinese and Graeco-Roman classics means that I can have a deep engagement with the primary sources. At the same time, I am interested in the broader questions at issue in doing comparative research, including those relating to comparative methodology, as well as the question of the significance of a cross-cultural engagement with the Classics in the 21st century.