Dear colleagues,

The SKKU Institute of Confucian Philosophy and Culture is pleased to announce an upcoming intensive workshop.

This forum will feature a series of presentations from various scholarly fields, exploring the diverse traditions of Eastern philosophy regarding the interpretation of "No-self/Selflessness". We look forward to your interest and active participation.

◎ Date & Time: Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | 13:00 – 17:30

◎ Venue: Room 10408, 600th Anniversary Hall, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)

◎ Hosted by: SKKU Institute of Confucian Philosopjy and Culture

The mainstream discourses of East Asian philosophy—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—have generally been regarded as 

distinct intellectual traditions. Yet, when considered from the practical perspective, a striking convergence emerges: Confucian directive of self-overcome (克己), Daoist practices of self-forgetting (忘我), as well as the fasting of the mind (心齋), and the Buddhist doctrine of no-self (無我) all point toward a departure from egocentricity. These traditions thus share a concern for cultivating new forms of cognition and practice.

Building upon these discussions, this conference seeks to reexamine the ways in which the overcoming of egocentrism has been developed within the major currents of Eastern philosophy, highlighting both their commonalities and their distinctive approaches. Furthermore, it aims to situate these discourses within contemporary contexts—such as social conflict and the reconstruction of communal ethics—to explore the discursive resources that Eastern philosophical traditions can offer today. In doing so, the conference aspires to move beyond comparative studies of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, creating instead a platform for reflecting on the problem of egocentrism within a universal ethical discourse and for reconstructing its contemporary significance.