SISU held youth forum on German classical jurisprudence and contemporary China

hanghai International Studies University held the first Youth Forum on Classical Jurisprudence from October 27 to 28. University Council Chair Jiang Feng attended the Forum, which was themed “German Classical Jurisprudence and Contemporary China”, and delivered an opening speech. More than 40 scholars and experts from over 30 universities, research institutes and publishing houses attended. Prof Zhang Haibin, dean of School of Law, SISU, hosted the ceremony.

In his opening speech, University Council Chair Jiang Feng first extended his congratulations on the Forum and a warm welcome to all the participating experts and scholars. He then highlighted the contribution of classical jurisprudence to German philosophy of law and its importance in global legal history and intellectual history, commenting that great philosophers like Kant, Fichte, Schelling and Hegel, who had influenced thinkers including Karl Marx, had made a profound impact that extended over a century. Jiang stated that the Forum, as a platform of academic exchanges, played a substantial part in deepening the study of Classical Jurisprudence. He also pointed out that the Forum, which explored the meaning of studying classical jurisprudence against the backdrop of the current Chinese reality, would not only strengthen the law program and other disciplines at SISU but also promote SISU as an aspiring world-class university with specialty in area studies and international studies

Prof Deng Anqing from Fudan University (Changjiang Scholar), who was the latest Chinese translator of Elements of the Philosophy of Right, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Natural Law and Law of Freedom: Four Basic Forms of Modern Natural Law”. In his speech, Prof Deng introduced the critiques of the modern natural law since Thomas Hobbes by German classical law philosophers, analyzed their understanding of freedom and Rechts, and underscored that freedom can only be achieved through the rule of law, regardless of the presumption about the state of nature and the social contract. Prof Deng also emphasized the state’s role in resolving the internal conflicts of civil society and the achievement of freedom.

The one-and-a-half-day forum consisted of five panel discussions on “Kant’s Philosophy of Law,” “Fichte and Schelling’s Philosophy of Law,” “Hegel’s Philosophy of Law,” “Marx’s Philosophy of Law,” and “German Classical Jurisprudence in the History of Thought”, and three roundtables on “Studies of Kant’s Philosophy of Law,” “Studies of Hegel and Marx’s Philosophy of Law” and “German Classical Jurisprudence and A Community of Shared Future for All Mankind.” Held in a pleasant and vibrant atmosphere, the Forum was a feast for the mind, where ideas were exchanged in-depth and opinions clashed.

On the opening ceremony, representatives from Intellectual Property Publishing House gifted German Classical Jurisprudence Collection to the organizer. A plan to launch a second youth forum, which would be themed “British Classical Jurisprudence and Contemporary China”, was also discussed. Sun Yuwei, secretary of General Party Branch of School of Law, hosted the closing ceremony. Leaders, professors and graduate students of School of Law attended the Forum.