Philip J. Ivanhoe

Philip J. Ivanhoe is a Distinguished Chair Professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s College of Confucian Studies and Eastern Philosophy, where he directs the Sungkyun Institute for Confucian Studies and East Asian Philosophy. He holds a PhD from Stanford University in Religious Studies and has authored seminal works on Confucian ethics, comparative philosophy, and East Asian thought. His research bridges classical Chinese philosophy with contemporary ethical issues, emphasizing themes like oneness, virtue, and moral self-cultivation. Ivanhoe has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Confucian Philosophy and Culture and leads international projects exploring East-West philosophical dialogues. His military background (U.S. Marine Corps and Army service) and academic contributions in ethics, history of philosophy, and cultural studies highlight his interdisciplinary impact. Awards include military commendations for service, but his scholarly accolades focus on advancing cross-cultural philosophical discourse.

Education: B.A. in Philosophy (Stanford University, 1976), PhD in Religious Studies (Stanford, 1987). Key roles include directorships of multiple research centers and editorships in leading journals. Research interests span Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, comparative ethics, and the application of classical thought to modern dilemmas. Notable books include Oneness (2017) and Confucian Moral Self Cultivation (2000), which explore interconnectedness and ethical development. His recent work addresses cosmopolitanism, Korean women philosophers, and the Four-Seven Debate in Neo-Confucianism.

Grants and advising: Ivanhoe has secured funding for comparative philosophy initiatives and international collaborations. His grants support projects like the Eastern and Western Conceptions of Oneness, fostering global academic partnerships. Labs/teams include the Center for East Asian and Comparative Philosophy (CEACOP) and the Laboratory on Korean Philosophy in Comparative Perspectives, which host international conferences and publish interdisciplinary research.