Manhua Li

Dr. Manhua Li is a Lecturer in Political Theory at Royal Holloway, University of London, specializing in comparative philosophy and the intersection of European and Chinese thought. She holds a PhD from École Normale Supérieure (Paris) and is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow (2022–present). Her work focuses on ascetic practices, self-cultivation in Daoism, and Foucault’s ethics, exploring their relevance to contemporary issues like AI, health, and environment. She is affiliated with the Society of European Philosophy, British Society for the History of Philosophy, and Royal Holloway’s Gender Institute.

• Education:
  • PhD in Philosophy (2020), Le corps ascétique, École Normale Supérieure
  • MA in Philosophy (2015), Louisiana State University
  • BA in English Literature (2014), Beijing Language and Culture University

Research Interests

Her research integrates Nietzschean genealogy, Daoist yangsheng practices, and Foucault’s care of the self to address modern ethical challenges. She investigates how Daoist concepts like yin-yang vital forces and immortality can inform critical perspectives on AI, environmental sustainability, and gender studies. Recent projects include:

• "Care of the Self and Ethics for the Other" (Marie Curie grant, 2022–present)
• Transdisciplinary studies on self-cultivation’s role in biopolitical critique and feminist ethics

Publications: Her monograph Le corps ascétique (2023) reinterprets Nietzsche and Daoist asceticism. Recent articles engage Foucault-Daoist dialogues, biopolitical frameworks in Daoism, and embodied epistemology.

• Key Awards: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Award (2022)
• Teaching: Courses include Political Theory, Chinese Philosophy, and 20th-Century French Thought
• Labs/Teams: Active in Royal Holloway’s Gender Institute and SEP executive committee