Raphaël Van Daele

Raphaël Van Daele is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), supported by the F.R.S-FNRS since July 2022. His research interrogates the philosophical value of classical Chinese thought through a comparative lens, focusing on metaphysics and ontology in Late Greek Antiquity and Early Medieval China.

His educational background includes:

• Graduated in philosophy and Chinese studies from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in 2015.
• Obtained a PhD in comparative philosophy from ULB and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in 2020.

Van Daele's research primarily explores the concept of transformation in 3rd-4th century Chinese philosophy, with a specific focus on Wang Bi's exegesis of the Book of Changes (Yijing). He critically examines the applicability of Western philosophical frameworks, such as "metaphysics" and "ontology", to Chinese philosophical traditions, especially the Dark Learning (Xuanxue) movement. His work bridges Greek Neoplatonism and Chinese metaphysical thought, as evidenced by his award-winning dissertation comparing Damascius and Guo Xiang.

His notable scientific award is the EHESS Thesis Award 2020-2021 for his doctoral dissertation.

Currently, Van Daele is engaged in a research project funded by the F.R.S-FNRS at ULB. There is no information available regarding his advisory roles or additional grants.