Feb 18
Origins of Chinese Civilization: Writing, Divination, and Mentality. A Public Lecture by Dr. Ken-Ichi Takashima
Ken-Ichi Takashima, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, will explore the origins of Chinese civilization as reflected in the oldest writings, known as “oracle-bone inscriptions” (OBI). Datable to the Late Shang Dynasty, ca. 1230-1050 BCE, the topics of the OBI range widely, but they can be classified as those that are humanly controllable and uncontrollable. They inform us of the conditions and situations of the Shang diviners, kings, scribes, and the high echelons of society. How they responded to them unveils what they were thinking and how they coped with the realities they faced.
Please join us for this fascinating lecture. A reception with light refreshments will be held at 4pm in the Alumni Guest House Library before the 4:30pm lecture.
All are welcome to attend.
Sponsored by the Dr. Walter H. Judd Lectureship and Asian Studies, Asian Languages & Literatures, and History Departments.