Fo Guang University’s Center for Buddhist Studies Hosts International Workshop on Buddhism and Ethics: Exploring Gender, Animal Ethics, and Humanistic Buddhist Practice

• 2025-04-21
• buddhist網站管理員

On Friday, April 18, 2025, the Fo Guang University’s Center for Buddhist Studies Hosts International Workshop on Buddhism and Ethics: Exploring Gender, Animal Ethics, and Humanistic Buddhist Practice at Fo Guang University hosted an international academic workshop titled “Workshop on Ethical Living in a Complex World: A Buddhist Perspective” at the Yun Shui Building.

The event featured four distinguished speakers: Prof. Bee Scherer (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Prof. Randall Nadeau (Fulbright Foundation), Prof. Elise A. DeVido (Tzu Chi University), and Prof. Jeffery Nicolaisen (Hsuan Chuang University).

Each scholar shared research related to Buddhist approaches to ethical and behavioral practice, focusing on gender and animal ethics. The workshop attracted a diverse audience, including students, faculty, and visiting scholars.

Prof. Bee Scherer: Queer Theory and Buddhist Philosophy
Prof. Scherer reinterpreted the story of Ānanda’s temptation in early Pāli Jātakas through the lens of queer theory and Buddhist thought. They proposed the creation of “Queer Dharmology” to address contemporary marginalized identities and reflect on the intersection of Buddhist philosophy and transgender/queer embodiment.



Prof. Randall Nadeau: Three Ethical Shifts Toward Humanistic Buddhism
Prof. Nadeau identified three key ethical shifts in Buddhist practice: from dualism to anattā, from personal liberation to Mahāyāna compassion, and from ritualism to the engaged ethics of Humanistic Buddhism. He emphasized that these shifts are not criticisms but offer practitioners renewed purpose and relevance.









Prof. Elise A. DeVido: Gender Discourse in Republican-era Chinese Buddhism
Prof. DeVido examined how early 20th-century Chinese Buddhists debated women’s ordination and lay practice, highlighting differing views shaped by modernity, nationalism, and gender reform in a transformative social context.










Prof. Jeffery Nicolaisen: Dialogues on Animal Ethics
Prof. Nicolaisen explored the intersection between Master Shih Chao-hwei’s Buddhist compassion and Peter Singer’s rational effective altruism, using their shared concern for animal life to reflect on philosophical convergences and tensions between Buddhist and Western ethical frameworks.










The workshop concluded with a dynamic panel discussion featuring Professors Cheng Wei-Yi, Lin Hsin-Yi, and Cheng Ju-En from Fo Guang University. The session fostered lively dialogue with both speakers and attendees, highlighting the richness of Buddhist ethical inquiry and the promise of future collaboration.