44th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations

Can Collective Wisdom Save Civilization?

June 11-14, 2014

Conference Chair: Mary Tepfenhart, Monmouth University
Program Chair: David J. Rosner, Metropolitan College of New York


Concurrent Sessions held with Biocosmological Association
Kwon Jong Yoo, President
Konstantin Khroutski, Secretary

All A Sessions in room 104.
All B Session in room 106.
All C Sessions in Room 309.
All D Sessions in Room 310.
All E sessions in Room 311.

Wednesday, June 11

7:00 pm 

Welcoming reception
Wilson Hall

Thursday, June 12

8:30 am
Wilson Auditorium
Introductions from Monmouth University
Welcome and Introduction, David J. Rosner, President, ISCSC

9:00 to 10:15 

Session A: Human Nature I

David J. Rosner (Metropolitan College of New York), “Human Nature and Collective Wisdom in an Age of Crisis”
Thomas Kiefer (Fordham University), “Revitalizing Ancient Wisdom: Human Nature in Ancient Greek, Indian and Chinese Philosophy”
Leland Beaumont (Independent Scholar), “Pursuing Collective Wisdom, Tackling the Grand Challenges”

Chair: Andrew Targowski

Session B: Collective Wisdom and Civilizational Futures

Yuan Xu (Tsinghua University, China), “Ecological Well-Being – The Solution of the Conflict between Wealth and Faith”
Lynn Rhodes (Independent Scholar), “Verge of Collapse: Survival of Civilization in the Anthropocene “
Chair: Laina Farhat-Holzman

Session C: Islamic Civilization

Hisanori Kato, (Batsuryo College of Osaka),”Capitalist Muslims: Islam as a Facilitator of Economic Activities”
Tseggai Isaac (Missouri University of Science & Technology) reviewing Hichem Djait “Islamic culture in Crisis” and Klaus Schippmann, “Ancient South Arabia”
Chair:  Tseggai Isaac

Coffee Break 10:15-10-45

10:45-12:00

Session A:  Wisdom: Theory and Practice

Andrew Targowski (Western Michigan University), “From Limited to Wise Civilization”
Xiaoting Liu (Beijing Normal University), “Polymerization of Civilization and its Norms”
Bill McGaughey (ISCSC), “Albert Schweitzer’s ‘Philosophy of Civilization’ in the Context of Big History”

Chair: Bill McGaughey

Session B: Psychological Approaches to Civilizational Studies

Yas Yoshiyashi, (University of Kitakyushu, Japan)“Overcoming Self-Centeredness of the Modern Ego: Saul Bellow and Abe Kobo”
Tianmin Wang (Beijing Normal University), “National Suffering and Redemption of the Cultural Horizon”
Marek Celinski (Psychologist in Private Practice),”The Trauma of Time and the Evolution of Civilization”
Peter Hecht (Independent Scholar, Educational Theorist), “Collective Wisdom -Free Will and Determinism examined using the work of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Karen Horney”

Chair: Marek Celinski

Session C:  The Nature of Civilization: Theoretical Issues I:
The Phenomenon of Civilization and its Scientific Foundations

Vladimir Alalykin-Izvekov and Stephen Satkiewicz (ISCSC), “Theory of Civilizational Evolution: Three Legacy Case Studies” and “The Phenomenon of Revolution in the Context of Civilizational Evolution”.
Vladimir Alalykin-Izvekov reviewing Darren O’Byrne and Alexander Hensby, “Theorizing Global Studies” and John Armstrong, “In Search of Civilization: Remaking a Tarnished Idea”

Chair and Discussant: David Wilkinson

Session D: Biocosmological Association (1)
General Issues, Biocosmology, Neo-Aristotelianism, Triadology and the Contemporary Civilizational Studies I

Welcome Address: Kwon Jong Yoo, (Chung-Ang University, S. Korea) President, BCA
Congratulatory Address: David Rosner (Metropolitan College of New York), ISCSC President
Kwon Jong Yoo, (Chung Ang University, Korea) “Contemporary Issues of Neo Confucianism and Civilizational Studies: Biocosmological Aspects”
Konstantin Khroutski (Novgorod State University, Russia), “Rehabilitating Pitirim Sorokin’s grand Triadologic concept: A Biocosmological approach. ”

Chair: Xiaoting Liu

Session E: Collective Wisdom and Economic Inequality

Anthony Rodger (Independent Scholar), “Filling Needs, Fulfilling People: The Potential of Grassroots Innovation and Networking as an Alternative Socio-Economic Wisdom”
Ralph Leal (Metropolitan College of New York), “Can Collective Wisdom Alleviate Economic Inequality?”
Chair: Ralph Leal

 Lunch: 12 – 1: 15

1:30 – 3:00

Session A: Utopia and Dystopia I

Laina Farhat-Holzman (ISCSC), “The Great Literary Utopias Have a Nightmarish History”
Toby E. Huff (Harvard University) “Can Civilization Save Us?”
Brad Hume (Xavier University), “Wisdom, Power, Futurism, Utopia”

Chair: Laina Farhat-Holzman

Session B: Book Review Session

Ross Maxwell (Institute for Historical Study) reviewing Peter J. Taylor, Extraordinary Cities”
Lynn Rhodes reviewing Brian Fagan, “Floods, Famines and Emperors”
Connie Lamb reviewing Leibovitz & Miller, “Fortunate Sons”
Chair: Lynn Rhodes


Session C: Globalization and Civilization

Chidozie Ezeozue (Anambra State University, Nigeria), “Nigerian and Ocean Politics: Nigerian Contributions to the International Law of the Sea”
Hemerwanta Rwantabagu (University of Burundi), “Globalization and the Fate of Traditional Institutions: The Case of the ‘Bashingantahe’ Order in Burundi”

Chair: George von der Muhll

Session D:  Biocosmological Association (2)  General issues:  Biocosmology, Neo-Aristotelism , Triadology and the Contemporary civilizational Studies II

Xiaoting Liu (Beijing Normal University), “The Neo-Aristotelianism and Contemporary Culture”
Paul Beaulieau, (University of Quebec), “The Core Binding Cosmological Universal Force in Societal and Civilizational Organisms: A Comparative Analysis of Pitirim A. Sorokin’s Triadology and Rudolf Steiner’s Threefoldness Perspectives”
Milan Tasic (Serbia, University of Niš, Serbia):
“On the knowledge Ability of the World: From intuition to Turing Machines and Topos Theory”
Chair: Kwon Jong Yoo

Session E:  Utopia and Dystopia II
Bill Tepfenhart (Monmouth University), “Brave New World”
David Eisenberg (Columbia University), “The Utopian Animal”
AndrewTargowski reviewing Niccolo Caldararo, “The Anthropology of the Credit Crisis: Magical thinking, Irrationality and the Role of Inequality”
Chair: Marek Celinski

Coffee Break 3:00 – 3:30

3:30-5:00

Session A:  Justice and Civilizational Studies

Niccolo Caldararo (San Francisco State University), “Human Sacrifice, Capital Punishment, Prisons and Justice”
Zhou Ling (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China) and Harry Rhodes (Independent Scholar), “Criminal Justice Models and their Influence on Civilization: A Comparison of East and West” (Paper will be read by Lynn Rhodes)
Eric Hansen (Independent Scholar), “ A Model of Justice and Mercy and its Application to the Study of Civilizations”
Chair: Randall Groves

Session B:  Changing the World

John Grayzel (University of Maryland), Video, “Inspiring Success” followed by presentation, “Can a Group of the Wise Really Change the World?”

Session C: Paths to Civilizational Development

Adan Stevens-Diaz (Temple University)
Martin Droll, Independent Scholar
Yarehk Hernandez (Temple University)

Chair: Anthony Stevens-Arroyo

Session D: Biocosmological Association (3) Neo-Aristotelian (Organicist) Issues of Contemporary Social and Cultural Development

Nargis Nurulla-Khodzaeva (Technical University of Tajikistan), “Community as a Sociocultural Anti-Structure in Central Asia – in the Light of Neo-Aristotelianism”
Koji Tachibana (Kumamoto University, Japan), “The Interdisciplinary Analysis of Aristotelian Wisdom in Ethics, Politics and Natural Sciences”
Xiahua Zhang (China University of Political Science and Law), “A Comparative Study on Organism between Marx and Whitehead”

Chair Konstantin Khroutski

Excursion to Boardwalk/Seaside/Dinner (time and place to meet TBA)


Friday, June 13

Coffee 8:30 – 9 :00 am

9:00-10:15

Session A: Human Nature II

K. Sieben (Brookdale Community College), “The Question of Human Nature”
L Farhat-Holzman reviewing John Keegan, “The First World War”
Michael Andregg (University of St. Thomas), “A Comparative Analysis of Evil”
David Rosner reviewing Andrew Targowski, “Harnessing the Power of Wisdom”

Chair: David Rosner

Session B: Book Review Session: Ancient Civilizations and Ancient Wisdom

John Grayzell (University of Maryland) reviewing Daniel Richter, “Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts”
George von der Muhll (University of California) reviewing Kenneth R. Stunkel, “Ideas and Art in Ancient Civilizations”
Adan Stevens (Temple University) reviewing William Dunstan, “Ancient Rome”

Chair:  Adan Stevens

Session C: Ethnic and Religious Conflict

Tseggai Isaac (Missouri University of Science & Technology), “Empress Helen of Ethiopia: Bastion of her People, Defender of the Faith”
Joseph Drew (DeVry University & University of Maryland, University College) reviewing Jean Haussmann, “In Search of the Origin of the Nazi Monstrosity”
Anna Makolkin (University of Toronto), “Oscillations between Barbarism and Civilization”
Mary Tepfenhart (Monmouth University) reviewing Tatu Vanhanen, “Ethnic Conflicts”

Chair: Joseph Drew

Session D: Biocosmological Association (4) Biocosmological (Neo-Aristotelian) Approaches to Tackling the Contemporary Civilizational Issues I

Tatiana Bystrova (Ural Federal University, Russia), “Integrity as a Criterion of Civilization”
Ming Wong (BCA), “Biocosmology and its Six Presentations”
Vitaliy Sholokhov (Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO), “Studying Pitirim Sorokin’s Position on Normative Ethics in Science:BioCosmological Approach”

Chair:  Milan Tasic

Coffee Break 10:15-10:45

10:45- 12:00

Session A:  Nationalism, Imperialism, History

Anthony Stevens-Arroyo (Brooklyn College, CUNY),”Austria 1914: Nationalisms in a Multi-National Nation-State”
David Wilkinson (UCLA), “Capitalist Imperialism in Transhistorical and Transcultural Perspective: 13th-16th Century Venice, Genoa and the Hanse”
Chair: David Wilkinson


Session B: East & West
Ashok Malhotra (SUNY Oneonta), “The Exciting Story of the Transcreation of the Tao Te Ching for the Warner Brothers TV Series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and Paintings as Experiential Meditation”
Juri Abe (Rikkyo University, Japan), “East Meet West II”,
George von der Muhll reviewing Susan Naquin, “Peking” and Kate Teltscher, “The High Road to China”

Chair: Ashok Malhotra

Session C: Development of Civilizations II
Ruan Wei (Shenzhen University, China), “The Spatial Growth of Civilizations”
Norman Rothman (University of Maryland, University College), “Modernization and Tradition among the Pacific Peoples”

Chair:  Norman Rothman

Session D: Biocosmological Association (5) Biocosmological (Neo-Aristotelian) Approaches to Tackling the Contemporary Civilizational Issues II

Du Jiang (Beijing Normal University), “The Artificial Factor and Natural Link in Spiritual Practice: Seeing from Techne”
Stephen Modell (University of Michigan), “The Meaning of Aristotelian Causation for Molecular Era Medicine and Public Health”
Ho Young Lee (Chung Ang University, Korea),”Biocosmological Philosophy of Dai Zen”
Chair: Nargis Nurulla-Khodzaeva


Lunch 12-1:30 pm (and Outgoing Board meeting)

1:30–3:00 pm

Session A: Civilizational Theory and Collective Wisdom

Paul Beaulieu (University of Quebec, Montreal), “A Process Perspective on Civilizational Wisdom Evolution”
Diana Prokofyeva (Bashkir State University, Russia), “The Dialectic of Estrangement and Engagement: Social-Philosophic Aspects".
C. Boeneke (Monmouth University), “Collective Wisdom and the American Political System”
Chair: Paul Beaulieu

Session B: The Nature of Civilization: Theoretical Issues II

Guy Kananen (Independent Scholar), “Real Hope from a Newly Homologized Comparative Model”
J. Randall Groves (Ferris State University), “Mind, Meme and Myth: A Theory of the Origins of Human Mentality and its Implications for the Study of Civilizations”
David Sallach (University of Chicago), “Sorokin Cycles and Axial Transformations: The Road Forward”

Chair: J. Randall Groves

Session C: Chinese Civilization

Pierre Dimaculangan (DeVry University, 2014 Student Award Prize Winner), “The Needham Question and the Great Divergence: Why China Fell Behind the West and Lost the Race in Ushering the World into the Industrial Revolution and Modernity”
Pedro Geiger (State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), “Will the 21st Century be a Chinese Century?”

Chair: Tseggai Isaac

Session D: BCA (6) Biocosmological (Neo-Aristotelian) Approaches to Tackling the Contemporary Civilizational Issues III

Hong Gyu Ha (Yonsei University, Korea), “Erving Goffman and Ethics after Foundationalism: Implications for Confucian Ethics”
Sergey Grinchenko, (Institute of Informatics, Russian Academy of Sciences), “Civilizational Progress with Cybernetic Positions”
Chuanggen Huang (Beijing Normal University), “A Research on Aristotelian ‘Phronesis’ and its Contemporary Value”

Chair: Koji Tachibana

Coffee Break: 3:00-3:30

3:30-5:00

Session A: Panel Discussion: “What Unique Insights Arise out of Civilizational Studies?

Andrew Targowski, George von der Muhll, Ross Maxwell,

Chair: Ross Maxwell

Session B: Book Review session

Mary Tepfenhart (Monmouth University) reviewing: Richard Miles, “Carthage Must be Destroyed”
Laina Farhat-Holzman (ISCSC) reviewing Bernard Lewis, “The End of Modern History in the Middle East”
Laina Farhat-Holtzman reviewing Paul Kindstedt, “Cheese and Culture.”
John Grayzel reviewing Laina Farhat Holzman “God’s Law and Man’s Law”
and Laina Farhat Holzman “Strange Birds from Zoroaster’s Nest”

Chair: John Grayzel
Cheese-Tasting to follow.

Session C:  Session D: Peaceful Civilizations

Alan Kramer (Independent Scholar), “Multi-Religious Civilizations in History: Comparative /Conceptual Approaches to Peace”
Adam Black (Monmouth University), “Tanzania – A Paradigm for Peaceful Resolution despite Internal Political and Social Diversity"

Chair: Michael Andregg

Session D: BCA (7) Biocosmological (Neo-Aristotelian) Approaches to Tackling the Contemporary Civilizational Issues IV

Henry Linder (BCA), “Hierarchical Cosmism: An Outline of the evolution of the Cosmos, its Hierarchical Levels of Complexity, and its Pathologies”
Anna Makolkin (University of Toronto),”The Deconstructed meaning of Civilization as an Aristotelelian Predicate”
Ashok Gangadean (Haverford College), TBA

Chair: Stephen Modell

Association Banquet 6:00 (Wilson Hall)

Saturday June 14

9:00-10:15

Session A: Ethnicity and Civilizational Studies

Judie Edlin (Brookdale Community College), “Jewish Plantation Owners and Slavery: A Paradox within Jewish History”
Yan Navarro (State University of Rio de Janiero), “The Study of the ‘Quilombos’ in the Geography Teaching in Brazil: an Educational Experience”

Chair: Judie Edlin


Session B: Technology: Problems and Prospects
Mary Tepfenhart & Aurora Ioanid (Monmouth University), “The Impact of Technology on Society”
Shaobing Li, (Beijing Normal University) “How to find Happiness in this Technological Era”
Cristina Onciu (Independent Scholar), “The Power of Mass Communication”

Chair:  Bill Tepfenhart

Session C: Book Review Session

Marek Celinski reviewing Iain McGilchrist, “The Master and His Emissary”
Ross Maxwell reviewing Michael C. Corballis “The Recursive Mind”
Chair: Andrew Targowski


Session D: Biocosmological Association General Discussion, Summary, Conclusions, Organizational Issues of the BCA and Future Prospects

Closing Session, Chairs: Kwong Jong Yoo and Konstantin Khroutski

Session E: Education, Wisdom and Social Justice

H. Jonas Javier (Monmouth University), “The Role of Higher Education in Narrowing the Economic Inequality Gap”
Connie Lamb (Brigham Young University), “The Role of Wisdom and Education in Human and Societal Flourishing”

Chair: Connie Lamb

10:30- 11:00 General Meeting and Election

11-12:00 New Board Meeting