Cultural traditions in Asian societies

The aim of the project is to investigate certain Asian traditions which may be called either ‘religious’ or – because of the essentially debated concept of religion – simply ‘cultural.’ Special attention is given to Chinese philosophy as a source of morality in modern China, the analysis of texts about respect for parents and elders, and their interconnection with contemporary Chinese rituals and oral traditions. From a methodological perspective, it means that philological research is supplemented by field work, an explication of relevant sources and their local variants, as well as the investigation of interactions between the Confucian and Buddhist traditions that remain influential in contemporary Asia.

Project leader:
Judit Bagi