Title: Zina Giannopoulou & Jeff Wasserstrom on “Plato Goes to China"
Please join Jeff Wasserstrom and Zina Giannopoulou for a lively conversation inspired by Shadi Bartsch’s Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism. Published in 2023, the book presents strikingly different readings of Plato in modern China, tracing a marked shift before and after Tiananmen Square and connecting ancient Greek thought with modern Chinese debates about democracy, political authority, social order, and national identity. The conversation draws on modern Chinese history and Classics to ask: Why has a philosopher from ancient Athens mattered in modern China? What led influential Chinese thinkers to see Plato’s work differently over time? And how does this encounter change our understanding of Plato, modern China, and the familiar divide between East and West?
Event Details:
Date Monday, November 2, 2026
Time 4:00-5:00 PM
Location Humanities Gateway 1030
The event is open to the entire academic community, including students, family, and friends.