MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Event

Oct 6-10, 2025
Common Knowledge in Historical East Asia and Beyond

This event is organized by the "Common Knowlegde and Its Sources in the Sinosphere, 14th–20th Centuries" Working Group in Department Artifacts, Action, Knowledge.

This event brings together specialists working on historical China, Japan, Europe, England, and the Islamicate World to share the kind of "common/popular knowledge" that formed within these historical regions. Deepening our understanding of the similarities and differences in common/popular knowledge across these regions will help identify the factors that shaped their different developments. On the morning of October 8, there will be a focus section on Digital Humanities. Please see the detailed program below.

  • Monday, October 8 – Harnack-Haus

    Time Title Speaker(s)
    9:00–10:00 Welcome & Introduction Shih-Pei Chen
    (MPIWG)
    10:00–10:40 Reorganizing Useful Knowledge during the First Commercial Printing Boom in 13th–14th Century China Ren-yuan Li
    (Academia Sinica)
    10:40–11:00 Coffee Break  
    11:00–11:40 Building Structures of Common Knowledge: Daily-Use Encyclopedias and zazi 雜字 Monika Klasing Chen
    (Heidelberg University)
    11:40–12:20 The Literariness of Epistolary Knowledge in Early Modern Chinese Letter-Writing Guides Huan Jin 
    (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
    12:20–13:20 Lunch Break  
    13:20–14:00 Medical Knowledge in the Shilin Guangji: Initial Observations Asaf Goldsmith 
    (Tel Aviv University)
    14:00–14:40 A Preliminary Study of the Fabing 法病 Section in the Daily-Use Encyclopedias Che-chia Chang
    (Academia Sinica)
    14:40–15:00 Coffee Break  
    15:00–15:40 Embryology, Cosmology, Epistemology: Thinking with the Section on Gestation (Zhongzi men 種⼦⾨) in the Wanbo
    quanshu     萬寶全書 [Comprehensive
    compendia of myriad treasures]    		 Joan Judge (York University)
    15:40–16:40 Knowing Hands: Chinese Hand-Memory Techniques and Handy Knowledge in situ, comparison, and Contact Marta Hanson (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) 
    &
    Stéphanie Homola (French Research Institute on East Asia)

     

  • Tuesday, October 7 – Harnack-Haus

    Time Title Speaker(s)
    9:00–9:40 Advice Books and Popular Encyclopedias in Early Modern Japan Michael Kinski
    (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main)
    9:40–10:20 Popular Knowledge in Early Modern Japan: Knowledge of Canonical Texts and of the Natural World Rebekah Clements
    (ICREA & Autonomous University of Barcelona)
    10:20–11:00 Graphic Narrative Literature and Vernacular Medical Knowledge in Early Modern Japan Angelika Koch
    (Leiden University)
    11:00–11:10 Discussion  
    11:10–11:40 Coffee Break  
    11:40–12:20 Defining Useful Knowledge in 18th-Century European Academies Jean-Alexandre Perras (CELLF, Paris Sorbonne)
    12:20–13:00 Ignorance and Hostpitality: Tracing Hidden Knowledge in Nineteenth Century England Jakob Kaaby Hellstenius 
    (International Max Planck Research School-KIR / Humboldt University)
    13:00–14:00 Lunch Break  
    14:00–14:40 Decoding Complexity: Format Shifts and the Accessibility of Knowledge in the History of Islamic Astronomy Razieh Mousavi
    (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
    14:40–15:00 Heavenly Patterns in Chinese Daily-Use Encyclopeadias as a Comparison Shih-Pei Chen
    15:00–15:20 Coffee Break  
    15:20–16:20 Discussion  

  • Wednesday, October 8 – MPIWG Main Building

    Time Title Speaker(s)
    9:30–10:30 [DH] Curating a Book Database for Common Knowledge Genres in Historical China Shih-Pei Chen 
    (MPIWG)
    &
    Calvin Yeh
    (MPIWG)
    10:30–10:50 Coffee Break  
    10:50–12:20 [DH] Exploring Visual Materials in Common Knowledge Genres in Historical China Shih-Pei Chen 
    (MPIWG)
    &
    Calvin Yeh
    (MPIWG)
    12:20–13:20 Lunch Break  
    13:20–14:00 Tracing the Orchid: A Study of Orchid Painting in Song and Yuan China (960–1368) with a Special Focus on Zheng Sixiao's Ink Orchid Qian Zhan 
    (Freie Universität Berlin)
    14:00–14:40 Earthly Patterns and fengshui (geomancy) in Chinese Daily-Use Encyclopedias Hua Ye
    (Hong Kong University)
    14:40–15:00 Coffee Break  
    15:00–15:40 Dietetic bencao and Water Treatments in Early Modern Global Exchanges Fei Huang
    (University of Tübingen)
    15:40–16:00 Wrap-up  

     

  • Thursday, October 9 – MPIWG Main Building

    Time Title Speaker(s)
    10:00–12:00 Hands-on Practices of Digital Tools.
    Please register in advance    		 Calvin Yeh
    (MPIWG)
    12:00–13:00 Lunch Break   
    13:00–16:00 Break-out Discussions  

     

  • Friday, October 10 – Harnack-Haus

    Time Event
    9:30–10:30 Reflections Part I. 5 minutes per participant
    10:30–11:00 Coffee Break
    11:00–12:00 Reflections Part II. 5 minutes per participant
    12:00–13:00 Lunch Break
    13:00–14:00 Discussion for next steps

     

Organizer(s)
Related Project(s)
Address
Harnack House, Conference Venue of the Max Planck Society, Ihnestraße 16-20, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Contact and Registration

This event is open to the public, but space is limited. Please register with Shih-Pei Chen (schen@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de) if you are interested in participating.

Click here to download program
2025-10-06T00:00:00SAVE IN I-CAL 2025-10-06 00:00:00 2025-10-10 23:59:59 Common Knowledge in Historical East Asia and Beyond This event is organized by the "Common Knowlegde and Its Sources in the Sinosphere, 14th–20th Centuries" Working Group in Department Artifacts, Action, Knowledge. This event brings together specialists working on historical China, Japan, Europe, England, and the Islamicate World to share the kind of "common/popular knowledge" that formed within these historical regions. Deepening our understanding of the similarities and differences in common/popular knowledge across these regions will help identify the factors that shaped their different developments. On the morning of October 8, there will be a focus section on Digital Humanities. Please see the detailed program below. Monday, October 8 – Harnack-Haus Time Title Speaker(s) 9:00–10:00 Welcome & Introduction Shih-Pei Chen (MPIWG) 10:00–10:40 Reorganizing Useful Knowledge during the First Commercial Printing Boom in 13th–14th Century China Ren-yuan Li (Academia Sinica) 10:40–11:00 Coffee Break   11:00–11:40 Building Structures of Common Knowledge: Daily-Use Encyclopedias and zazi 雜字 Monika Klasing Chen (Heidelberg University) 11:40–12:20 The Literariness of Epistolary Knowledge in Early Modern Chinese Letter-Writing Guides Huan Jin  (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) 12:20–13:20 Lunch Break   13:20–14:00 Medical Knowledge in the Shilin Guangji: Initial Observations Asaf Goldsmith  (Tel Aviv University) 14:00–14:40 A Preliminary Study of the Fabing 法病 Section in the Daily-Use Encyclopedias Che-chia Chang (Academia Sinica) 14:40–15:00 Coffee Break   15:00–15:40 Embryology, Cosmology, Epistemology: Thinking with the Section on Gestation (Zhongzi men 種⼦⾨) in the Wanbo quanshu 萬寶全書 [Comprehensive compendia of myriad treasures] Joan Judge (York University) 15:40–16:40 Knowing Hands: Chinese Hand-Memory Techniques and Handy Knowledge in situ, comparison, and Contact Marta Hanson (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)  & Stéphanie Homola (French Research Institute on East Asia)   Tuesday, October 7 – Harnack-Haus Time Title Speaker(s) 9:00–9:40 Advice Books and Popular Encyclopedias in Early Modern Japan Michael Kinski (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) 9:40–10:20 Popular Knowledge in Early Modern Japan: Knowledge of Canonical Texts and of the Natural World Rebekah Clements (ICREA & Autonomous University of Barcelona) 10:20–11:00 Graphic Narrative Literature and Vernacular Medical Knowledge in Early Modern Japan Angelika Koch (Leiden University) 11:00–11:10 Discussion   11:10–11:40 Coffee Break   11:40–12:20 Defining Useful Knowledge in 18th-Century European Academies Jean-Alexandre Perras (CELLF, Paris Sorbonne) 12:20–13:00 Ignorance and Hostpitality: Tracing Hidden Knowledge in Nineteenth Century England Jakob Kaaby Hellstenius  (International Max Planck Research School-KIR / Humboldt University) 13:00–14:00 Lunch Break   14:00–14:40 Decoding Complexity: Format Shifts and the Accessibility of Knowledge in the History of Islamic Astronomy Razieh Mousavi (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) 14:40–15:00 Heavenly Patterns in Chinese Daily-Use Encyclopeadias as a Comparison Shih-Pei Chen 15:00–15:20 Coffee Break   15:20–16:20 Discussion   Wednesday, October 8 – MPIWG Main Building Time Title Speaker(s) 9:30–10:30 [DH] Curating a Book Database for Common Knowledge Genres in Historical China Shih-Pei Chen  (MPIWG) & Calvin Yeh (MPIWG) 10:30–10:50 Coffee Break   10:50–12:20 [DH] Exploring Visual Materials in Common Knowledge Genres in Historical China Shih-Pei Chen  (MPIWG) & Calvin Yeh (MPIWG) 12:20–13:20 Lunch Break   13:20–14:00 Tracing the Orchid: A Study of Orchid Painting in Song and Yuan China (960–1368) with a Special Focus on Zheng Sixiao's Ink Orchid Qian Zhan  (Freie Universität Berlin) 14:00–14:40 Earthly Patterns and fengshui (geomancy) in Chinese Daily-Use Encyclopedias Hua Ye (Hong Kong University) 14:40–15:00 Coffee Break   15:00–15:40 Dietetic bencao and Water Treatments in Early Modern Global Exchanges Fei Huang (University of Tübingen) 15:40–16:00 Wrap-up     Thursday, October 9 – MPIWG Main Building Time Title Speaker(s) 10:00–12:00 Hands-on Practices of Digital Tools. Please register in advance Calvin Yeh (MPIWG) 12:00–13:00 Lunch Break    13:00–16:00 Break-out Discussions     Friday, October 10 – Harnack-Haus Time Event 9:30–10:30 Reflections Part I. 5 minutes per participant 10:30–11:00 Coffee Break 11:00–12:00 Reflections Part II. 5 minutes per participant 12:00–13:00 Lunch Break 13:00–14:00 Discussion for next steps   Harnack House, Conference Venue of the Max Planck Society, Ihnestraße 16-20, 14195 Berlin, Germany Shih-Pei Chen Shih-Pei Chen Europe/Berlin public