A workshop entitled “Body, Gender and Philosophy East and West" was held at IAHS on Jun. 3, 2014 A workshop entitled “Body, Gender and Philosophy East and West”, which was held by IAHS (Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies) and Center for World Ethics, took place in the multimedia classroom of IAHS on Jun. 3, 2014. The workshop was divided into 5 parts: the philosophical connotation of gender; research on “gender” in ancient times; the changes and challenges of gender roles in modern society; women, education and transnational philosophy; ancient views vs. modern practices. More than a dozen famous scholars from China and abroad delivered inspiring speeches and had meaningful discussion upon related issues. Professor Zhang Xianglong from Shandong University gave a keynote speech entitled “The Place/Role of Gender in Chinese and Western Philosophy and Its Theoretical Consequences”. He pointed out that traditional Western philosophy says little about gender, while traditional Chinese philosophy showed a strong gender consciousness in its use of “yin/yang” and its varieties. Gendered philosophy is aware that the self-other contrast is a created relationship which cannot be fully objectified. Thus, it realizes the significance of lineage and family, and the need to perceive ultimate reality through practice instead of conceptual systems. Although basically, traditions with no “gender” awareness have no such features, one can sense the deviation of sexual relations from cultural and philosophical levels. Consequently, there are differences in the two traditions’ treatment of women. The subject of a keynote speech delivered by Professor Wang Rongrong from Loyola Marymount University of America was “Yinyang Gender Dynamics: A Natural Fact or Cultural Performance?” In the speech, she argued that men/male/male characters and women/female/female characters can be categorized as yin or yang according to their features, like every other phenomena and things in nature. The gender issues in Chinese context are actually rooted in the interactions between yin and yang. If the male is yang and the female yin, such a gender construction implies a destined fate in physiology and society. Many feminists protest that gender is unnatural and unnecessary. Gender is constructed; it originates from culture and is confined by recognition, and then it is achieved through individuals. Theorists cited include: Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and Luce Irigary. Professor PATT-SHAMIR Galia from Tel Aviv University of Israel introduced the “Saleet” Project, which provides support and assistance to females involved in sex work. She especially highlighted her experience teaching Confucianism at Saleet to an group of females from 17 to 65 who had previously been almost illiterate. During this period, she found that they were hungry for knowledge and wanted to grow spiritually stronger through their studies. Through taking a course in Saleet structured around the eight key concepts of “The Great Learning”, the women were able to achieve a level theoretical understanding and thus gain a new way to live. In the end, both the teacher and the students had a valuable experience through this process. Others scholars who attended the meeting included: Professor Sigridur THORGEIRSDOTTIR from University of Iceland, Professor Herta NAGL-DOCEKAL from University of Vienna, Professor Zhang Zailin from Xi'an Jiangtong University, and Professor Wu Genyou from Wuhan University.