What Is Philosophy For

An Interview with Professor Huang Yusheng

Abstract

This interview takes the academic experience of Professor Huang Yusheng from the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University as a thread to explore the fundamental significance and contemporary value of the discipline of philosophy. Professor Huang first reviews the historical context in which he chose to study philosophy, and on this basis, elaborates on the foundational role of philosophy in university education and the cultivation of the university spirit, emphasizing that philosophy lays the groundwork for the scientific spirit and theoretical thinking. In the interview, he also offers a unique insight into approaching philosophical classics: one must “read the classics slowly” to deeply understand the absent questions behind the texts. Professor Huang further criticizes the tendency to marginalize the humanities, stressing that disciplines such as history and literature also possess rigorous narrative logic and truthfulness, and serve as vital sources of imagination and civilizational development. Centering on his core research theme of freedom, he puts forward the proposition that “freedom is relational,” and analyzes the connections between freedom and responsibility, as well as between the individual and the community.