of Victoria
On Leave
Cambridge (BA, MA), Keio University (Tokyo) and Oxford University (MPhil, DPhil)
Asian philosophy, Buddhist philosophy & psychology, philosophy of mind/body, phenomenology, eco-philosophy, magic and religion, ethics and politics, philosophical therapy & practice.
Chris is Professor in Philosophy at UVic and Honorary Professor in Asian Studies at UBC. Before moving to UVic, he was chair Professor of Comparative Philosophy & Political Thought and chair Professor of Modern Japan Studies at Leiden University (The Netherlands).
Chris is particularly interested in sources of philosophy and modes of philosophical thinking that fall outside the disciplinary mainstream, such as Asian philosophy (especially Japanese and Buddhist traditions), non-textual philosophy (especially in performance, visual, and interactive media), and philosophical practice (especially meditation, martial arts, and therapy). Chris is a certified philosophical counsellor and a therapist in private practice (working largely with contemplative, existential, narrative, and eco-centric modalities).
Teaching: Buddhist Philosophy & Psychology, Philosophical Daoism, Existentialism, Phenomenology, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy and the Environment, Eco-Philosophy
Publications: Political Philosophy in Japan: Nishida, the Kyoto School and Co-Prosperity (Routledge, 2005); RePoliticizing the Kyoto School as Philosophy (Routledge, 2008); Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2009); Conjuring Asia: Magic, Orientalism, and the Making of the Modern World (Cambridge UP, 2016); The Virtual Ninja Manifesto: Fighting Games, Martial Arts, and Gamic Orientalism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). His articles have appeared in journals like Philosophy East & West, Philosophy, boundary2, Modern Asian Studies. He created the MOOC, De-Mystifying Mindfulness (Leiden University and Coursera/FutureLearn, 2016-present), which was named ‘one of the best online courses of all time’ in 2020. His next book, Mindfulness and the Search for Meaning: Monk, Ninja, Doctor, Zombie, is forthcoming with Bloomsbury International, 2023.