Book panel: Rule of Law and of Virtue in Chinese Constitutional Thought. A discussion with Liang Zhiping

18. Februar 2026

Date: 9 March 2026, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Speaker: Liang Zhiping (Zhejiang University) 
Location: Balcony Hall, Room 208, Humboldt University 
Host: Philipp Dann (Humboldt University), Thomas Duve (mpilhlt) Contact: roeseler@lhlt.mpg.de

Constitutional theory, comparative constitutional law, and comparative constitutional history have long been pursued quite instinctively using the terms and concepts of Western modernity—in Europe, the US, and other regions of the world. It seemed only a matter of time before the model of Western constitutionalism would become established everywhere and shape the global order. In the meantime, disillusionment has set in. Even in Europe, the US, and Latin America, the fundamental principles of the Western constitutional tradition are being called into question. New actors have entered the global conversation about law and constitutionalism and are contributing their worldviews. This makes it all the more important to discuss different legal imaginations, the changing understandings of what a constitution is and what it should achiev

Against this backdrop, at the conference “Constitutional Law and Constitutional History Beyond Western Modernity: Rule of Law and Rule of Virtue in Chinese Constitutional Thought” we want to discuss the constitution of China in the modern era from a comparative perspective, based on Liang Zhiping's book “ Rechtsherrschaft und Tugendherrschaft” (Rule of Law and Rule of Virtue, 法治与德治), published in German translation in 2024 as part of the cooperation project “Translating China”. Liang Zhiping will be present, and the conference will be held in English.

The conference will be accompanied by a book panel entitled “Rule of Law and of Virtue in Chinese Constitutional Thought. A discussion with Liang Zhiping”, taking place in the evening of 9 March 2026, at which Liang Zhiping will discuss his book with experts in comparative constitutional law and China studies.

While the main conference is convened as a closed academic event, the evening lecture will be open to the public and further information will be published shortly.

Source: https://www.lhlt.mpg.de/events/44400/2078412