Synthesis of the 2025 Symposium of the Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy
The Online Symposium of the Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy 2025 took place on November 6-7th. The 2025 symposium took place under the theme: “Life as Regeneration & Flourishing in Environmental Philosophies in Asia”. The limits of life often correspond to fascinating fringes in environmental philosophy, such as the blurry borders between life and non-life, which sometimes encompasses dimensions of regeneration, purification or cleansing, toxicity, and rebirth. For two days, over 100 registered participants and about 28 presenters and moderators explored questions of animism, regeneration and healing among environmental philosophies in Asia, including views from Myanmar, Philippines, India, Indonesia, China and Japan.
On the first day, we began with a roundtable on the theme of animism. We broadened our views on animism by asking plethora of questions, including:
- Not all rivers are alive, some are, then which and why?
- What are the links or differences between animism and panpsychism?
- Are the worshipping of some animals and plants, like in India related to animism?
- Are spirit given to the subject, or are they part of the “cosmic” spirit (or “spirit of the universe”)? Is my spirit connected to other entities at the same time? Is my spirit connected to the spirit of the tree?
- What is the link between animism and sustainability, or the environmental crisis?
We also explored how some agricultural tools can be worshipped (e.g. fishing tools), with ceremonies before starting the journey for safety and life and subsistence. Then, we continued the day with sessions on nurturing and vitality, and a final panel on symbiosis.
The second day started with a session on East Asian philosophies and care, in which presenters discussed thinkers such as Zhuangzi and Watsuji. The next sessions discussed justice, healing and regeneration, with presentation of specific local case studies, for instance in India and The Philippines. After a last panel on the environmental philosophies of a Karen village in Northern Thailand, we closed the symposium with an open discussion and dialogue on the theme of the 2025 symposium, as well as a brainstorming about ideas for 2026 themes!
Overall, NAEP 2019-2025 activities include four online symposiums (on the Diversity of Environmental Philosophies in Asia in 2022, and on Plants & animals in 2023), series of videos, and two collective peer-reviewed papers. Some presentations from past symposiums were published online in a series of videos with the permission of the presenters and the work of Romaric Jannel. The first NAEP’s collective paper was titled “Exploring the diversity of conceptualizations of nature in East and South-East Asia” (2022). The second peer-reviewed collective paper was under the theme of Eco-orientalism and Ecological Nationalisms (2024). Ongoing and future collaborations include a reading group on animism, a collective research project on life, rivers and mountains.
Program and abstract booklet for the 2025 Online Symposium of the Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy
Dates: November 6 (Thu) – 7 (Fri)
Theme: Life as Regeneration and Flourishing in Environmental Philosophies in Asia
Environmental philosophy explores the ways we, humans, think about, value and relate to nature, other species, mountains and rivers…
The limits of life often correspond to fascinating fringes in environmental philosophy, such as the blurry borders between life and non-life, which sometimes encompasses dimensions of regeneration, purification or cleansing, toxicity, and rebirth.
Questioning these fringes, from voices from stones to conversations with rivers emerged as key themes from discussions during previous NAEP symposiums and NAEP reading group on animism. This NAEP symposium 2025 opens a space to further develop these exchanges.
The NAEP 2025 Online Symposium gathers contributions from scholars, practitioners and stakeholders on a broad range of aspects within Asian worldviews.
Language: The primary language of the conference is English. We aim to be non-native friendly, so we make it a rule that we speak slow and accessible English.
Organisation: Orika Komatsubara, Laÿna Droz, Dipanwita Pal, Concordia Marie Lagasca-Hiloma, Romaric Jannel, Spriha Roy, Felipe Cuervo, May Aye Thiri.
Program 2025 and Booklet of Abstracts
Call for Papers – CLOSED
2025 Online Symposium of the Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy
Dates: November 6 (Thu) – 7 (Fri) 2025
No conference fee, participation is free.
Theme: Life as Regeneration and Flourishing
Environmental philosophy explores the ways we, humans, think about, value and relate to nature, other species, mountains and rivers… The limits of life often correspond to fascinating fringes in environmental philosophy, such as the blurry borders between life and non-life, which sometimes encompasses dimensions of regeneration, purification or cleansing, toxicity, and rebirth. Questioning these fringes, from voices from stones to conversations with rivers emerged as key themes from discussions during previous NAEP symposiums and NAEP reading group on animism. This NAEP symposium 2025 opens a space to further develop these exchanges.
The NAEP 2025 Online Symposium welcomes contributions from scholars, practitioners and stakeholders on a broad range of aspects within Asian worldviews, including but not limited to:
- Ecological trauma, healing, regeneration, place-making after environmental destruction
- Philosophical dimensions of grassroots and justice initiatives on ecological remedies and restoration
- Artistic expressions (narratives, artforms, storytelling, memory landscape…) related to life and expressions of life in Asian cultures
- Spiritual & religious beliefs connected to life, regeneration, rebirth, purification, toxicity
- Ecofeminism views on birth, parenthood, caring and rebirth in connection with nature
- Grassroot perspectives and environmental practices related to life as regeneration
- Ethical and educational dimensions of our relationship with life and the natural world
Early- and mid-career scholars are especially encouraged to send proposals.
We welcome abstracts for individual presentations, panels, online posters and workshop proposals. Please submit your 200-250 words abstract with your name, affiliation and contact information through this form, by July 31st, 2025 (or by email).
Language: The primary language of the conference is English. We aim to be non-native friendly, so we make it a rule that we speak slow and accessible English. If you would like to present in a language other than English, please contact us.
Organisation: Orika Komatsubara, Laÿna Droz, Dipanwita Pal, Concordia Marie Lagasca-Hiloma, Romaric Jannel, Spriha Roy, Felipe Cuervo, May Aye Thiri.
About the Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy (NAEP)
The Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy (NAEP) was founded by a group of scholars in the field of environmental philosophy in Asia in 2019 with the goal to support works related to environmental philosophy within Asian traditions of thoughts broadly conceived or related to grassroots perspectives on environmental issues in Asia.
Network of Asian Environmental Philosophy 