Prof. Masayuki Sato | College of Liberal Arts – Department of Philosophy | Japanese

For Professor Masayuki Sato, the vitality of scholarship lies in independent thinking that refuses to blindly follow the mainstream, and in a lifetime of self-discipline as a response to the contingencies of fate. Originally from Japan and currently teaching in the Department of Philosophy at National Taiwan University (NTU), Professor Sato is an internationally recognized scholar specializing in early Chinese philosophy and the pre-Qin philosophers. Since joining NTU in 2002, he has spent 24 years teaching in Taiwan—not only guiding students through close readings of ancient texts in the classroom, but also, as a faculty member working largely on his own initiative, building an international bridge connecting NTU's philosophy community to East Asia and the wider world.

Background and Cross-National Studies: Laying the Foundation for an Interdisciplinary Vision Through "Chance"

Professor Sato's academic career has been a rare and rich journey spanning multiple countries and disciplines. After earning his degree in International Politics from Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan, he ventured abroad alone, obtaining master's degrees in political science from both National Taiwan University and Seoul National University in Korea, before traveling to Europe to complete his PhD at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies (Sinology) at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

When asked why he originally chose Taiwan as the place to settle for research and teaching, Professor Sato candidly laughs and describes it as a matter of historical "chance." Upon completing his doctorate, he sent applications to research institutions around the world, and NTU happened to be the only school that accepted him at the time. Yet this practical twist of fate turned out to provide him with excellent academic soil. Having moved between the academic systems of Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the Netherlands, he developed the flexibility to break free from any single cultural framework. He found that Taiwan's academic community—NTU in particular—was highly open to publishing in foreign languages and building international networks, and that its evaluation rules for foreign faculty were quite accommodating. This is what has kept him here for 24 years.

Research Focus and Concerns: From Xunzi to Meiji-Era Sinology, a Commitment to "Nine Monographs" and a Disciplined Life

Professor Sato's research centers on early Chinese philosophy, the history of Chinese political thought, Confucian thought, and the pre-Qin philosophers—particularly Xunzi. In recent years, he has also turned his attention to conceptual history, examining the origins and development of the discipline of "Chinese philosophy" during Japan's Meiji era, and reflecting on how traditional classical scholarship transformed in the modern period.

In his scholarly approach, Professor Sato holds himself to an extremely high standard of rigor and integrity. He firmly believes that "after a scholar is gone, only the formally published academic monographs will remain." With this in mind, he set himself the life goal of publishing nine academic monographs; the manuscript for his sixth book is currently under review. To achieve this goal, he has maintained a strict, disciplined routine for nearly 20 years: going to bed at 11 p.m. and rising at 6 a.m., reserving the clear-headed early morning hours exclusively for writing and proofreading, and taking care not to let administrative chores compromise the purity of his scholarship.

Teaching Philosophy and Student Relationships: Reshaping the Core of Philosophy in the AI Era, While Carrying Forward the Warmth of the Bubble-Economy Tradition

Faced with the widespread use of AI tools like ChatGPT today, Professor Sato takes an open yet firm stance. In his daily work, he uses AI to correct Japanese-influenced grammar in Chinese-language papers, but he strictly forbids students from directly copying AI-generated reasoning into their assignments. He points out that when everyone relies on AI, the resulting answers converge toward sameness—whereas the core strengths of philosophy, namely close textual reading, problem construction, and independent critical thinking, will become graduates' most powerful and distinctive assets in the AI era.

Outside the classroom, Professor Sato's interactions with students blend academic professionalism with Japanese warmth. In the classroom, he maintains the professional distance expected of an international professor; but privately, he carries on the tradition from Japan's bubble-economy era, when teachers looked after their students with great care—often cooking full meals himself, opening his home for student gatherings, and generously covering the cost. He has observed that international exchange students sometimes show even greater enthusiasm for participation than local Taiwanese students, and he hopes Taiwanese students will grow more confident in stepping outside their comfort zones and actively engaging in intellectual exchange.

Academic Environment and Challenges: Organizing 150 Conferences, and Concerns Over the Balance of Sinology Across the Taiwan Strait

During his time at NTU, Professor Sato has devoted much of his energy to building international academic networks. He has organized and coordinated more than 150 international conferences, workshops, and youth exchange events. In planning these events, he developed what he calls the "Panda and Cat-Dog Model"——inviting internationally renowned senior scholars (the "pandas") while also bringing in and introducing young scholars and graduate students (the "cat-dogs") to present alongside them, creating countless invaluable international platforms for the younger generation. He has also personally helped mediate and successfully restore or establish long-term partnerships between NTU and numerous Japanese universities, including the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Hokkaido University, University of Tsukuba, Osaka University, and Hiroshima University.

That said, standing at the forefront of the field, Professor Sato also candidly expresses some concern about the future of "Chinese philosophy studies" in Taiwan. In the classroom, he has observed a contrast in academic rigor between exchange students from mainland China and local Taiwanese students. As the scale of sinology research on the mainland continues to grow, he worries that if Taiwan does not accelerate its internationalization and deepen its research, its distinctive strengths may risk being marginalized in the future. He actively encourages outstanding scholars and students from abroad to come to Taiwan, noting that Taiwan not only offers ample research funding but also allows universities to hand most administrative tasks over to administrative staff, freeing up professors to focus their time on research.

Life Nourished by Taiwan: From Economic Growth to a Sense of Belonging

Over more than two decades, Taiwan has become not only Professor Sato's workplace but also the home where he has truly put down roots. He has witnessed Taiwan's economic growth and accumulation of prosperity over the past twenty years, and has come to deeply appreciate its quality of life—excellent public safety, strong civic ethics, a high degree of freedom of speech, and a comfortable social environment.

Professor Sato laughs as he admits that over the past decade, he has had no desire at all to move to Europe or the United States. Taiwan's strong sense of security, along with its respect for knowledge and rational discourse, has nourished his life. On the free intellectual soil of NTU, he refuses to blindly follow the established models of top Western universities, instead continuously searching for a new academic path that belongs to NTU—and to East Asia. For Professor Sato, this journey, set in motion by "chance," has blossomed—through discipline and perseverance—into the richest of intellectual fruits.