He ‘Ames’ to Teach
Dual Interest in Philosophy and Asia Drives Professor

by Ari Katz, student writer
External Affairs and University Relations

When asking a philosopher a question, be prepared for the intellectual equivalent of "Give a mouse a cookie…" University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Professor Roger T. Ames considers the simplest of questions and replies with a full discussion of philosophical and ethical issues. Asked if his department receives adequate financial support, for example, he begins, "There comes a time in a person’s life when they stop worrying about the material but rather consider the quality of life." He continues in detail about why and how he feels this way.

The many tomes on Ames’ bookshelves turn his office into a small library. The Asian rugs and Chinese decorations offer an insight into the type of philosophy he enjoys teaching, studying and writing about.

Native to Vancouver, Canada, Ames graduated from the University of British Columbia with double honors, receiving a BA in both philosophy and Chinese. He spent a year studying in Hong Kong during that time. Ames earned a master’s in the same subjects, studying at the University of British Columbia, National Taiwan University and at Osaka University of Foreign Studies. He completed a research fellowship at the Tokyo University of Education and earned a PhD in Asian studies at the University of London.

"A problem that I found was that philosophy, as a discipline, is parochial. The assumption that only Anglo-European cultures are in the pursuit of wisdom I find offensive—I find repugnant," states Ames. He teaches courses in comparative, ancient Chinese, Taoist, Confucian and American philosophy. On becoming a teacher, Ames quips, "If you like to write and you like to talk, being a professor is for you." He adds more earnestly, "Spending your life associating with young people, talking about interesting questions, writing books … I mean, what a wonderful life."

Ames considers himself fortunate to be living and teaching in Hawai‘i, given his desire to bring together western and non-western philosophy. UH Manoa has the only philosophy department that takes non-western philosophy seriously, he says. Even places such as Harvard may only offer Chinese philosophy in the Asian studies department, he observes.

Author of more than two dozen books, scores of book chapters and periodical articles, Ames is excited about two current projects. Blackwell, perhaps the most prestigious publisher in the philosophy discipline, has given a grant to the philosophy department to create a new generation of source books for a whole range of East Asian philosophies. Ames is working on the Chinese source book. "These new source books contain new translations that get past the Christianization and the orientalization of these traditions," he says. "All of the royalties go to the UH Foundation to support our graduate students, so it really is a worthy project."

His other project is "a Confucian/Pragmatic dialogue as a basis for conversation between America and China." Ames and colleagues at the Peking University are encouraged by the positive response the project has received so far.

Among numerous other honors, Ames is co-director of the Asian Studies Development Program and director of the East/West Philosophers Conference, which dates to the 1930s. "Every few years, the wise gray heads of East and West come here and spend their time discussing the most important issues facing the human being," he says.

Ames addresses questions and issues by e-mail at rtames@hawaii.edu.