Join us every third Thursday of every month at 9:00 AM for Coffee With the Curator at the Museum of World Treasures!

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM, (Doors Open at 8:45)
• Location: Museum of World Treasures [Get Directions]

Program Fee

• Museum Members: Free
• Non-Members: $4 per person plus tax

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Attending Information

• Open to all ages
• No need to register; simply walk in!
• Light refreshments provided.

This month's Talk

The Ancient Chinese Philosophy on the Meaning of Life

This presentation draws from the book The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us about the Good Life by Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh. It explores how ancient Chinese philosophy offers a radical challenge to modern Western ideas about happiness and fulfillment. Contrary to self-centered approaches that emphasize "finding your true self" and being authentic, these philosophies propose that there is no fixed, authentic self to discover. Instead, the self is seen as a collection of changeable patterns and habits. Consequently, a good life is not about self-acceptance but about actively cultivating better patterns and breaking free from limiting ones. The book explores distinct paths from major Confucian and Daoist thinkers, each addressing how to live well in a fragmented and unpredictable world.

SPEAKER BIO - Xiufen Lu

Xiufen Lu has been Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wichita State University since 2001. She earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Kansas in 2000, Master of Arts in Philosophy and Women's Studies from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and Bachelor of Arts in English from Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages.

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