Lecture by philosopher Kaspars Eihmanis as part of the public programme of the exhibition “HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Emotional intelligence”.
23 July, 16:00
As part of the public programme of the exhibition “HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Emotional intelligence”, developed in collaboration with the Dr. Ilze Aizsilniece Foundation, we invite you to a lecture by philosopher Kaspars Eihmanis entitled “Emotions in Eastern Culture”.
We assume that human emotions have a shared biological basis, yet different cultures understand, name, and experience emotions in different ways. The lecture will compare two Asian cultural regions — India and East Asia — which have understood and organised emotions differently: India within the frameworks of aesthetics and spiritual practice, and China through the perspectives of cosmology, medicine, and ethics.
Some emotions are self-evident in one tradition but almost impossible to name in another: wonder and profound tranquillity as basic emotions in India, and excessive rumination as a distinct emotion in Chinese medicine. Behind these examples lies a deeper question: are emotions a natural language shared by all humanity, or are they partly shaped by culture itself? And can another culture experience something that we are unable even to name?
Dr phil. Kaspars Eihmanis
Philosopher and historian of Asian intellectual traditions
Kaspars Eihmanis (Dr. phil., Chengchi University, Taiwan) is a philosopher with international experience and in-depth knowledge of the history of Buddhist philosophy and theories of consciousness. In addition to his academic work, he is actively engaged in public philosophy, organising lectures and discussions in order to make philosophical thinking accessible beyond the university environment. Through his work, he promotes intercultural philosophical exchange, paying particular attention to the interaction between Western and Eastern traditions of thought.
The event takes place as part of the multimedia research project “HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Emotional intelligence”. The exhibition, dedicated to physician Ilze Aizsilniece (1966–2025), brings together works by 28 Latvian artists and invites visitors to look at emotions through the prism of art, science, medicine, and personal experience.
Free admission.
The event will be held in Latvian.
Image: Miķelis Fišers, “Meadow of Sorrow”, 2025. Oil on canvas, 98 × 196 cm.