ABSTRACT
Is there a Hong Kong philosophy or philosophy in Hong Kong? Traditionally, there are Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism philosophies or thoughts. After Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire in 1842, philosophy has been studied in the University of Hong Kong for more than a hundred years. The year 1949 marks an important year in the history of Hong Kong philosophy. It was the year of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and there were many people (including philosophers) exiled to Hong Kong. In this chapter, I would discuss three philosophers: Tang Chun-i, Lao Sze-kwang and Cheung Chan-fai. Tang escaped to Hong Kong in 1949 and was one of the founders of New Asia College, a school devoted to promoting Chinese culture. Lao escaped to Taiwan after 1949, but he was not satisfied with the “white terror” of the Republic of China and came to Hong Kong. Cheung was born in Hong Kong and received his doctoral degree in Germany. I would argue that for these three philosophers, philosophy is not only a vocation but also a way to react to contemporary issues.
