LACERTOSA, Massimiliano

Brief Biography

My research is situated at the intersection of comparative philosophy and decolonial thought, with a special focus on Chinese philosophy and its dialogue with Western and other global traditions. I seek to develop methodologies that counteract hermeneutical injustice and foster genuine intercultural dialogue, generating philosophically innovative responses to contemporary challenges.

I completed my PhD in 2019 at SOAS University of London. My doctoral research was supported by a competitive Confucius China Studies Program Joint Research PhD Fellowship, which funded a two-year research period at Beijing Normal University in China. My work critically examined Western hermeneutical approaches to classical Daoist texts, arguing for a methodological shift in comparative philosophy—from the mere identification of similarities and differences, which often reinforces Eurocentric frameworks, toward transformative engagements that actively reconfigure fundamental philosophical concepts.

As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Warwick (2020-2023), I introduced for the first time new modules in Chinese Philosophy and World Philosophies. In 2022 I was nominated Associate Fellow of the Warwick Institute of Engagement. My work at Warwick took on a distinct critical edge, focusing on decolonial philosophy. I investigated how dominant metaphysical systems perpetuate epistemic injustice and began articulating pathways for their decolonisation. This led directly to my founding of the Warwick World Philosophies and Decolonisation Research Group in 2022, an interdisciplinary forum dedicated to underrepresented traditions and critical engagement with decolonial stances.

This line of inquiry now forms the core of my current research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where I hold a prestigious Hong Kong Research Grant Council Postdoctoral Fellowship. My project, “Wuwei 無為, Weak Thought and Degrowth: A Philosophical Reflection on Decolonisation,” offers a non-reductive, culturally responsive alternative to the paradigm of unlimited economic growth, addressing intersecting political, economic, and ecological crises.