This seminar looks at the (symbiotic) relationship among law, music, politics, and society in Tang dynasty China (618-907 AD).  I will attempt to show that the Tang state music bureaucracy reflected Confucian and Tang philosophies and beliefs on the importance of music in society, politics & law generally, and then, through discussion of actual specific judicial cases from the Tang dynasty, show that these beliefs were reinforced by codified Tang law and Tang legal institutions.  I will also (very) briefly situate this seminar in the law and music field more generally and make some comparative points with medieval European legal history.

About the Speaker:

Norman P. HO is Professor of Law at Peking University School of Transnational Law (“STL”).  He teaches and writes in the areas of property law, Chinese legal history & legal thought, and law & the humanities (especially law and music).  He has also taught at National University of Singapore and at Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law.  Prior to entering academia, he practiced in the law firms of Morrison & Foerster and Slaughter and May.  He holds AB (History) and AM (Regional Studies-East Asia) degrees from Harvard, an MA (Music) from The Open University (UK), and a JD from NYU Law.

*The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded this seminar 1.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.