Stephanus Peters

Dr Stephanus Peters (Sifan 思凡) is a philosopher, author and scholar of Asian cultures whose work explores the meeting point between Eastern and Western thought.

His intellectual journey has developed over many decades of study, travel and lived experience across Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. His particular interests lie in Daoist and Confucian philosophy, Zen Buddhism, cultural understanding, human relationships, and the ways in which different civilisations have sought harmony between the individual, society and the natural world.

Rather than approaching philosophy as something confined to academic theory, Peters understands it as something that must also be lived. His writing is therefore shaped not only by philosophical texts, but by encounters with people, cultures and traditions across different societies.

Central to his work is the conviction that many divisions between East and West arise not simply from disagreement, but from differences in the ways people understand words, values and the world itself. Concepts such as WúWéi (無為), Ren (仁), Yi (義), harmony and mutual respect consequently occupy an important place in his writing.

Through his books, Peters seeks to build intellectual and cultural bridges: not by asking one civilisation to become like another, but by encouraging people to understand what lies behind another person's words, traditions and ways of thinking.

His underlying philosophy may perhaps be expressed most simply through the words:

無為而和 — Through non-forcing, harmony.