Professor Chai’s principal area of research is Ancient and Early-Medieval Chinese Philosophy with an emphasis on Daoism. Secondary areas of research include modern Western philosophy (esp. metaphysics, phenomenology and hermeneutics), Comparative Philosophy, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophical Aesthetics, and Philosophy of Music. Professor Chai’s current research projects all revolve around the philosophy of nothingness and the continued advancement of what he calls “Daoist meontology.”