Chloe Wanghuige Chang was a manager in the business and fashion industry, but always felt that something was missing in her pursuit, until she discovered that her true passion lay in the search for the meaning of human existence. This realization led her to make a radical shift from business to study philosophy, focusing on existential questions in the digital age.
Website: https://chloechang-dotcom.github.io/clo.github.io/
Institution: San Jose State University – Philosophy Department https://www.sjsu.edu/philosophy/
What are you working on right now?
I am currently developing my philosophical work with the aim of inspiring people to discover their own authentic being, especially at a time when the rapid development of AI is reshaping how we understand ourselves. By reflecting on human existence and our relationship with AI and computing, I hope to encourage others to find inner value and peace rather than grounding their lives in the external or material world.
What is your favorite thing that you’ve written?
The paper is about how social media increasingly fills the gap between the present moment and its anticipated outcome in everyday life, for instance, when we instinctively reach for our phones while waiting in line. I think we do not simply waste time; we feed it to the spectacle. Through a phenomenological analysis of this condition, I examine our surrender of time to the device, the way the self is offered up to the spectacle, and the blurring and progressive mediation of temporal experience by the phone.
What’s your personal philosophy?
My personal philosophy centers on detachment and attachment, yin and yang, and balance and imbalance. I try to hold a neutral position and to see from an external perspective, so that my understanding is less restricted by my own self. By engaging with different sides and arguments, I aim to form and articulate my views in a more egoless way. At the same time, I also believe in staying fully engaged with the world, feeling deeply, and extending practical care and compassion to others, which, for me, is the meaning of existence.
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
I would probably say that I don’t want to become any particular profession. I simply wanted to follow my own flow and curiosity, and to find the way toward the answers I seek. Perhaps that path would be called philosophy, or perhaps it would take another name. Because I think I couldn’t be a philosopher without the other experiences and careers I was meant to go through. It is through struggle and contradiction that the deepest questions and curiosities arise in my heart. Those inner tensions are shaping the philosopher I am becoming. In this sense, if I had aimed to become a philosopher from the very beginning and skipped the other professional experiences in my life, I would not be who I am today, nor would I be doing the philosophy I feel deeply committed to.
If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?
I would not want to know the future in advance, because that would mean allowing the future to define who I am in the present, as if causality were determined by what is already fixed ahead of me. Although the person I am now may be shaped by my orientation toward the future, that future is never absolute or fully settled. It remains open, uncertain, and full of possibility. It is precisely this uncertainty that gives me freedom. And such knowledge of truth would confine me to a dualistic framework, while what I want is to explore my life and experience myself directly. For me, the question is not what kind of life I will have, but how I encounter existence through the attitude and mindset with which I experience everything. I believe that everything I go through has its own reason. To know the answers beforehand, or to avoid suffering easily and quickly, is not authentic understanding. It may create the appearance of escaping a difficulty, but without real understanding, I would remain trapped in the same cycle of ignorance, which would repeat itself through a different event. So I do not believe that knowing the future is true wisdom. What I seek is a true understanding of my existence through lived experience, practice, and self-cultivation.
Where is your favorite place you have ever traveled and why?
I think Tibet, China, is the place I have traveled to that has influenced me most deeply. At an elevation of around 6,500 to 13,000 feet, the thin air and lack of oxygen gave me a sense of purity. It was there that I felt closest to nature, as if all background noise and socially constructed ideas had fallen away. When I meditated there, I felt a profound sense of peace and freedom, and it led me to reflect more deeply on my existence and my relationship with nature.
What time of day are you most productive and creative?
I am most creative in the morning, when I like to read papers and books and let my mind brainstorm freely. Then, I leave those thoughts to process on their own in the back of my mind throughout the day. At night, I usually feel more focused and better able to organize my thoughts into words.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest, not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form.
Jessica Castellani
Jessica Castellani had a unique high school experience attending Toledo School for the Arts, where she played in a percussion ensemble and steel drum band for six years. She earned her dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Toledo. Her primary focus was “the Self” and the mystical experience of losing it. She earned her Master of Arts in Philosophy from The University of Toledo as well, with a specialization in comparative philosophy, Eastern studies, and continental philosophy. She has taught World Religions and Introduction to Philosophy at The University of Toledo both in person and virtually. She is a member of the Buddhist Temple of Toledo, tutors students, and has worked in the service industry for over a decade. In her free time, she likes to spend time outside and with her pets, friends, and family.
