HISTORY AND PURPOSE

The AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PREMODERN ASIA (formerly known as the American Oriental Society - AOS) is the oldest learned society in the United States devoted to a particular field of scholarship. The Society was founded in 1842, preceded only by such distinguished organizations of general scope as the American Philosophical Society (1743), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1780), and the American Antiquarian Society (1812). From the beginning its aims have been humanistic. The encouragement of basic research in the languages and literatures of West, Central, South, and East Asia has always been central in its tradition. This tradition has come to include such subjects as philology, literary criticism, textual criticism, paleography, epigraphy, linguistics, biography, archaeology, and the history of the intellectual and imaginative aspects of these civilizations, especially of philosophy, religion, folklore, and art.

PUBLICATIONS

The regular serial publication of the Society, issued quarterly, is JASPA (Journal of the American Society for Premodern Asia [JAOS through volume 125]). The first volume, published in 1843–49, set the tone for all time in the broad scope of subject matter and the solidity of its scholarship. It included studies of Arab music, of Persian cuneiform, of Buddhism in India, and of paper money in China. From that year to the present day, the Journal has brought to the world of scholarship the results of advanced research of the most distinguished specialists in West, Central, South, and East Asian literatures, languages, and civilizations. To assure competent and impartial appraisal of the scholarly level of the material submitted for publication, the editorial staff is composed of recognized scholars in each of the major areas served by the Society.

The Society also publishes an open access Essay series for scholarly work that is larger than a Journal article and shorter than a monograph, that is, between 15,000 and 45,000 words.

All publications of the Society, including previous Essays published in print and volumes of the now discontinued monograph series, are available to members at discount, and occasionally special sales of publications are held at greatly reduced prices, especially at the Annual Meeting. Membership includes an annual subscription to the Journal.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Society is open to every student, professional or amateur, of the languages and cultures of West, Central, South, and East Asia. The addition of new members helps to perpetuate the 180+ year humanistic tradition of the AOS. Anyone wishing to become a member is invited to email the Secretary, jrodgers@umich.edu.

ASPA Membership Directory