Chinese Thought:
This course offers an introduction to Chinese thought through a study of thinkers from arguably one of the most vibrant periods of religious-philosophical discourse in China. We will examine early classical texts from the Daoist, Confucian, Mohist, and Legalist traditions, and follow arguments where the thinkers expand upon, dispute, and respond to each other in regard to questions that are still important to us today. We will explore issues such as notions of the self, conceptions of the greater cosmos, the role of rituals, ideas about human nature, and the subjects of freedom and duty. Motivating the course will be the underlying question, "What is the good life?" 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 309, L03 East Asia 309, L97 IAS 3090.
Confucian Thought: The Sage and Society:
This course offers an introduction to the ethical dimensions of Confucianism through a study of a select number of religio-philosophical texts ranging from ca. 500 BCE through the present day. We will begin with a study of Confucianism as a commentarial tradition on the classical text of the Analects. We will then turn to the theme of self cultivations and examine three contrasting ideas put forth on the subject: self cultivation through learning the classics, through mystical intuition, and through a study of history. in the third part, we will explore the role of Confucianism in adressing contemporary ethical issues such as ones regarding government, abortion, the environment, human rights, feminism, and intellectual property. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 3091, L03 East Asia 3091, L97 IAS 3095.
Freshman Seminar in Religious Studies: The Self in Chinese Thought:
What is the self? Throughout history, selves and thinkers who think about the self have lived and imagined numberless answers to this question. Some argue the true self is an autonomous, freely choosing individual; while others insist the self is only truly the self in social relation with others. Some see reason as the key to selfhood; others insist that feeling and an abundance in feeling marks the true self. This freshman seminar examines such universal and perennial questions about the self primarily within the context of Chinese religious and philosophical texts but also through comparative studies with formulations of the self from select "western" classics. We will examine with depth Daoist and Confucian works such as the Daodejing of Laozi, the Zhuangzi, the Analects, the writings of Wang Yangming, and contemporary works on Confucianism and human rights, while comparing such texts with ideas of the self from classical "western" writings such as those of Aristotle, Freud, and Augustine as well as works of contemporary scholars such as Charles Taylor and Carol Gilligan. Our particular topics of discussion will be shaped by student interests but will include the self in relation to society, human rights, reason and feeling, "authentic" expressions of the self, the self within the private and public spheres, and the gendered self. The aim of the course is three-fold: one, to explore vocabulary that will aid us in thinking about long-standing questions of the self, second, to examine our own ideas about what is the self and third, to introduce ourselves to some of the most widely read classics within the history of Chinese thought. 3 units.
The Daoist Tradition: Ethics, Poetry, Literature:
This course offers an introduction to the ethical aspects of the Taoist tradition through the study of a select number of literary and philosophical texts ranging from ca. 300 BCE through the present day. We will explore questions regarding the relationship between nature and culture, conceptions of the self, and ideas about the good life. 3 units. Same as L06 ANECC 303, L03 East Asia 303, L97 IAS 3030.
Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy:
In this course we will study Chinese philosophical texts from the classical period (ca. 6th-3rd centuries BCE). We will read selections from the Analects, the Mengzi, the Xunzi, the Zhuanqzi, the Daodejing, and the Hanfeizi, in addition to commentaries on these primary texts. The readings will be in classical Chinese with occasional supplemental readings in English and modern Chinese. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the language and grammar of Chinese philosophical texts, introduce students to the tradition of scholarly commentary, and explore a set of influential Chinese texts in the original language. PREREQ: CHINESE 411 OR INSTRUCTOR'S PERMISSION. 3 units. Same as home course L04 Chinese 414.
