First-Year Seminar: Exploring East Asian Classics

RELIGIOUS STUDIES 1500

What is a good life? How does my good life link up with the well-being of my neighbors and community? What then can and should I do for it? Such questions were central to philosophical debates in Early China, during the 6th to 4th century BCE, yet they are of universal relevance and remain so today. In this course, we will focus on the answers to these questions, proposed by one of the most influential figures in China's history, Confucius (Kongzi). Reading the Analects, a collection of sayings and anecdotes attributed to this man and his disciples, students will discuss Confucius's ethical, religious, and political ideas and visions about self, family, friends, and society. The course will then turn to his near contemporaries such as Mozi, Laozi, and Mengzi, in response to Confucius's solutions. The course will also cover later changes and evolution of Confucius's ideas by his followers and critics from the 11th up to the 20th century CE. Finally, students will survey contemporary developments of the Confucian legacy in today's Chinese politics and education through the examples of Xi Jinping and the Confucius Institute. To this end, we will focus on a close reading of primary texts in translation. Class discussion will aim to develop critical reading and presentation skills as we delve into the interpretation of these texts and consider their relevance in present-day politics, film, and popular culture. No prior knowledge of Chinese philosophy or literature is assumed. This course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.
Course Attributes: EN H; FYS; BU BA; AS HUM; AS LCD

Section 01

First-Year Seminar: What Did Confucius Say? Ethics, Power, and the Great Books of China - 01
INSTRUCTOR: Kim, Tae Hyun
View Course Listing - SP2022