Classical Chinese Philosophy

Course Outline, Spring 2001
Marthe Chandler

Look at the rat--at least he has his furry hide!
But a person with bad manners,
a person with bad manners,
Why doesn't he just die?

Shi Jing (Book of Songs)
ca 800-600 BCE

  1. Texts
    • Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates
    • Roger Ames and Henry Rosemont Jr., The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation
    • Philip J. Ivanhoe and Bryan W. Van Norden (eds.), Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy
    • Handout I on Chinese philosophical concepts, history and geography
    • Handout II on Chinese language

  2. Course requirements and grading policy
    • Grades will be based on class attendance and participation, response papers, a mid-term exam, a final paper and a final exam. Exams will be essay questions. I will give you a set of questions in advance and on the day of the exam we will decide which of those questions you will answer.
    • The response papers (all of them, together) will count as much toward your final grade as each of the exams and the final paper. Irregular class attendance will hurt your grade. Class participation can only help your grade.
    • NOTE: The reading in this course is philosophy, and philosophy has to be read several times before you begin to understand it. Please give yourself enough time to read each assignment at least three times -- the first time when it will often seem utterly impossible to figure out; the second time when it will start to look very familiar; and the third time when you begin to understand it.

  3. Course Outline
Jan 30 introduction "Look at the rat!"
"The Age-Old Distinction Between the Same and the Other"
Feb 1 Chinese History: a lecture with slides
Read Handout I: basic terms, list of dates, maps and selection from An Introduction to Chinese Civilization by John Meskill
Directed response paper due
Feb 6 Read the Apology in The Trial and Death of Socrates
Come to class prepared to respond to the following questions (i.e. HAVE NOTES)
(1) How you feel about Socrates. What sort of person is he? How does he relate to his society? What does he value most deeply?
(2) What is going on in the "cross examination of Meletus" (pages 27-30, or 24b to 27c) Can you find some premises and conclusions?
(3) How do you feel about Meletus at the end of this "discussion"?
(4) Does Socrates claim to be wise? What is the difference between human wisdom and divine wisdom?
Feb 8 Read Handout II on Chinese language
Read the Introduction to the Analects in RCCP pages 1-2
Read the Introduction to the Ames and Rosemont translation, pages 1-19
Start reading The Analects (Ames and Rosemont translation; although it is interesting to compare translations)
Feb 13 Finish The Analects.
Class today will focus on Sections I - IV but it is helpful to notice that the same themes appear in a number of places.
Directed Response paper due.
Feb 15 The Analects, Focus on Sections V - X
Feb 20 The Analects, Sections XI-XX (but skim Sections XVIII-XX)
Directed on importance of history, tradition and Li (Book X)
Feb 22
Feb 27 Analects,
Directed response paper on the "single thread"
March 1 The Art of War video; handout from Sun-Tzu
March 6 Mozi RCCP: Introduction and pages 55-107
Study questions or response paper
March 8 Mozi
March13 Mozi
March 15 Mengzi (Mencius) pages 111-153
Introduction and Kings Hui and Xuan
March 20 Mengzi
Four sprouts
Floodlike qi
March 22 Extra Credit: See "A day on the Grand Canal"
write a response paper: Chinese and Asian values, aesthetic, historical, moral
SPRING BREAK
April 3 Review for Test
April 5 Test
April 10 Laozi ("The Daodejing&auot;): page 157-200
The Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) is a very odd text. Read it all quickly the first time, getting a general impression. Then go back and look for general themes (and puzzling passages).
April 12 Daodejing
April 17 Zhuangzi Introduction page 203-243
Directed Response paper: Nature (or Tian)
April 19 Zhuangzi
April 24 Zhuangzi
April 26 Xunzi (the third Confucian) pages 247-291
May 1 Xunzi
May 3 Film: The Blue Kite
Review the history of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution Identify Confucian (and anti-Confucian) themes in the film. What was the attitude of the Cultural Revolution toward Confucian values?
May 8 Han Feizi, pages 295-342
May 10 Review for Exam
Final paper due
May 14 Final Exam