Idea Transcript
AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL CHINESE PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION
DESCRIPTION: This course is intended to introduce prospective students to the basics of Chinese philosophy and religion. Through familiarity with the development of Chinese intellectual history, students will be able to further explore the Chinese spirit and mental outlook. The course will focus on Confucianism and its evolution at different stages and how it is intimately linked to governmental ideology. The course will also cover Daoism (both as a school of thought and as a special Chinese indigenous religion), Buddhism (with its influence upon varied aspects of Chinese culture), and Chinese Meditation School. The course aims to discuss the profound and all-pervading influence of the above- mentioned religions and schools of thought on Chinese politics, art, and literature. CREDITS: 3 LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: English PREREQUISITES: None ADDITIONAL STUDENT COST: None LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the course students will be able to: • Describe the evolution of Chinese philosophy and religion •Name the essential facets of Chinese philosophical perspectives, identifying factors that contributed to traditional Chinese ideology • Explain the changes that have contributed to the transition from traditional to modern Chinese culture • Analyze cultural, political and social phenomena in China today METHOD OF PRESENTATION: Lectures，discussion, and student presentations. Occasionally, experts on specific literature and art topics will guest lecture. Visits and field trips will be arranged to national and local museums, arts exhibits, and sites featuring the cultural significance of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism. These visits will give students the opportunity to directly experience issues discussed in class. LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: English with relevant Chinese terms. REQUIRED WORK AND FORM OF ASSESSMENT: Students will be required to preview the assigned materials in preparation for classroom discussions with special attention given to students’ post-reading feedback. The final
project will ask students to select a topic in Chinese classical philosophy and religion and develop it into an academic paper , with perspectives from their own cultural background. Individual counseling and instruction on how to write the midterm and final papers will be given by the instructor. Students are expected to use the primary source materials to substantiate their ideas. Attendance is mandatory. Please see the Center Attendance Policy for details. Assessment of students’ performance in this course includes: 1) Performance in class discussions and presentations: 15% 2) Midterm written paper (5-8 pages): 35% 3) Final written paper (10-15 pages): 50% CONTENT: WEEK 1: THE PHILOSOPHIC TRADITION OF CHINESE CULTURE Questions: Chinese traditional culture is characterized by a particular mental outlook which differs tremendously from its Western counterpart. Since philosophy is a typical reflection of cultural ideology, does Ancient China, in a strict sense, have a Western style philosophy? If not, what are the characteristics of ancient Chinese philosophic thoughts? Readings: Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 WEEK 2: THE ROLE OF “THE BOOK OF CHANGE” IN ANCIENT CHINESE CULTURE Questions: “The Book of Change” (Yi Jing) is a cumulation of practical knowledge acquired by the very early Chinese through their observation of nature and social life, not a philosophical text. What are the primary characteristics of Chinese ideology mirrored in “The Book of Change”? How are Confucianism and Daoism connected to “The Book of Change”? Readings: The Book of Changes. Translated by Wang Rong Pei and Ren Xiuhua. 1993. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Wu, Zhongxian, Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009. WEEK 3: THE THEORY OF THE “FIVE ELEMENTS” Questions: The “Five Elements”, as a practical philosophic view of the world, is more popular in Chinese culture than the theory of “Yin-yang”, which is more fundamental to traditional Chinese philosophy. Why is the theory of the “Five Elements” more widely used in Chinese culture? How does this theory apply to Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese Feng-shui theory? Readings: The Book of Changes. Translated by Wang Rong Pei and Ren Xiuhua. 1993. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Wu, Zhongxian, Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009. WEEK 4: CONFUCIANISM AND CONFUCIUS Questions During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), China was torn apart by territorial inter-state wars; its people were thrown into upheaval and the demise of Chinese civilization was threatened. In order to salvage China and respond to this dire situation, various scholars proposed strategies. Among them: Confucius (551-479BC). What were his proposals or responses for, how to individually or collectively save China or govern China? What were the underlying motivations for these proposals? Readings: Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 Confucius, The Analects. Translated by Arthur Waley. Beijing: Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1998. An Intellectual History of China. Edited by He, Zhaowu, Bu, Jinzhi, Tang, Yuyuan, & Sun Kaitai. Beijing: Foreign Language Press. 2000. Chapters 1, 2, and 3. WEEK 5: CONFUCIUS AND MENCIUS, THE IDEALISTIC WING OF CONFUCIANISM Questions The typical Chinese way of teaching, catechism, was fully embodied in The Analects, a selection of famous dialogues between Confucius and his students. By analyzing these dialogues, we gain a glimpse into how ideas were transmitted and how reasoning was developed in a typical Chinese way. This pattern of discourse affects the manner in which authoritative Chinese speaking and writing were undertaken. What are the features of their dialogues? How is their pattern of discourse fashioned? Compare this to another Confucianist, Mencius (371-289BC). How is his way of reasoning or rhetorical strategy different? Readings Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 The Analects. Translated by Arthur Waley, 1998. WEEK 6: THE CANONIZED CONFUCIANISM Questions: Confucius’s ideas find an enthusiastic response among scholars and rulers alike, especially after the quick collapse of the short-lived Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). The first Emperor Gao Zu (Western Han dynasty) knows the importance of bringing scholars’ ideas to bear on unifying the minds and hearts of the people to legitimate his rule. Dong Zhongshu (179-104 BC) reinterpreted Confucius’ ideas, and proposed three responses to the emperor’s call for strategies to govern the country well. How does Dong Zhongshu
reinterpret Confucius’s ideas, what are the major points of his responses, and what are the results? Readings: Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 An Intellectual History of China, Edited by He Zhaowu et al. Chapters 3, 4, 5. WEEK 7: THE FOUNDERS OF DAOISM: Lao Zi AND Zhuang Zi Daoism proposed by Lao Zi (6th Century BC) figures prominently when a society is in chaos; its doctrines or ideas fit the state of mind of failed people and failed states and thus provides a panacea or placebo. How does it differ from Confucianism? And what influence does it exert? Lao Zi’s ideas are fully developed by Zhuang Zi (369-286 BC). How does he differ from Lao Zi in terms of Daoism and what does he contribute? How are Chinese scholars in later dynasties influenced by his Daoist ideas? Readings: Lao Zi, The Book of Dao and De. Translated by Gu Zhengkun. Beijing: China Translation and Publication Co., 2007. Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 WEEK 8: DAOISM AND THE RELIGION OF DAOISM Questions Daoism as a school of thought (Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi) was interpreted and disseminated by scholars in ancient China. Combining the main ideas of Daoism with mysterious ideas from other cosmological thoughts, some self-styled Daoists developed a new Chinese religion. What are the main ideas of this religion and how are its rituals practiced in China, both past and present? Readings: Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 Xu Dishan, A History of Chinese Taoism as a Religion. Chapters 6, 7. Ge Zhaoguang, Ten Lectures on Ancient Chinese Culture. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2002. Chapter 9: Taoism, a way to seek happiness and longevity. WEEK 9: OTHER MINOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN ANCIENT CHINESE CULTURE Questions: The Chinese world of traditional thought is predominantly composed of combined Daoism and Confucianism. However, it used to be challenged by other schools of thought, especially during the Spring and Autumn periods. What are other schools of thought in ancient China? What are their primary theories on a righteous public life?
Readings: Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 WEEK 10: BUDDHISM IN CHINA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CHINESE “CHAN” Questions Buddhism finds its way into a very open-minded and tolerant China at the end of the Western Han dynasty (206BC to 23AD). As Buddhism found wide and quick acceptance through the Tang dynasty 618-857AD, it wielded powerful influence on many aspects of Chinese life and posed a potential threat to the government. It experienced the first political religious persecution in Chinese history. What lies behind such a phenomenon? What are the major doctrines or creeds of Buddhism, and how was it transformed to adapt to the Chinese cultural soil, gaining it swift acceptance? The downfall of Buddhism stands in stark contrast with the rise of Chinese Chan schools. Why was the Chinese Chan school so popular? What are the main ideas of the Chan school and what are the major ways of transmitting ideas or wisdom? What are the differences and similarities between the two schools of religious practice? Readings: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse. What Makes You Not a Buddhist. Shambhala Publications INC. 2006 Peter D. Santina. Fundamentals of Buddhism. The Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions. 2000 Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: Enlightened Courage. Translated from the Tibetan by the Padmakara translation group. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1993 Ch’en, Kenneth K, S, The Chinese Transformation of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Excerpts from Zen Buddhist Texts. 2008. Compiled by Jiang Lansheng; Translated by Jane C. C. Lai & Martha P. Y. Cheung. Beijing: China Translation Publishing Company, 1973. WEEK 11: NEO-CONFUCIANISM IN SONG DYNASTIES: THE ESSENTIALS Questions: Confucianism is revived during the Song dynasties, after a long period of decline and oblivion. This time, however, intellectuals are acutely aware that Confucianism will have to change, or it will not have the least hope of saving China--a self-imposed noble mission. What are the new contents injected into old Confucianism at this time? How do the intellectuals present the so-called new Confucianism or the Learning of the Principle (Li) to the public? Readings: Fung Y. L, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. Chapters 23, 24, 25, 26. Liu, James T. C, China Turning Inward: Intellectual-Political Changes in the Early Twelfth Century.Chapters 3, 7.
WEEK 12: NEO-CONFUCIANISM IN MING DYNASTY: WANG YANGMING’S “PHILOSOPHY OF MIND” Questions: When Wang Yangming enters center stage in Chinese philosophy during the Ming dynasty, he effects big changes to the Neo-Confucianism of the Song dynasty: the influence of Chinese Chan is obvious. What does Wang Yangming propose and why is it so radical? What are the major similarities and differences between his view and leading Song dynasty philosophers? How is it related to Daoism and Chinese Chan? What impact does it exercise on later generations of philosophers? Readings: Chen, Lai, The Learning of Principle in Song and Ming Dynasties. Shanghai: East China Normal University Press. Chapters 4 and 5, 2004. Qian, Mu, Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties. Beijing: Jiutian Books Co., Ltd, 2006. Chapters 4, 5, and 6. WEEK 13: MODERN CHALLENGES TO NEO-CONFUCIANISM FROM THE WEST: TI -YONG DEBATE AND ITS RESIDUAL IMPACT ON TODAY’S CHINA Questions: The 19th Century witnesses an obvious decline of Chinese culture as it was surprisingly and frequently defeated by early industrialized nations. The fiasco in politics calls for a radical change in the cultural ideology and preludes the search by Chinese intellectuals for a Western cultural solution to Chinese social problems. One of the most famous solutions is: China should learn from the West on the condition that Western learning should be the Function (Yong) while Chinese learning should be the Substance (Ti). Why is such a solution proposed? What do the contemporary intellectuals intend to learn from Western culture? What are the motivations behind such a Ti-Yong proposal? How does this proposal affect current thought in today’s China? Readings: Cheng, Zhuangying and Nicholas Bunnin (eds.), Contemporary Chinese Philosophy. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 2002. WEEK 14: IS CONFUCIANISM STILL ALIVE IN MODERN CHINA? Questions: China has been unavoidably and unstoppably involved in the world of capitalism and has assumed the role of “the world factory” in modern times. Modern China is so culturally diversified that traditional Chinese culture, modern culture, and post-modern culture magically co-exist with each other. Confucianism, as a traditional expression of ancient China, is deeply rooted in the agricultural environment. In highly-modernized China, is Confucianism able to maintain its unchallenged position in Chinese culture? Readings: Makeham, John, Lost Soul: "Confucianism" in Contemporary Chinese Academic Discourse. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press, 2008.
Liu, Honghe, Confucianism in the Eyes of a Confucian Liberal: Hsu Fu-Kuan’s Critical Examination of the Confucian Political Tradition. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI, 1999. WEEK 15: THE FUTURE OF CHINESE TRADITIONAL CULTURE Questions: Globalization, as an overwhelming flood engulfing the world, involves any nation that dreams of developing a market-driven society. China cannot be an exception. The empire of capitalism will largely wipe out cultural differences between nations and captivate them with the lure of materialistic prosperity. Is this “the end of history”? Can China preserve its native culture when everything is being assimilated by something else? Readings: Hardt, Michael and Antonio Negri. 2001. Empire, Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 REQUIRED READINGS: 1) Mario Poceski: Introducing Chinese Religions. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009 2) The Book of Changes. Translated by Wang Rong Pei and Ren Xiuhua. 1993. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. 3) Confucius. 1998. The Analects. Translated by Arthur Waley. Beijing: Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 4) Lao Tzu. Ta o Te Ching. Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English.1989. New York: Random House, INC. 5) Zhangzi. Zhangzi. Translated by Wang Rongpei. Foreign Languages Press.1999. 6) Mencius. 2003. Translated by He Zuokang. Beijing: Huawen (Chinese) Teaching Press. 7) Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse. What Makes You Not a Buddhist. Shambhala Publications INC. 2006 8) Peter D. Santina. Fundamentals of Buddhism. The Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions. 2000 9) Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: Enlightened Courage. Translated from the Tibetan by the Padmakara translation group. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1993 10)Contemporary Chinese Philosophy. Edited by Chung-Ying Cheng and Nichol as Bunnin. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers. 2002. 11)Daniel L. Overmyer: Religion in China Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2003 12)Fung, Y. L, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2). Tianjin: Tianjin Social Sciences Press. 2007 13)Zhang Dainian, Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy. Foreign Language Press.2002. 14)The Book of Changes, Translated by Wang Rong Pei and Ren Xiuhua. Shanghai:
Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 1993. 15)Confucius, The Analects. Translated by Arthur Waley. Beijing: Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1998. 16)Lao Tzu, The Book of Tao and Teh. Translated by Gu Zhengkun. Beijing: China Translation and Publication Co., 2007. 17)Zhangzi, Zhangzi. Translated by Wang Rongpei. Foreign Languages Press, 1999. Mencius. Translated by He Zuokang. Beijing: Huawen (Chinese) Teaching Press, 2003. 18)Wang, Yi’e. Taoism in China. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press, 2005. 19)Liu. Shuxian: Essentials of contemporary Neo-Confucian Philosophy. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2003. 20)Contemporary Chinese Philosophy. Edited by Chung-Ying Cheng and Nicholas Bunnin. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 2002. 21) John Makeham: Lost Soul: "Confucianism" in Contemporary Chinese Academic Discourse. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press, 2008. 22)Hardt, Michael and Antonio Negri: Empire, Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2001.