There are brief weekly exercises, as well as a midterm and final. Among these schools, special consideration is given to the Confucian and Daoist schools, since the doctrines associated with these were the sources of two major philosophical traditions in China for the next 2000 years and affected very significant cultural developments in the arts, religion, science, and politics. Chinese philosophers have been somewhat unusual in occupying or at least aspiring to occupy political office and this has affected the form and practice of their political theorizing. There is some background consideration of the social and living conditions of the periods in which the various philosophies emerged. No knowledge of Chinese is required.
Readings are in translation.
Check Times, Location, and Availability 471. Classical Chinese Literature in Translation. No knowledge of Chinese required. This course looks at the foundational period of traditional Chinese literature, from the very beginnings to the 13th century. A large variety of different types of writing are introduced, from philosophical works to poetry to short fiction.