A Brief History of Korea . An overview of the history of Korea, starting from ancient Korea, continuing through the Silla Kingdom, the Koryo Kingdom, and the Chosen Kingdom, ending with the annexation of Korea by Japan, the division of the peninsula during the Korean War, and a look at Korea today. Open to first-year students. Emphasis on the formation of the secular intellectual tradition of the Chinese elite.
Readings concentrate on primary works of outstanding importance.
Willingness to engage in the close reading and discussion of a wide variety of philosophical materials is required, but no background in Asian studies is assumed. The nationalist government of the Republic of China had a single decade in power before full-scale Japanese invasion threw it on the defensive. One spot in particular where it had to prove its ability to govern a modern society and economy was the special Shanghai municipal zone. Scholarly attention in recent years has focused on the surviving archives of the British-Controlled police force in the International Settlement. Students have the opportunity to evaluate recent scholarship and pursue their own projects in the microfilm edition of the archives.