PHIL310: Chinese Philosophy Syllabus, University of Delaware

CHINESE RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

REQUIRED TEXTS

Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy (Wing-Tsit Chan)
Chuang-tzu: Basic Writings (Burton Watson)
Dao De Jing of Laozi (Phillip Ivanhoe)
Course Manual for Chinese Philosophy available through the bookstore
materials on reserve (indicated in red on the syllabus below)

GRADING POLICY

2 exams worth 25% each

Exams will consist of shorter and longer essays. No multiple choice questions or identifications will be asked. There will be a midterm during class time, and a final exam during finals period. No makeup exams are given except in the case or medical or other relevant documentation. For more information see the course manual.

Homework assignments worth a total of 25%

Eight papers will be assigned during the term. They will consist of one or two page essays responding to questions on the readings, designed to prepare you for the day's discussion. For that reason, late papers will not be accepted for any reason whatsoever. The papers will be graded Pass (A, 95); Pass minus (C, 75); and Not Pass (F, 50), and one grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. Any student who turns in every paper and receives a pass for all of them will earn an A+ (100) average for the papers. These are not meant to be research papers, but to represent your own thoughts on the assigned reading. Any reference to uncited sources of any kind will be treated as cases of plagiarism. All papers must be typed unless otherwise specified. For more information see the course manual.

Class participation worth 25%

The class will be discussion oriented, so consistent participation is a requirement. No participation in discussion will earn a C. Extensive participation will earn an A. After this average is assigned, I will deduct 2 points will be deducted from it for each unexcused absence and 1 point for each unexcused lateness. A medical note will constitute an excuse. In addition, if you must miss a class for some reason, you will be expected to get the notes and assignments from another student and to be prepared the next time you come to class. Five points will be added to final class participation grade of anyone with a perfect attendance record. Besides speaking up in class, I also count as class participation contacting the instructor regarding the course material via email or coming to office hours. Even if absences are medically documented or otherwise excused, the instructor reserves the right to insist on a medical withdrawal in lieu of failure for those students who miss a large proportion of class meetings. For more information see the course manual.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

In this course we will read and discuss the works of several important thinkers in the Chinese philosophical traditions, including the Confucians, Daoists, Buddhists, Neo-Daoists, and Neo-Confucians. We will be interested in both the content and the methodology of Chinese Philosophy. It is important to remember that this is a 300 level Philosophy course, and although no prior experience in Philosophy is required, and no knowledge of the Chinese language is necessary, still the class will be demanding and will require that you read a lot and think deeply about what you have read. Chinese Philosophy Reading Group

For those interested students, I will organize a weekly, hour-long meeting during which we will struggle through the Dao De Jing of Laozi (ÀÏ×Ó£º µÀµÂ¾,) working with the Chinese text. NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IS NECESSARY. Let me know your schedule as soon as possible if you are interested, and we will try to accommodate as many people as possible. Tentative Schedule( readings in red are on reserve in reserve room)

#	DATE	TOPIC	READING	WRITING ASSIGNMENT (DUE ON THIS DATE)
1	9/1	Introduction and Overview
2	3	Pre-Confucian Religion	Sourcebook, ch. 1
3	8	Confucius	Sourcebook, ch. 2	What does Confucius have to say about the nature and acquisition of "virtue?"
4	10	Confucius	Sourcebook, ch. 2
5	13	Confucius	Sourcebook, ch. 2
6	15	Confucius	Sourcebook, ch. 2
7	17	Mozi and Mohism	Sourcebook, ch. 9	What are some of the important differences between Mozi and Confucius?
8	20	Mozi and Mohism	Sourcebook, ch. 9
9	22	Confucianism: Daxue	Sourcebook, ch. 4
10	24	Confucianism: Daxue	Sourcebook, ch. 4
11	27	Confucianism: Zhongyong	Sourcebook, ch. 5
12	29	Mencius	Sourcebook, ch. 3	Discuss Mencius's theory of human nature.
13	10/1	Mencius	Sourcebook, ch. 3
14	4	Mencius	Sourcebook, ch. 3
15	6	Xunzi	Sourcebook, ch. 6	How different are the views of Mencius and Xunzi?
16	8	Xunzi	Sourcebook, ch. 6
17	11	REVIEW FOR MIDTERM		BRING QUESTIONS
18	13	Midterm Exam
19	15	Proto-Daoism: Yangzhu and the Liezi	article in course manual: "Guarding What is Essential". Sourcebook, ch. 18
20	18	Laozi	article in course manual : "Laozi"
21	20	Laozi	Sourcebook, ch. 7	Discuss elements of Yang zhu's thought that are found in the Laozi.
22	22	Laozi	Dao De Jing
23	25	Laozi	Dao De Jing
24	27	Zhuangzi	article in course manual : "Zhuangzi"
25	29	Zhuangzi	Sourcebook, ch. 8
26	11/1	Zhuangzi	Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings	Discuss differences between Laozi and Zhuangzi?
27	3	Zhuangzi	Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings
28	5	Buddhism: Introduction	Sourcebook, ch. 20, 21, 22
29	8	Buddhism: Introduction	Sourcebook, ch. 23, 24
30	10	Buddhism: Huayan	article in course manual: "Fazang".
31	12	Buddhism: Huayan	Sourcebook, ch. 25
32	15	Buddhism: Huayan	Sourcebook, ch. 26.
33	17	Buddhism: Chan	Sourcebook, ch. 26.
34	19	Buddhism: Chan	Sourcebook, ch. 26.	In what ways does Chan seem to represent a synthesis of Daoist and Buddhist thinking?
35	22	Alchemy, Longevity, and Chinese Medicine	Holmes Welch: Taoism, pp.88-135
36	24	Divination	Sourcebook, ch. 19	bring three coins of similar denominations, and your course manuals
37	29	Neo-Confucianism: introduction	Sourcebook, ch. 30, 31, 32
38	12/1	Neo-Confucianism: Zhuxi	Sourcebook, ch. 34
39	3	Neo-Confucianism: Zhuxi	Sourcebook, ch. 34
40	6	Neo-Confucianism: Wang Yang Ming	Sourcebook, ch. 35	On what grounds does Wang criticize Zhuxi?
41	8	Neo-Confucianism: Wang Yang Ming Review for Final Exam	Sourcebook, ch. 35	Bring questions...