Philosophy 153

The course will focus on early Chinese philosophical thought, including different schools such as Confucianism, Daoism, Moism and Yangism. We will discuss the connotations of key philosophical terms, analyze important passages, and consider the relation between and the influence among different early Chinese thinkers. While attending closely to texts, the emphasis is on philosophical ideas in the texts. The goal is to develop an understanding of the basic ideas of the different schools of thought as well as the relevant analytic skills. The course does not require knowledge of Chinese, and all readings will be in English translation.

Required readings: D. C. Lau (trans.), Confucius: the Analects (The Chinese University Press); D. C. Lau (trans.), Mencius (The Chinese University Press); Burton Watson (trans.), Mozi (Columbia University Press); Burton Watson (trans.), Chuang Tzu (Columbia University Press); Burton Watson (trans.), Hsun Tzu (Columbia University Press).
Recommended reading: A. C. Graham, Disputers of the Tao (Open Court)