PSCI 345
Cosmology and Rulership in Ancient Chinese Political Thought Spring 2019
Division II Writing Skills
This is not the current course catalog

This class will involve students in close reading of, and exegetical writing about, core texts of ancient Chinese political thought. The purpose is to gain an understanding of a number of different perspectives on politics and leadership, especially Confucianism, Legalism and Taoism. While the primary focus will be on the meaning of the texts in the context of their own times, contemporary applications of core concepts will also be considered. The class will begin with background readings, since no prior work in Chinese philosophy or history is assumed. Then the class will read significant portions of the following canonical works: The Analects, Mencius, the Daodejing, Zhuangzi, and Han Feizi.