This course is an introduction to the humanistic traditions of China, Japan, and Korea from antiquity to around 1600. We explore some of the foundational ideas, texts, and issues that reflect the East Asian experiences with the self and the world. Through close engagement with a wide variety of source materials selected from all three cultures, we will investigate both the deep connections shared among them and the unique trajectories of each as they approached modernity. To that end, this course focuses on the received written artifacts broadly conceivable as literature, historiography, and philosophy, although we will also read some of the canonical works of East Asian religions. Our goal is not to survey everything there is, but to develop a critical ability in both understanding the East Asian traditions and in reflecting upon their relevance to the present day.
Complementary to the primary sources, this course also introduces students to a select range of scholarship on the topics we cover. Our knowledge of the past is not unfiltered by the lenses we wear, and scholarship is precisely where those refractions can both enable and impede knowledge acquisition. In the true humanistic fashion, we will thus learn to not only read but also critique scholarly works on premodern Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures. This early exposure to scholarship—classic and cutting-edge alike—trains the students to work both within and across disciplinary boundaries. Like the subject matters of this course, the approaches adoptable for critical engagement are just as diverse.
This course requires no prior knowledge of East Asia or any of the East Asian languages. Students both beginning to learn about China, Japan, and Korea and wishing to deepen their expertise will find something useful—and challenging as well. Those looking to sharpen their skills in critical thinking as well as academic writing are especially encouraged to enroll, as the course places great emphasis on knowledge production on the part of the student.
Complementary to the primary sources, this course also introduces students to a select range of scholarship on the topics we cover. Our knowledge of the past is not unfiltered by the lenses we wear, and scholarship is precisely where those refractions can both enable and impede knowledge acquisition. In the true humanistic fashion, we will thus learn to not only read but also critique scholarly works on premodern Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures. This early exposure to scholarship—classic and cutting-edge alike—trains the students to work both within and across disciplinary boundaries. Like the subject matters of this course, the approaches adoptable for critical engagement are just as diverse.
This course requires no prior knowledge of East Asia or any of the East Asian languages. Students both beginning to learn about China, Japan, and Korea and wishing to deepen their expertise will find something useful—and challenging as well. Those looking to sharpen their skills in critical thinking as well as academic writing are especially encouraged to enroll, as the course places great emphasis on knowledge production on the part of the student.
- Teacher: Zhuming Yao