History of

Chinese Philosophy

Spring 2008 Syllabus

Philosophy 301

Sec 001

CRN 12434

MW 3:00-4:15 PM

Edith Kanaka‘ole Hall 104

Dr. Timothy J. Freeman

The University of Hawaii at Hilo

office: Old Gym #2

office: 756-7066

cell: 345-5231

freeman@hawaii.edu

Office Hours:

MWF 2:00-2:50 or by appointment

Catalog course description

PHIL 301: History of Chinese Philosophy

History of the Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist ohilosophies and their interaction in China. The

pivotal thinkers including Mao. Pre: previous work in philosophy or religious studies is

recommended.

required texts

A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, Fung Yu-Lan. The Free Press, 1948.

Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 2 ed., Philip J. Ivanhoe and Bryan W. Van Norden. Hackettnd

Publishing Co., 2005.

Course content

This course will provide an overview of the history of Chinese philosophy. We will focus primarily

on the “classical period” of Chinese philosophy which developed during the seminal Warring

States Period in Chinese history. This period begins with Confucius and culminates with Han Feizi

Laozi on an Ox, Zhang Lu, Ming Dynasty

Spring 2008 History of Chinese Philosophy Syllabus

at the end of the Warring States Period and the beginning of the Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty. This

overview will thus cover the six primary schools of classical Chinese philosophy: Confucianism,

Daoism, Mohism, the School of Names, Legalism, and the Yin-Yang School. We will then go on to

review the development of Buddhism in China as well as the subsequent developments of Neo-

Daoism and Neo-Confucianism.

course aimsBy the end of the course the students will be expected to have attained and demonstrated a satisfactory level

of competence in understanding:

� the basic characteristics of Chinese Philosophy as distinguished from Western and other

Asian Traditions.

� the distinctive teachings and practices of the various schools of Chinese Philosophy.

� the relevance of Chinese philosophy today.

Course formatClassroom sessions will be both lecture and discussion with emphasis on informal lecture. There will also be

an occasional slide show/multimedia presentation and videos.

grading policyThe final grade will be based on the following

1. Mid-Term essay assignment.

2. Term Paper: a 6-10 page essay.

3. Final Exam: identifying key terms and short essay questions

4. FREQUENT ABSENCES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! A

lack of participation in classroom discussion and frequent

absences from class will negatively impact your grade. If

the student has more than 3 un-excused absences during the

course of the term points will be deducted from the final

grade average!

30%

40%

30%

Grading will be determined according to the following scale:

A 95-100 Excellent

A- 90-94

B+ 87-89

B 84-86 Good

B- 80-83

C+ 77-79

C 74-76 Satisfactory

C- 70-73

D 60-70 Poor

F 0-59 Failure

Spring 2008 History of Chinese Philosophy Syllabus

classroom policiesAll students are expected to come to class on time and to bring their books as well as paper and pen suitablefor taking notes of class lectures. Active cellular telephones or paging devices are not permitted in class. Noconsumption of food is allowed during the class period.

Advising StatementAdvising is a very important resource designed to help students complete the requirements of the University and their

individual majors. Students should consult with their advisor at least once a semester to decide on courses, check

progress towards graduation, and discuss career options and other educational opportunities provided by UH-Hilo.

Advising is a shared responsibility, but students have final responsibility for meeting degree requirements.

Special needsAny student with a documented disability who would like to request accommodations should contact the University

Disability Services Office - Hale Kauanoe A Wing Lounge, 933-0816 (V), 933-3334 (TTY), shirachi@hawaii.edu - as

early in the semester as possible.

Student Conduct CodeAll students are expected to adhere to the Student Conduct Code as explained on pages 65-66 of the 2004-05UH Hilo Undergraduate Catalogue:

Behavior that violates the Student Conduct Code includes, but is not limited to, thefollowing:

Academic Dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism (examples of which aregiven below), which violate the Student Conduct Code and may result in expulsion from theUniversity.

Cheating includes, but is not limited to: giving unauthorized help during anexamination; obtaining unauthorized information about an examination before it isadministered; using inappropriate sources of information during an examination; altering therecord of any grades; altering answers after an examination has been submitted; falsifyingany official university record; and misrepresenting the facts in order to obtain exemptionsfrom course requirements.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: submitting, to satisfy an academicrequirement, any document that has been copied in whole or part from another individual’swork without identifying that individual; neglecting to identify as a quotation a documentedidea that has not been assimilated into the student’s language and style, or paraphrasing apassage so closely that the reader is misled as to the source; submitting the same written ororal material in more than one course without obtaining authorization from the instructorsinvolved.

Spring 2008 History of Chinese Philosophy Course Schedule

1 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy Fung 1,2,3 (1-37)M 01/14 Course Introduction & Orientation

A Brief History of Chinese PhilosophyW 01/16 The Character and Background of Chinese Ivanhoe & Van Norden (Introduction)

Philosophy

2 Confucianism Fung 4 (38-48)M 01/21 *Holiday: Martin Luther King Day*

W 01/23 The Analects of Kongzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (1-58)

3 Confucianism Fung 4 (38-48)M 01/28 The Analects of Kongzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (1-58)

W 01/30 The Analects of Kongzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (1-58)

**Feb 3: Last Day to Drop Classes without a “W”**

4 Mohism Fung 5 (49-59)M 02/04 The Mozi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (59-114)

W 02/06 The Mozi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (59-114)

5 Confucianism Fung 7 (68-79)M 02/11 The Mengzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (115-160)

W 02/13 The Mengzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (115-160)

6 Daoism Fung 6 (60-67), 9 (93-103)

M 02/18 *Holiday: Presidents’ Day*

W 02/20 “Robber Zhi” Ivanhoe & Van Norden (369-)

The Daodejing of Laozi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (161-206)

7 Daoism Fung 6 (60-67), 9 (93-103)

M 02/25 The Daodejing of Laozi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (161-206)

W 02/27 The Daodejing of Laozi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (161-206)*Mid-Term Essay Assignment Due*

8 Daoism Fung 10 (104-117)M 03/03 The Zhuangzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (207-254)

W 03/05 The Zhuangzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (207-254)** March 7: Last Day to Withdraw from Courses with “W”**

Spring 2008 History of Chinese Philosophy Course Schedule

9 Realistic Confucianism Fung 13 (143-154)M 03/10 The Xunzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (255-310)

W 03/12 The Xunzi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (255-310)

10 Legalism Fung 14 (155-165)M 03/17 The Han Feizi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (255-310) W 03/19 The Han Feizi Ivanhoe & Van Norden (255-310)

03/24 - 03/28 Spring Break

11 M 03/31 Film: Hero

W 04/02 Film: Hero

12 Buddhism Comes to China Fung 21 (241-254)M 04/07 Three Important Buddhist Sutras handout

W 04/09 Three Important Buddhist Sutras handout

13 Chan Buddhism Fung 22 (255-265)M 04/14 The “Bloodstream Sermon” of Bodhidharma handout

W 04/16 The Platform Sutra of Hui-neng handout

14 Neo-DaoismM 04/21 The Rationalists Fung 19 (217-230)

W 04/23 The Sentimentalist Fung 20 (231-240)

15 Neo-ConfucianismM 04/28 The Beginning of the Two Schools Fung 24 (281-293)

W 04/30 The Two Schools Fung 25, 26 (294-318)

16 ConclusionM 05/05 The Introduction of Western Philosophy Fung 27 (319-331)

W 05/07 Chinese Philosophy in the Modern World Fung 28 (332-342)*Final Term Paper Due*

W 05/14 **Final Exam** (2:00–4:00 PM)**schedule is subject to revision**