Chinese Civilization

Survey of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to the eighteenth century.  The primary purpose is to provide students with a basic literacy in Chinese history and culture.  The pedagogical emphasis is on analysis of primary sources in translation through class discussion and short writing assignments.

• Ebrey, Patricia.  The Cambridge Illustrated History of China.  Cambridge.  Cambridge University Press, 1996, 1999.
• de Bary, William Theodore and Irene Bloom eds., Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol 2.  New York:  Columbia University Press, 2000.
• Ebrey, Patricia, ed., Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook.  2nd. ed.  New York:  The Free Press, 1993.
• Stephen Owen, ed., trans. An Anthology of Chinese Literature:  Beginnings to 1911.  New York:  W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.
• Spence, Jonathan D.  The Death of Woman Wang.  New York:  Penguin Books, 1978.
• Paul S. Ropp, Heritage of China:  Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization.  Berkeley:  University of California Press, 1990.

 Association for Asian Studies (with further links)

 Bibliographies on Chinese History and Culture

 Chinese and Japanese Art WWW Virtual Library

 Chinese Religions

Chinese Medicine

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Requirements

This is your course.  You are responsible for deciding what you want to get out of it, how it ranks among your priorities this semester, and how much time and energy you can afford to put into it.  If you are having trouble with some part of the course, please email me, call me, or see me.  I can usually help.

This course is designed to help you keep up with the material and assimilate it as you go, which is optimal for learning and retaining information.  The grading structure makes it easy to get a good grade if you keep up and show up to class, and easy to get a bad grade if you donít.  The small assignments are graded lightly but weigh heavily.

Attendance and Participation  25%
Compared to reading, writing, and listening to lectures, a different type of learning and creativity emerges in group discussion.  In addition, expressing yourself clearly and contributing intelligently to group discussions are highly prized skills in this culture.  Some people find it difficult to think or express themselves in group contexts.  Some people become so excited about their own ideas that they forget to really listen to and think about what other people are saying.  This is an opportunity to work on these types of issues.

Missed classes can be made up with an extra response essay, due the following week.  If illness or other personal matters prevent you from attending class for an extended period of time, please contact me.

Response Essays  25%
Analysis of primary sources, 1-2 double-spaced typed pages, due in class or before class by email.  Essay questions will be distributed in class the week before they are due.  The best essays often focus on only a couple of sources.

Writing takes you deeper into a question than contemplation or talking can.  This small preparation greatly enhances the quality of class discussion.  For people who have trouble writing, this is an opportunity to work on it in small, less daunting pieces.

Assignments need to be readable, but you do not need to spend a lot of time polishing them.  If you tend to get blocked when writing, try to relax and just spit something out.  If you have trouble with English, you might invest a little time in proofreading and polishing.

Late essays will be docked.  This could make a difference if it is a habit, but will not make much difference at all if it is not.

Short Quizzes 10%
Short identifications, ~ 10 minutes.  You need a basic structure ó chronology, major events, important people and places ó on which to hang your analysis and later learning on.  These quizzes will help.  You should be set if you take 5 minutes to review before class.

Essays  15%
3-5 pages each, #1 due Oct. 3, #2 due Nov. 14
This is an opportunity to take a little more time and thought in a written analysis.
Style guidelines and topic suggestions (similar to response paper questions) will be distributed in advance.
Due dates are negotiable in advance.  I encourage you to plan ahead for time overloads, and arrange to turn in essays earlier or later.  For missed deadlines, Tuesday Aís become A-ís on Thursday, and so on.

Comprehensive Quizzes  10%
~20 min. each, #1 on Sept. 28, #2 on Nov. 9
Short identifications.  These are opportunities to review back and consolidate your foundation.
 

Final Exam, Final Essays  15%
The one-hour final exam will be an expanded identification quiz.  Two final essays, 3-5 pages, due at the end of exam period. 

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1. Course Introduction:  Issues in Chinese History      Thurs., August 31

2. Shang-Zhou Ritual, Writing, and Authority      Tues., September 5

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 1.
de Bary, Tradition, 3-40.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 3.

3. Confucius and Mozi ó Thurs., September 7

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 2.
de Bary, Tradition, 41-76.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 5.
Quiz

de Bary, Tradition, 77-111.
Response Essay due

5. Mencius and Xunzi      Thurs., September 14

de Bary, Tradition, 112-189.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 10.
Quiz

de Bary, Tradition, 190-224.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 11.
Response Essay due

7. Debate      Thurs., September 21

Students will take the roles of leading thinkers of the period.  A Warring States "king" will preside, question, and determine which teachings suit his kingdomís needs best.

8.  Syncretic Visions of Empire, Rulership, and Cosmos      Tues., September 26

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 3.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 235-282.

9. Synthesis and Canon      Thurs., September 28

de Bary, Tradition, pp. 283-352.

de Bary, Tradition, pp. 353-366.
COMPREHENSIVE QUIZ #1
ESSAY #1 DUE

11. Religious Daoism      Thurs., October 5

Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 19-21.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 392-414.

MIDTERM BREAK

12. Division and Aristocratic Culture     Thurs., October 12

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 4.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 377-391.
Response Essay due

13. Buddhism      Tues., October 17

Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 22.
de Bary, Tradition, pp.  415-436, 444-471, 481-483, 491-536.
Quiz

14. Building Institutions      Thurs., October 19

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 5.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 546-564, 568-586.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 25.
Response Essay due

15. Tang Aristocratic Culture      Tues., October 24

de Bary, Tradition, pp. 537-546.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 30.
Quiz

16. Calligraphy, Poetry, Painting, and Refinement     Thurs.,  October 26

Stephen Owen, ed., trans., An Anthology of Chinese Literature:  Beginnings to 1911, (New York:  W. W. Norton & Company, 1996), pp. 58-76, 335-364.

17. Centralist Reforms      Tues., October 31

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 6.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 587-628, 631-634.

Ebrey, Sourcebook, # 33, 34, 36-38.
Quiz

19. Neo-Confucianism      Tues., November 7

de Bary, Tradition, pp. 667-669, 697-754, 800-819.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, #45.
Response Essay due

20. Historical Writing      Thurs., November 9

Owen, Anthology, pp. 77-101, (135-154).
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 367-374, 644-666.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, #12.

22. Xia, Liao, Jin, and Yuan      Tues., November 14.

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 7.
COMPREHENSIVE QUIZ #2
ESSAY #2 due

22. Ming Institutions      Thurs., November 16

Ebrey, Illustrated History, ch. 8.
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 779-799.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, #47, 57-58.

Ebrey, Sourcebook, #48-53.
Owen, Anthology, 834-854, (771-806, 855-879).
de Bary, Tradition, pp. 899-911.
Response Essay due
Quiz

24. A Hard Place in Hard Times      Tues., November 28

 Ebrey, Illustrated History, pp. 220-234.
Spence, Death of Woman Wang, ch. 1-2.

25. Widows, Gangsters, and Executing the Law      Thurs., November 30

Spence, Death of Woman Wang, ch. 3-Epilogue.
Quiz

26.  Perspectives on Women and Family through Time  ó Tues., December 5

de Bary, Tradition, pp. 819-840, 896-898.
Ebrey, Sourcebook, #17, 29, 36, 38, 54-56.
(Owen, Anthology, pp. 518-549, 591-596, 1103-1127).
Response Essay due

27-28. Presentations       Thurs., December 7, Tues., December 12

Each student will choose one thematic essay from among the selections below to read and present on in class.

From Ropp, Heritage:

From Craig Clunas, Art in China, (Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 1997):