Early Chinese Politic Thought

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course explores the history of early Chinese political thought with a special focus on the close relationship between ethics and politics in early Chinese thought and the contemporary relevance of these views. Texts from the four major schools of thought in classical China are examined, with special attention given to the way in which political philosophy was informed by a diverse range of competing accounts of human nature and morality in the Confucian, Mohist, Daoist, and Legalist traditions. The course also examines the greatest Chinese military classic of all time: Sunzi’s Art of War. In addition to a close reading of these primary texts, students will read and discuss contemporary sources that constructively apply traditional Chinese views to questions of public policy and governance in both East Asia and the U.S. today.