01:165:471 / 16:217:529  Early "China" in the "World" - Cosmography, Epistemology & Encountering the Strange

Description: Examines the perspectives from which the early Chinese perceived themselves, their realm, the world, and beyond from High Antiquity to the medieval period. Traces the development of early Chinese cosmography and epistemology by focusing on how these perspectives came to be complicated by encounters, as individuals or as a collective, with things foreign, be they ideas, peoples, places, or the supernatural.

 Number of Credits: 3 

Prerequisites: None 

Topics: Familiarizes students with a wide variety of primary sources, including but not limited to philosophical treatises, official histories, tales of anomalies, and travelogues. Students will exercise their analytical, argumentation, and presentational skills through weekly discussions of the texts and issues. This course will also instruct students on how to make a scholarly presentation on a work or author and how to write a paper based on textual analysis.

Expected Work: Weekly reflections, attendance

Exams: Term Paper

Syllabus