Description: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism have long been described as China’s “three teachings.” This course will survey the development of the three main intellectual and religious traditions of China from their origins to the present day, focusing on how each comprehends the cosmos and translates its ideal into thought, ritual, practice, and social and moral programs. Students will be encouraged to engage the key concepts in Chinese thought through textual and visual materials, and to identify the dominant themes derived from them. In discussing the topics of popular religion and the religion of minority groups, the course exposes students to pre-modern and present-day forms of China’s intellectual and religious traditions;
Student level: Lower-Intermediate;
Related Fields: Asian Studies, Religious Studies, History, Philosophy, Anthropology. Course format: Weekly Lectures;
Requirements: Mid-term exam; Final exam/research paper.