Humanities Seminar (395-0-25)
Topic
The Circulation of Ideas Between East and West.
Instructors
Jinxue Chen
Meeting Info
Scott Hall 201 Ripton Room: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
The Circulation of Ideas Between East and West
Are democracy, equality, and human rights universal political ideas or are they Western constructs? What are the historical origins of these concepts and how have they been circulating in the world? How do we understand, compare, and evaluate political ideas that are rooted in different traditions?
To address these questions, we will delve into texts exploring a myriad of political ideas and visions. Our exploration will start from the insights of ancient thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, and Mencius, progressing to the perspectives of modern thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Liang Qichao, and finally, we will reach debates in the contemporary world. Our focus will be on examining key political ideas, including but not limited to human rights, equality, and justice as discussed in these foundational texts, and their circulation between East and West.
Registration Requirements
Students are expected to be a junior or a senior. Sophomores and first-years can request a permission number.
Learning Objectives
• Develop proficiency in contextualizing and interpretating primary sources
• Identify and critically assess the ways in which culture, nation, race, and history are used in political discourse
• Analyze the impact of pluralism, interconnection, decolonization, and cosmopolitanism on the formation of global political thought
• Apply evidence effectively to create or challenge historical arguments.
Class Materials (Required)
Confucius. The Analects. Translated by D. C. Lau. Penguin Books, 1998. ISBN-10: 0140443487
Mencius. Mencius. Translated by D.C. Lau. Penguin Books, 2005. ISBN-10 : 014044971X
Aristotle, Politics: A New Translation. translated by C.D.C Reeve. Hackett: 2017. ISBN 9781624665578
Plato, Republic Translated by G.M.A.Grube. Hackett:1992. ISBN 978-0872201361
Class Notes
Students are expected to be a junior or a senior. Sophomores and first-years can request a permission number.
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Juniors & Seniors