Introductory Topics in Asian Languages and Cultures (290-0-20)
Topic
East Asian Classics
Instructors
Antonio Terrone
847/467-1636
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall #4-439
Office Hours: times vary by quarter, please contact instructor
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
AY27 This course explores some of the most influential and earliest texts of the major East Asian religious and philosophical traditions including Confucianism, Daoism, Chan/Zen Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism still prominent in China, Japan, Tibet, and several other Asian societies today. The goal is to understand their significance in East Asian cultures, as well as consider what we can learn from these texts today. This course will probe the following questions: What are the major themes, dilemmas, and issues these texts address? How can humans achieve contentment in the world? What are the moral values these texts instill? Beyond a historical focus, this course will also reflect on ways that these literary and religious texts have been appropriated and adapted in the modern context. Each period dedicated to a specific text will be preceded by an introduction to the tradition it represents offering an historical background together with biographical and/or content outlines.
Learning Objectives
- Students will identify and analyze foundational texts from Confucianism, Daoism, Chan/Zen Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism, situating them within historical contexts and evaluating their cultural significance across East Asia.
- Students will examine key philosophical themes, including morality, human flourishing, and suffering, interpreting how these traditions address ethical dilemmas and the pursuit of contentment in human life.
- Students will develop skills in close textual analysis, critically engaging primary sources in translation while articulating informed interpretations of religious and philosophical arguments in written and oral formats.
- Students will evaluate how classical East Asian texts have been adapted, interpreted, and transformed in modern contexts, assessing their continued relevance in contemporary cultural and intellectual discourses.
- Students will compare and contrast major East Asian traditions, synthesizing historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives to construct coherent arguments about their similarities, differences, and global significance.
Teaching Method
Lecture and Discussion
Evaluation Method
Participation; in-class presentation; in-class response essay; final exam
Class Materials (Required)
- Confucius / D.C. Lau (transl). Confucius: The Analects. Penguin Classics (1979) - ISBN 978-0140443486
- Lao Tzu / D.C. Lau (transl). Tao Te Ching. Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (1964) - ISBN 978-0140441314
- Tsangnyon Heruka / A. Quintman (transl). The Life of Milarepa. Penguin Classics; 1 edition (2010) - ISBN 978-0143106227
- Red Pine. The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng (Paperback - November 28, 2008). Counterpoint, 2008. ISBN 978-1593761776
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for students majoring or minoring in Asian Languages & Cultures or International Studies until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites, if applicable.