Module description
This module provides an advanced critical engagement with the history of Chinese philosophy. It examines Chinese intellectual traditions through a rigorous study of central texts and the complex philosophical debates that shaped them.
Students will analyse the distinctive concerns and methodologies of Chinese philosophical inquiry. The course requires students to evaluate the relevance of this historical tradition to current global philosophical discourse, demanding a sophisticated comparative perspective on how different cultures address fundamental questions and the methodological challenges inherent in such comparisons.
Assessment details
Summative assessment 1: In-seminar presentation, 10 minutes (30%)
Summative assessment 2: Essay, 2800 words (70%)
Educational aims & objectives
- To facilitate a systematic and critical understanding of the central ideas and arguments within various schools of Chinese philosophy.
- To evaluate thinkers within their specific historical, intellectual, and linguistic contexts.
- To critically appraise the relevance of ancient Chinese philosophical debates to contemporary issues in Western and global philosophy.
- To refine students' skills in the independent analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of seminal philosophical works and their modern interpretations.
Learning outcomes
- Knowledge of major systems, figures, and debates in Chinese philosophy.
- The ability to critically synthesise and evaluate the methodologies used in comparative Chinese and Western philosophy.
- Precision in formulating and communicating complex philosophical arguments in both written and oral formats.
- A deep understanding of the conceptual problems and internal tensions within Chinese philosophical traditions.
Teaching pattern
1 x weekly one-hour lecture and 1 x weekly one-hour seminar over 10 weeks.