CHINESE 186 - Confucius and His Interpreters

Institution:

University of California-Berkeley

Subject:

Chinese

Description:

This course examines the different spheres of meaning that have been formed through interpretations of the person and teachings of Confucius. We will consider how the words attributed to Confucius were understood by his near-contemporaries and by later generations, situating these readings within the social and political order of their times. We will examine how Confucian ideals have shaped government, social roles, and intellectual commitments, and how various interpretive communities in turn have shaped the understanding of the Confucian canon. We will also ask what the figure of Confucius meant for these various groups, and how this figure was defined through ritual and material culture. Further, we will consider Confucian responses to other intellectual forces, such as Legalism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Christianity, and reimagination of Confucianism in light of perceived challenges of modernity. Class discussion will focus on readings from primary texts, but will also take into account recent scholarship on the intellectual and social history of the Confucian tradition.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.berkeley.edu

Phone Number:

(510) 642-6000

Regional Accreditation:

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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