Chinese 231 TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTURE Winter 1998 Professor Marjorie Chan Dept. of East Asian Languages & Literatures 366 Cunz Hall | 292-3619 The Ohio State University F 1-3 pm, or by appt. chan.9 @osu.edu

Eternal China: Splendors from the First Dynasties
Exhibition at The Dayton Art Institute (March 7 - June 7, 1998).

1. China to 1850: A Short History. 1978. (by Charles Hucker. Stanford: Stanford U. Pr.)
2. Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization. 1990. (Paul S. Ropp, ed. Berkeley: U. of California Pr.)
3. Course Packet: available at Cop-Ez (Neil & 11th. 292-4576)
   (includes course syllabus, lecture outlines, and some readings)

This is a survey course taught in English that covers Chinese institutions, philosophical trends, religion, art, literature, family/marriage, and science and technology prior to the 20th century.

This course is designed to introduce students to important elements of Chinese cultural traditions. The approach is interdisciplinary and comparative. The course includes elements of history, language, literature, art, philosophy/religion, family/marriage, and science/technology/medicine. Films (including videos) are used in conjunction with lectures and class discussions to provide students with a better understanding of the basics of traditional (i.e., pre-modern) Chinese culture. Relevant websites on traditional Chinese culture, including e-texts of philosophical and classical texts (in English translation) will be introduced. Students are also encouraged to explore the World Wide Web for materials relevant to the course, and to share their findings with the class.

[Note: Created after this course was taught is the instructor's links to resources on traditional Chinese culture, a section added to her ChinaLinks website: Marjorie Chan's ChinaLinks: Traditional Chinese Culture.]

Students are expected to attend class regularly, and to be prepared to discuss the assigned reading(s) in class.

Twenty percent of the grades will be based on attendance and class participation. The remaining 80% has three main options as follows:

Option 1:	4 quizzes (4 x 20% = 80%)
Option 2:	3 quizzes plus 1 take-home assignment (4 x 20% = 80%)
Option 3:	4 quizzes plus 1 take-home assignment, and be allowed to drop the lowest score (4 x 20% = 80%)

The quizzes will consist of one or more of the following types of questions: multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short-answer questions. Each quizz will test materials covered since the previous quiz, and will be based on films, class lectures, class discussions, as well as reading assignments. Short answer questions will test your ability to analyze and synthesize the ideas presented in the course. There will be no make-ups for the quizzes, and there will be no final examination. Details concerning the take-home assignment (circa 5 double-spaced typed pages) will be given later in the quarter. Students who are interested in including an oral presentation of their take-home assignment will have an opportunity to do so on the last two days of class.

Final grades are not placed on the bell curve, but will be based on your earned percentage for the course: A (95%), A- (90%), B+ (85%), B (80%), etc.

DAILY SCHEDULE

WK 1	DATE	BACKGROUND	READINGS
M	1/5	Introduction to the course
T	1/6	Film/Disc.: "China: A Portrait of the Land" (1967)	Hucker, pp.1-6 (Outline #1)
W	1/7	Lecture: The people and the language	Hucker, pp.6-11 (Outline #2)
R	1/8	Lecture: The Chinese writing system	Hucker, p.9-11 (Outline #3)
F	1/9	Home reading assignment	Hucker, pp.25-48, Ropp, Ch. 2 (Keightley)

WK 2	DATE	EARLY CHINESE CIVILIZATION	READINGS
M	1/12	Film/Disc.: "The Beginnings" (Prehistory to Shang dynasty)	Hucker, pp.25-31 (Outline #4)
T	1/13	Lecture: Early civilization in China, Pt. I	Ropp, Ch.2 (Keightley) (Outline #5)
W	1/14	Lecture: Early civilization in China, Pt. II	(cont'd)
R	1/15	Quiz 1 (Materials covered from Weeks 1-2)
F	1/16	Home reading assignment	Hucker, pp.31-51; Confucius and excerpts from the Analects (course packet)

WK 3	DATE	CONFUCIANISM	READINGS
M	1/19	Martin Luther King's Birthday (observed)
T	1/20	Film/Disc.: "The Making of a Civilization" (W. Chou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period, and Confucius)	Hucker, pp.31-42, pp.48-51 (Outline #4)
W	1/21	Class Reading/Disc.: Confucius and excerpts from the Analects of Confucius	Confucius and excerpts from the Analects of Confucius (course packet)
R	1/22	Film/Disc.: "Hundred Schools to One"	Hucker, pp.42-48 (Outline #4)
F	1/23	Home reading assignment	Taoism and excerpts from Tao-te Ching and Chuang Tzu (course packet)

WK 4	DATE	TAOISM AND LEGALISM	READINGS
M	1/26	Lecture: Taoism	"Taoism" chapter (course packet) (Outline #6)
T	1/27	Class Reading/Disc.: Excerpts from Tao-te Ching and Chuang Tzu	Excerpts from Tao-te Ching and Chuang Tzu (course packet)
W	1/28	CHINESE NEW YEAR - Special Activities! Lecture: Legalism and the Ch'in dynasty. (This lecture is postponed to 1/29/98.)	Hucker, pp.47-48, 51-54 (Outline #4) (Postpone for 1/29/98. No course preparation for 1/28/98.)
R	1/29	Lecture: Sage kings and laws (Combining 1/28 lecture with 1/29 lecture today.)	Ropp, Ch.4 (Turner) (Outline #7)
F	1/30	Home reading assignment	Hucker, pp.55-77

WK 5	DATE	THE FIRST EMPIRES	READINGS
M	2/2	Film/Disc.: "The First Empires" (Ch'in and Han dynasties, 221 B.C.-A.D. 220)	Hucker, pp.55-77 (Outline #8)
T	2/3	Film/Disc.: "The Great Cultural Mix" (Era of Div. A.D. 220-581)	Hucker, pp.77-85
W	2/4	Film/Disc.: "Buddhism in China"	Hucker, pp.81-84 (review) (Outline #9)
R	2/5	Quiz 2
F	2/6	Home reading assignment	Hucker, pp.86-101

WK 6	DATE	GOLDEN AGE TO MONGOL CONQUEST	READINGS
M	2/9	Film/Disc.: "The Golden Age" (Sui and T'ang dynasties, 581-907)	Hucker, pp.86-101 (Outline #8)
T	2/10	Film/Disc.: "Heavenly Khan" (T'ang dynasty, 618-907)	(cont'd)
W	2/11	Film/Disc.: "The Age of Maturity" (Sung dynasty, 960-1279)	Hucker, pp.102-122) (Outline #10)
R	2/12	Film/Disc.: "China Under the Mongols" (Yuan dynasty, 1264-1368)	Hucker, pp.122-133
F	2/13	Home reading assignment	Hucker, pp.133-144

WK 7	DATE	COMING OF THE WEST	READINGS
M	2/16	Film/Disc.: "The Restoration" (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644)	Hucker, pp.133-144 (Outline #10)
T	2/17	Film/Disc.: "The Manchu Rule" (Ch'ing dynasty, 1644-1911)	Hucker, pp.144-157
W	2/18	Film/Disc.: "Coming of the West" Class discussion: Some characteristic social patterns	Hucker, pp.11-24 (Outline #11)
R	2/19	Film (Overview): "The Enduring Heritage" Quiz 3
F	2/20	Home reading assignment	Ropp, Ch.7 (Sivin)

WK 8	DATE	SCIENCE AND ART	READINGS
M	2/23	Film: "Understanding" (Heart of the Dragon series)	(none)
T	2/24	Science and medicine in Chinese history	Ropp, Ch.7 (Sivin) (Outline #12)
W	2/25	Film/Disc.: "Masterpieces of Chinese Art"	(none)
R	2/26	Lecture: Chinese art	Ropp, Ch.11 (Sullivan) (Outline #13)
F	2/27	Home reading assignment	Ropp, Ch.12 (Owen)

WK 9	DATE	POETRY AND FICTION	READINGS
M	3/2	Lecture/Disc.: Poetry in the Chinese tradition	Ropp, Ch.12 (Owen) (Outline #14)
T	3/3	Lecture: The distinctive art of Chinese fiction	Ropp, Ch.13 (Ropp) (Outline #15)
W	3/4	Class Reading/Disc.: Poems and short fiction	(none)
R	3/5	Quiz 4
F	3/6	Home reading assignment	Ropp, Ch.8 (Ebrey)

ETERNAL CHINA Splendors from the First Dynasties March 7 - June 7, 1998 The Dayton Art Institute 456 Belmont Park North Dayton, Ohio 45405 Tel: 1-800-296-4426
Brochure Cover (36k) | About the Exhibit (41k)

WK 10	DATE	WOMEN, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY	READINGS
M	3/9	Lecture: Women, marriage, and the family	Ropp, Ch.8 (Ebrey) (Outline #16)
T	3/10	Film/Disc.: "Small Happiness: Women of a Chinese Village"
W	3/11	Eternal China: Splendors from the First Dynasties (Ch'in (Qin) and Han dynasties, see above) Lecture, "The First Emperor of China" (CD ROM), "The Silk Road: Glories of Ancient Chang-An" (excerpt, video), etc.
R	3/12	TBA
F	3/13	DUE by Friday, 13 March, 1:30 p.m.: Take-Home Assignment

[ Gen. Info | Textbooks | Descrip. | Objectives | Stud. Resp. | Grading | Schedule | Readings ]

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READINGS

1. Bary, Wm. Theodore de, Wing-tsit Chan and Burton Watson (comp.). 1960. Sources of Chinese Tradition. Volume I. New York: Columbia U. Press.
   Excerpts in the Course Packet:
   
   
   1. Chapter II: Confucius
      (Introduction and Selections from the Analects)

   2. Chapter IV: Taoism
      "Metaphysics and Government in the Lao Tzu" (Introduction and Selections from the Lao Tzu (or Tao-te Ching), and
      "Skepticism and Mysticism in Chuang Tzu" (Introduction and Selections from the Chuang Tzu)

2. Ropp, Paul S. (ed.). 1990. Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization. Berkeley: U. of California Press.
   Chapters selected:
   
   
   1. Chapter 2: Keightley, David N. "Early civilization in China: reflections on how it became Chinese." Pp. 15-54.

   2. Chapter 4: Turner, Karen. "Sage kings and laws in the Chinese and Greek tradition." Pp. 86-111.

   3. Chapter 7: Sivin, Nathan. "Science and medicine in Chinese history." Pp. 164-196.

   4. Chapter 8: Ebrey, Patricia. "Women, marriage, and the family in Chinese history." Pp. 197-223.

   5. Chapter 11: Sullivan, Michael. "Chinese art and its impact on the West." Pp. 263-293.

   6. Chapter 12: Owen, Stephen. "Poetry in the Chinese tradition." Pp. 294-308.

   7. Chapter 13: Ropp, Paul S. "The distinctive art of Chinese fiction." Pp. 309-334.

[ Gen. Info | Textbooks | Descrip. | Objectives | Stud. Resp. | Grading | Schedule | Readings ]

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