Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science. Part 2

About the Course

How did Confucianism evolve from its origins into a sophisticated theory of moral psychology? What can a Daoist philosopher tell us about the limits of rational control, and how did a hard-nosed “Legalist” ideology help create China’s first empire? Part 2 of this series picks up where Part 1 left off, following the major schools of early Chinese thought through dramatic developments and confrontations.

With UBC Professor Edward Slingerland as your guide, you’ll explore the moral psychology of Mencius, the irreverent wit of Zhuangzi, the cultural conservatism of Xunzi, and the authoritarian pragmatism of Han Feizi. You’ll see how debates that began two millennia ago still map onto live arguments about human nature, politics, and the good life. The course concludes with a broader reflection on what it means to study another culture’s thought in a globalized world.

Part 2 can be taken as a stand-alone course, though students who complete Part 1 first will find the material more rewarding and the arguments easier to follow.

Format

This course is self-directed and consists of four modules. The first three modules consist of nine lectures accompanied by suggested readings and a short quiz. The fourth module is a summary of what you’ve learned, and is followed by a final quiz. We also include a pre-recorded Q&A with Professor Slingerland, where he answers common student questions. You have a year (365 days) from signing up to the course to complete the material.  

 Length: Approximately 16 hours

 Instructors: Edward Slingerland

 Prerequisite:  None

 Price: $165.00

About the Instructors

Edward Slingerland is Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia.

He earned his B.A. with Distinction from Stanford University in Chinese (1991), his M.A. in classical Chinese from UC Berkeley (1994), and his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford (1998), where he wrote his dissertation on the topic of wu-wei and the paradox of wu-wei—the first major academic treatment of this topic. His research specialties and teaching interests include Warring States (5th-3rd c. B.C.E.), Chinese thought, religious studies (comparative religion, cognitive science and evolution of religion), cognitive linguistics (blending and conceptual metaphor theory), ethics (virtue ethics, moral psychology), evolutionary psychology, the relationship between the humanities and the natural sciences, and the classical Chinese language.

Refund Policy

Because this is a self-directed class, we cannot offer refunds once you register.

Registration Help

For registration support, contact UBC's Learning Technology Hub at 604-827-4775 or LT.hub@ubc.ca

Please also see the UBC Canvas Catalog learner guide for directions and Frequently Asked Questions: https://lthub.ubc.ca/guides/canvas-catalog-learner-guide/