Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science Course Bundle

About the Program

What does it mean to live a good life—and how did ancient Chinese thinkers answer that question two thousand years before the birth of modern science? In this online, self-directed two course series, UBC Philosophy Professor Edward Slingerland guides you through the foundational schools of early Chinese thought and shows why their debates about ethics, spontaneity, and the nature of the self remain urgent today.

No background in philosophy or Chinese history is required. Save 10% by signing up for the complete two-course bundle that consists of the following two courses:

• Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science. Part 1
• Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science. Part 2

Course Descriptions of the courses in the bundle

Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science. Part 1

UBC Professor Edward Slingerland guides you through the foundational schools of early Chinese thought—Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism—and shows why their debates about ethics, spontaneity, and the nature of the self remain urgent today.

Drawing on cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and close readings of classical texts in translation, the course introduces you to the concept of wu-wei (無為), or “effortless action,” and the paradox at its heart: how can you consciously try to stop trying? From the ritual self-cultivation of Confucius to the radical primitivism of Laozi, each thinker offers a distinct answer, and each answer illuminates something surprising about how human minds and societies actually work.

Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science. Part 2

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.

Format

This courses are self-directed and consists of modules. Each module includes lectures, accompanied by suggested readings and a short 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 per course

 Instructors: Edward Slingerland

Prerequisite: None 

 Price: $300.00 for both courses 

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/