AP/RLST 4430 6.00

Living Confucianism

No one has had a greater impact on Chinese culture than Confucius. His ideas about self-cultivation, the proper ordering of society, the role of the individual in the social order, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos et cetera not only shaped the underlying fabric of Chinese civilisation, they deeply influenced several neighbouring cultures as well. Though Confucianism has taken many forms over the millennia, it remains central to any meaningful understanding of East Asia and is, therefore, critical for constructive international engagement in the 21st century. In the first half of the course, we will follow the development of Confucian thought and practice in imperial China and the corresponding relevant periods in Vietnam, Korea and Japan. In the second half of the course, we will analyse the ways that different groups, including East Asian modernizers and non-Asian scholars, have tried to tie Confucianism to emerging national and global issues.

RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Confucianism

Course Category: Religious Thoughts and Practices