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This one semester Unit aims to introduce the philosophical discourse of early China to a wide audience, especially students with no prior familiarity with the material. Although the Unit will be of particular interest to students of Sinology/Chinese studies, Philosophy and Religious Studies, no previous knowledge of Chinese language, culture and history or background in western philosophy are necessary. Readings will consist mainly of classic primary texts in English translation, with some secondary literature. The Unit will be conducted in the lecture/discussion format.

This introductory Unit provides a general overview of the history of early (pre-Qin) Chinese philosophy, focusing mostly on the philosophical concepts, themes, arguments and debates found in the ‘Masters literature’ produced during the Spring and Autumn (770-476 BCE), and Warring States periods (475–221 BCE), the latter arguably being the most vibrant and diverse as well as consequential period of philosophical thought in Chinese history. These seminal texts have shared concerns yet propose rival conceptions of human nature, the good life, the self, agency, personhood and self-cultivation, as well as competing social and political philosophies. They also present alternative philosophies of language, education, culture and history. Beyond providing informative perspectives on the most influential classical Chinese texts associated with the more well-known lineages in early Chinese thought, namely Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, and Legalism, this Unit will also cover the Book of Changes (Yijing), Yangzhu, the ‘School of Names’, the ‘Yin-Yang School’, the ‘School of Agriculture’ and early Chinese military thought. Although the Unit places these fundamental works and the main figures of early Chinese philosophy in their historical, socio-political context, the main focus shall be on extrapolating their relevance for contemporary philosophical discussions.

Method of Assessment

Main Reading List

• Chan Wing-tsit. 1969. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Ivanhoe, P. J. and Van Norden, B.W. (trans.) (2005). Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy. 2nd ed. Hackett Publishing.
• Lai, K. (2008). An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.
• Liu, J.L. (2006). An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy: Ancient Philosophy and Chinese Buddhism. Blackwell Publishing.
• Van Norden, B. W., (2011). Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. Hackett Publishing.

Supplementary Reading List

• Coutinho, S. (2014). An introduction to Daoist philosophies. Columbia University Press.
• Denecke, W. (2010). The Dynamics of the Masters Literature: Early Chinese Thought from Confucius to Han Feizi. Harvard University Asia Center.
• Graham, A.C. (1989). Disputers of the Tao: philosophical argument in ancient China. Open Court Publishing.
• Li, Z. (2019). A History of Classical Chinese Thought. (trans.) Routledge.
• Littlejohn, R. (2016). Chinese Philosophy: An Introduction. Tauris.
• Moeller, H.G. (2004). Daoism Explained: From the Dream of the Butterfly to the Fishnet Allegory. Open Court.
• Puett, M. & Gross-Loh, C. (2016).The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us ½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ the Good Life. Simon & Schuster.