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Rob_Hugo@PortNWHi everyone,
I'm happy to let you know that Clayton Dube will return as your speaker at our next session on Tuesday, February 12. He will present on "Early East Asian Civilizations" and "Chinese Philosophy," so please take some time to review the readings included in those sections of your seminar binder.
(For those of you who are just joining us and do not yet have a seminar binder, you may download the readings as .pdf attachment files by clicking on the "February 12 Session - readings" thread.)
Below please find guidelines for your homework assignment on Chinese philosophy in the Warring States period. You will be asked to engage in a 30-minute debate, and "teams" have been assigned as follows:
CONFUCIANISM
1. Betty Kizzie
2. Maria DiPaola
3. Catherine Jimoh
4. Catherine Atwell
5. Nathan Blade
MOHISM
1. Liberty Logan
2. Alexei Nicolai
3. Jason Wilhelm
4. Valerie Costigan
5. Jean Christensen
DAOISM
1. Cynthia Nenezich
2. Flora May Bardinas
3. Jermey Fannon
4. Amanda Fitzpatrick
5. Reuben Gordon
LEGALISM
1. Phil Pearson
2. Dawn Kelly
3. Sean Quinn
4. Andi Harris
5. Linda Kimball
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Chinese philosophy in the Warring States period (403-321 BCE)
At our January 29 session, we were only able to briefly review several important points for Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, and Legalism. At the February 12 session, Clayton Dube will cover each philosophy in detail, then we will ask you to engage in a four-sided debate.
Through the primary source documents in the curriculum guide of the "Chinese Philosophy" section, you will be able to gain a sense of the richness of these schools of thought - how they are intertwined, how their advocates sought to address the problems they identified and realize, in some cases, shared aims.
Use the three Focus Questions below to prepare for the debate, during which you will have to defend the ideology of your school of thought while pointing out the flaws of the other three. You may find the chart on pages 46-47 useful as you prepare. You will have to provide for three essential elements:
1. A description of how we arrived at the present situation (China during the Warring States period, 403-321 BCE) – what are the major problems we face?
2. A description (proscription) of what should be – how things ought to be.
3. A description of what should be done to move from 1 to 2 – an action plan.
In the debate, the moderator will ask questions of each school and you may ask questions of each other. In general, accent the positive in your doctrine, but it may be occasionally helpful to draw contrasts with the way other schools deal with issues you consider critical.
We’ll definitely explore the following:
EDUCATION:
Is education necessary? Define a "well-educated" person. What would such a person know and be able to do? Who should provide this training?
LOYALTY:
To which people/institutions should a person owe his/her loyalty? What is the nature and what are the limits (if any) of these obligations?
SOCIETY/GOVERNMENT:
Describe the ideal society and government's role (if any) in that society. Be sure to address issues such as stratification, relations between people, and qualifications/responsibilities of leaders.
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Please feel free to use the forum to discuss and share ideas with your colleagues. You may want to reply to this post for general questions, or start new threads for each school of thought.
Questions? 213-740-1307 or [email protected]
-Miranda
[Edit by="miranda k on Feb 1, 3:18:17 PM"][/Edit]
clay dubeHi Folks,
Remember what we stressed about the elements that make an ideology coherent and powerful.
1. A convincing explanation of the current situation and how we got here.
2. An exciting description of where we should be as a society, explanations of how things work, how people relate to each other.
3. A guide or action plan for getting from where we are to where we ought to be.
In preparing for our debate, please keep these elements in mind. When you can, link all three in answering the core questions identified on pages 46-47 of the philosophy unit.
AnonymousOn Tuesday, May 13, Morgan Pitelka's topic was Women in East Asian History. Once again the topic of foot binding was discussed. Chinese women saw small feet as an expression of beauty. This was a cultural practice started by upper class women. They called it competitive grooming and saw foot binding as a way of improving their life. However, communism killed foot binding wiping it out within a single generation.
AnonymousWhile on the topic of women and foot binding, I thought I'd share an interesting novel. Snowflower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See It follows a young Chinese girl from her childhood, through footbinding, matchmaking, marriage, having children, dealing with her husband's concubines, and into the end of her life. I picked it up and sat down and read it straight through. I happened to be in China, so I sat in one of their parks by a lake. This book really helped me understand a lot of culteral practices and rituals. I don't recomend it for your students, but it is very interested for adults.