Classics of Chinese Humanities Course

Lesson 1 • Origins of Chinese Civilization

Traces the emergence of Chinese culture from prehistoric settlements to early dynastic society. Provides the chronological baseline for all subsequent textual study.

Lesson 2 • Core Concepts in Classical Chinese Thought

Introduces foundational ideas such as Dao, Li, Ren, and Yi. These concepts recur throughout the classical canon and anchor textual interpretation.

Lesson 3 • The Classical Chinese Language Primer

Introduces classical Chinese grammar, syntax, and key vocabulary. Equips students to engage with primary texts in translation and in the original.

Lesson 1 • The Analects of Confucius

Analyses the structure, style, and key passages of the Analects. Connects Confucius's dialogues to the ethical and social ideals introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Mencius and Human Nature

Explores Mencius's argument for innate moral goodness and its political implications. Builds on Ren and Yi concepts to deepen ethical analysis.

Lesson 3 • The Five Classics: Poetry, History, and Rites

Surveys the Book of Songs, Book of Documents, and Book of Rites as foundational cultural texts. Demonstrates how ritual and poetic traditions encode Confucian values.

Lesson 1 • Daoist Cosmology and Metaphysics

Traces Daoist accounts of cosmic origin, qi, and the interplay of yin and yang. Connects metaphysical ideas to later religious and medical traditions.

Lesson 2 • The Daodejing: Text and Interpretation

Examines the eighty-one chapters of the Daodejing for their philosophical and rhetorical structure. Contrasts Daoist spontaneity with Confucian ritual order.

Lesson 3 • Zhuangzi: Imagination and Relativism

Reads the inner chapters of the Zhuangzi for their narrative philosophy and epistemological relativism. Develops skills in interpreting parable and allegory.

Lesson 1 • Mohism: Universal Love and Utility

Analyses Mozi's doctrines of universal love, anti-fatalism, and utilitarian ethics. Positions Mohism as a systematic critique of Confucian ritual excess.

Lesson 2 • The School of Names and Logical Paradoxes

Introduces the Logicians' debates on language, reference, and paradox. Develops analytical reading skills through engagement with sophistic argument.

Lesson 3 • Syncretism and the End of the Hundred Schools of Thought

Traces how Han Confucianism absorbed and synthesised rival schools of thought. Shows students how intellectual competition produced a durable classical synthesis.

Lesson 1 • Song Ci: Lyric Poetry and Music

Examines the ci form as a lyric genre tied to musical performance. Analyses Su Shi, Li Qingzhao, and Xin Qiji for their formal and emotional range.

Lesson 2 • The Book of Songs and Chu Ci

Reads the Shijing and Chuci as the twin origins of Chinese poetic tradition. Contrasts northern folk realism with southern shamanic imagery.

Lesson 3 • Classical Poetics and Aesthetic Theory

Surveys major theoretical texts on poetry, including Wenxin Diaolong and Shipin. Introduces key aesthetic concepts such as qi, yun, and jing.

Lesson 1 • Pre-Qin Philosophical Prose

Reads argumentative prose from Mencius, Xunzi, and Han Feizi for rhetorical structure. Connects prose style to the philosophical positions examined in earlier chapters.

Lesson 2 • Tang-Song Ancient Prose Movement

Analyses the guwen reform movement led by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan. Shows how prose style became a vehicle for Confucian moral and political renewal.

Lesson 3 • Sima Qian and the Grand Historian

Examines the Shiji as the founding model of Chinese historiography. Analyses biographical narrative, authorial voice, and the moral purpose of history.

Lesson 1 • The Four Great Classical Novels

Surveys the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Dream of the Red Chamber. Develops skills in reading long-form narrative structure.

Lesson 2 • Classical Chinese Drama: Zaju and Chuanqi

Examines Yuan zaju and Ming chuanqi as the two peaks of classical Chinese theatre. Analyses dramatic structure, aria forms, and performance conventions.

Lesson 3 • Tang Chuanqi and Early Fiction

Reads Tang dynasty tale literature as the origin of Chinese literary fiction. Examines romance, the supernatural, and social critique in short narrative form.

Lesson 1 • Qing Evidential Scholarship and Textual Criticism

Surveys the kaozheng movement's empirical approach to classical texts. Develops students' awareness of how scholarly methods shape textual interpretation.

Lesson 2 • The Classical Tradition in Modern China

Traces the fate of classical learning through the May Fourth Movement and into the present. Analyses debates over tradition, modernity, and cultural identity.

Lesson 3 • Comparative Perspectives and Global Dialogue

Positions Chinese classics within world humanistic traditions through comparative analysis. Students synthesise the course by connecting Chinese texts to global intellectual themes.