Grades
The breakdown of grades for the course is as follows:

10% 10% 15% 15% 10% 40%

Class Participation Blackboard Participation Mencius/Xunzi Debate (3-4 pages; due on September 29) Midterm Paper (3-4 pages; due on October 15) Topic Paragraph/Annotated Bibliography (due on November 5) Final Paper (12-15 pages; due on November 21)

You final grade will ultimately depend on my assessment of your performance in each of the above areas, though the following descriptions should provide you with a rough idea of the defining characteristics of students within particular grade ranges:

A-/A  Possesses a deep understanding of the major concepts and themes of the course. The “A” student is able to consistently identify and explain key ideas in the primary sources, develop genuine insights into the broader significance of these texts, and demonstrate a high level of intellectual engagement in class discussions.

B-/B/B+  Demonstrates a serious commitment to the course (i.e. attendance and participation) and a strong grasp of the major concepts and themes but with less depth and/or consistency than the “A” student.

C-/C/C+  Demonstrates a reasonable effort to attend class and participate in discussions as well as a basic grasp of the course material.

D  Demonstrates a minimal commitment to the course and a weak grasp of basic concepts and themes.

F  Fails to demonstrate an acceptable degree of effort in the course through low attendance, inability to discuss basic concepts and themes, missed assignments and/or plagiarized work.

Class/Blackboard Participation
Given the complexity of many of the ideas that we’ll be studying, I believe that discussion, both in class and on the web, will be extremely helpful for your understanding of the material. Your Class Participation mark (worth 10% of the final grade) will be based on your ability to demonstrate that you have made a sincere attempt to read and understand the assigned material; although the quality of your comments will obviously be taken into consideration, please note that all attempts to seriously engage the readings—from sharing your perspective on the material to simply asking a relevant question—will enhance your grade. Your Blackboard Participation mark (also worth 10% of the final grade) will similarly be based on the quantity and quality of your comments on the readings, though in this case you will be expected to post a minimum of ten reflections on the readings, one for each week in the term. To count towards the minimum of ten Blackboard reflections you must post your comments before the class for which the readings in question have been assigned; however, all of your Blackboard postings—including responses to other students’ comments (whether before or after the class in question)—will ultimately count towards your Blackboard Participation grade. To post a comment on Blackboard, simply click the “Blackboard” link on the course home page and then log in with your North Central username and password (which is set to your student ID# by default); then go to “East Asian Thought” and click “Discussion Board”; you can then choose the reading that you want to comment on by clicking the appropriate topic, which will correspond to a topic from the course syllabus.

Mencius/Xunzi Debate
After exploring the thought of Confucius and his two most important early followers, Mencius and Xunzi, we will have an in-class debate on the question of whether human nature is inherently good or bad. In preparation for the debate, you will be required to write a 3-4 page (750-1000 word) paper explaining both positions (which should be illustrated through direct quotations), as well as your own perspective on the issue. Some of the questions you may wish to reflect on as you write the paper include: how do Mencius and Xunzi define “human nature” (M: 6A1-2, 6A6; X: 180-181); how do they account for “bad” behavior (M: 6A6, 6A8-9, 6A15; X: 179-180); how do they feel that “goodness” should be cultivated (M: 6A14-15; X: 179-180, 182); and do they value “humaneness” and “ritual” equally, or do either give priority to one over the other (M: 6A16-19; X: 182-183). Your response will be due in class on the day of the debate (M onday, September 29); late submissions will not be accepted without an exceptional excuse. Your written response will be worth 15% of the final grade, and although your participation in the class debate will not be specifically graded (since there may not be enough time for everyone in the class to speak), it will contribute to your final Class Participation mark.

Midterm Paper
The midterm paper is a 4-5 page essay (1000-1250 words, due on Wednesday, October 15) exploring the historical significance of a passage from the assigned readings that was not discussed in class (though you may use material that was discussed in class to elucidate the meaning of your chosen passage). Your paper should begin by quoting the passage that you wish to focus on (or just the relevant parts if it is too long to cite in its entirety). You should then provide an introduction in which you state your “thesis” (i.e. the main point that you hope to demonstrate in the body of the essay). Your exegesis of the passage should explain not only the meaning of the text as it relates to the fundamental principles of the tradition with which it is associated, but also how it contributes to that tradition’s response to the sociopolitical chaos that arose from the collapse of the Zhou feudal order during the Spring and Autumn (722-481 B.C.E.) and Warring States (403-221 B.C.E.) periods. Your argument should be supported through relevant quotes from both “primary” sources (i.e. the original writings of authors from the period in question) and at least two “secondary” sources (i.e. works that discuss various “primary” sources); all references—both direct quotations and indirect references to the ideas of another author—should be properly cited using the Chicago Style of citation. Finally, your “conclusion” should explain how the argument you’ve presented has demonstrated your thesis, as well as the overall significance of your exegesis.

Final Paper
The final paper will be a 12-15 page essay (due on Friday, November 21) on one of the main figures or traditions studied during the term. Your paper should include biographical and other contextual information about the thinker or tradition in question, but it must also deal with the ideas of the thinker or tradition, as well as the significance of these ideas within the broader history of the East Asian intellectual tradition. In order to ensure that you are on the right path, you will be required to submit a paragraph describing your topic together with an annotated bibliography of the sources that you intend to use by Wednesday, November 5 (the 8th week of the course). The annotated bibliography should include brief “annotations” describing and evaluating the significance of each of the sources that you intend to use for your paper. Since this is intended to be a research paper, you must provide at least five “print” sources in addition to the assigned readings for the course; you may also use web-sources, though you are discouraged from relying on them too heavily, as they often provide superficial, biased and/or inaccurate information. Please note that you are required to provide appropriate citations for both direct and indirect quotations using “Chicago” style footnotes and bibliography (for more details click the “Footnotes” link on the course home page). Since I take plagiarism very seriously, I strongly recommend that you become familiar with the boundaries of academic honesty…and don’t attempt to transgress them. If you have any doubts regarding what does or does not constitute plagiarism, please refer to the plagiarism link on my home page. Essays that contain significant instances of plagiarism will receive a 0 and be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs in accordance with college policy. Since this paper is worth 50% of your final grade (40% for the paper plus 10% for the Topic Paragraph/Annotated Bibliography), you should expect to devote a considerable amount of time to this project; towards this end, I will be happy to meet with you individually to provide further guidance at any stage in the process.

Required Texts
● Jee Loo Liu, An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy [ITC]
● Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom (editors), Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1, 2nd Edition [SCT]
● An additional “Course Pack” of readings; to purchase, follow the instructions at www.universityreaders.com/students/instructions.php.