PHIL 220 - Classical Chinese for Reading Philosophy

CR: 3.0
Classical Chinese, a form of Chinese that was written in the period between roughly 500 BCE and 220 CE, is the language of Classical Confucianism, Daoism, and many other philosophical schools of thought. As language is the medium of philosophy, familiarity with Classical Chinese will deepen your understanding of the Chinese philosophical tradition. In this class, we will learn some characters, some basic grammatical structures, as well as other peculiar aspects of Classical Chinese by reading selections from actual texts in Confucianism, Daoism, and other schools together. If you have been wondering what the mysterious Daodejing is really saying, then join us for an adventure! You do not need any prior knowledge of modern and/or ancient Chinese for this class.