INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE THOUGHT

Academic year
2025/2026 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE THOUGHT
Course code
C38-26 (AF:596388 AR:336567)
Teaching language
English
Modality
On campus classes
ECTS credits
6
Degree level
Bachelor's Degree Programme
Academic Discipline
L-OR/21
Period
2nd Semester
Course year
3
Where
VENEZIA
The Course explores the major philosophical traditions of Classical China, with a particular focus on their meaning and relevance in Contemporary Chinese society. Students will engage with selected passages from foundational texts such as the Analects (Lunyu), the Mean (Zhongyong) and the Great Learning (Daxue), exploring key ideas in ethics, governance, cosmology, and human nature. In addition, the course also addresses the transmission and reception of Chinese classical philosophy in Europe, particularly from the 16th to the 18th centuries, when Jesuit misisonaries and early sinologists began to translate and interpret Chinese thought for a European audience.
By the end of the course students will be able to identify and explain the major philosophical traditions of classical China; Interpret key concepts from Classical Chinese texts and understand their relevance in Contemporary Chinese thought. Evaluate the eraly modern reception of Chinese philosophy and its role in cross-cultural intellectual exchange. Reflect on the continuing influence of Classical Chinese philosophy in modern academic, political and cultural contexts.
No prior knowledge of Chinese language or philosophy is required. A general background in East Asian history is recommended but not mandatory. Students should be prepared to engage with primary texts in traNslations and to participate actively in class discussion.
The Course is structured into four main modules: 1. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy: Historical and cultural background; The major schools of thought: Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Mohism; Core texts and key concepts (ren, li, dao, qi, shu, zhongyong); 2. Reading and Analysis of Classical Texts: Lunyu, Zhongyong, Daxue, Zhuangzi; Central themes: ethics, social order, human nature, authority and benevolence, wisdom. 3. The Reception of Chinese Thought in Early Modern Europe: Jesuit missionaries and the first interpreters (16th-18th centuries); the image of China in European debates on ethics, religion, political thought; Intellectual exchanges between European and Chinese Traditions. 4. Contemporary Resonances of Classical Chinese Thought: Modern Interpretations of Confucianism; The use of the classics in today's China; intercultural dialogue between Chinese and European cultures.
Classics and Commentaries in Translations, articles on Chinese thought (to be defined) (Fingarette, Ivanhoe, Van Norden, Anne Cheng
1. Active participation in class discussion, demonstrating engagement with assigned readings; 2. Midterm paper aimed at understanding the student's understanding of core concept; 3 final oral exam
written and oral
18-30 passing range, Top grade: 30 cum laude
Lectures, reading of primary texts, class discussions , use of scholarly articles, and translated commentaries to support deeper understanding
This programme is provisional and there could still be changes in its contents.
Last update of the programme: 07/07/2025