Harvard University Online Course - China: Political and Intellectual Foundations
China (Part 1): Political and Intellectual Foundations: From the Sage Kings to Confucius and the Legalists is the first of ten parts of ChinaX, that collectively span over 6,000 years of history. Each part consists of 4 to 8 weekly "modules," each with videos, readings, interactive engagements, assessments, and discussion forums. There are a total of 52 modules in ChinaX.
Parts 1-5 make up China: Civilization and Empire, taught by Professor Peter K. Bol. Parts 6-10 make up China and the Modern World, taught by Professor William C. Kirby.
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What you'll learn
- An understanding of some of the big picture issues in China’s history from political, geographic, and cultural perspectives.
- The beginning of history in archaeology and in myth.
- Legitimating the imposition of political authority and justifying rebellion against authority.
- The blossoming of Chinese thought: from Confucius in the sixth century BC to the Legalists of the third.
- Historical methods for explaining how complex civilizations are formed.
- The analysis of texts (in translation) and artifacts.
- Methods for the analysis of philosophical and political arguments.
- Methods of critical reading to modern scholarship.
- To develop your own approaches to history and gain a critical appreciation of China’s literary, philosophical, political and cultural resources.
- To express ideas more clearly and confidently; to think more analytically and critically through the study of primary and secondary sources.