ACLP

Introduction to Ancient Chinese Law and Philosophy

Syllabus and Reading

Course materials

1. Outline understanding of pre-Confucian institutions of China
2. Shang – Zhou: transformation of ancient Chinese society
3. Confucian vision of law, ethics and human conduct
   • 1. Confucius, the man
   • 2. Limits of ‘rationality’
   • 3. What is li (禮), anyway?
   • 4. “Ren”, what is it?
   • 5. Was Guan Zhong (管仲) a man of ren (仁)?
   • 6. Xue (學), what is it?
   • 7. Zhong (中), Moderate? Balanced? Timely?
   • select texts of Lunyu Books 1, 2
4. Continuations and variations of the Confucian system – Mo Zi
5. Continuations and variations of the Confucian system – Meng Zi
6. Warring States Synthesis – Xun Zi
7. Legalist ideas of law, human nature and statecraft
8. Creation of State orthodoxy in Han
9. Compariative overview: other traditions
10. The limits of law, language and human understanding

Lun Yu – Select sayings of Confucius
Chinese Text Project!!!
Useful links
Full text search
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Lunyu – online full text