Chinese and Mediterranean Philosophy

Catalog description

The early Mediterranean civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome) and dynastic China have been profoundly influential in the development of world civilizations, and in how human civilization is conceived. How do they compare in their traditions of thought about how one ought to live, theories of government and governance, and methods and aims in study of the natural world? This course offers a basic introduction to early Chinese and Western thought through examination of selected primary texts in English translation. As well as analyzing these approaches to philosophy in their historical and cultural context, the course debates their continuing relevance in a global context. 001323