From Round to Square (and back)

For The Emperor's Teacher, scroll down (↓) to "Topics." It's the management book that will rock the world (and break the vase, as you will see). Click or paste the following link for a recent profile of the project: http://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=240813&issue_id=240610

A new post appears every day at 12:05* (CDT). There's more, though. Take a look at the right-hand side of the page for over four years of material (2,000 posts and growing) from Seinfeld and country music to every single day of the Chinese lunar calendar...translated. Look here ↓ and explore a little. It will take you all the way down the page...from round to square (and back again).
*Occasionally I will leave a long post up for thirty-six hours, and post a shorter entry at noon the next day.

Friday, May 7, 2021

Confucius and the World Syllabus 2021a

 On this date on Round and Square's History 
[a] 孔子 RF
Confucius and the World
History 150
Spring 2021
MW 8:00-10:00
TTh Focused Work on Your Own
Friday "Clan Meetings"
Robert André LaFleur                                                  Office Hours:
Morse Ingersoll 206                                                      Email me (this is life in a pandemic)
363-2005                                                                               
lafleur@beloit.edu
                                                             
Required Books           
Ames, Roger and Harry Rosemont. The Analects of Confucius.
Chin, Annping. Confucius: The Analects.
Chin, Annping. The Authentic Confucius.
Fingarette, Herbert. Confucius: The Secular as Sacred.
Gardner, Daniel. Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction.
Lau, D.C. Confucius: The Analects.
Nylan, Michael (ed) and Simon Leys (transl). The Analects.
Paramore, Kiri. Japanese Confucianism. (.pdf)
Slingerland, Edward. The Analects (with selections from traditional commentaries). 
Waley, Arthur. The Analects. (.pdf)

Reserve Books or Handouts 
LaFleur, Robert. Books That Matter: The Analects of Confucius (foreword and afterword).
McNaughton, William. Reading and Writing Chinese.
 ***  ***
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual (required in all history classes)
Notebooks (required for class)

Course Description
Confucius (551-479 BCE) taught a wide range of disciples during a time we have come to know as the "Spring and Autumn" period of China's Zhou dynasty. His teaching was interspersed with travel and concerted attempts to find employment in the service of one of the budding and ambitious states of a changing society. After his death, his students compiled his teachings into a series of "analects"—brief observations about human behavior, social structure, and ritual conduct that would carry enormous power throughout the course of Chinese history.
[b] Pattern RF



Confucius could never have known that his teachings would be studied and adapted for twenty-five centuries. He also could not have anticipated the ways that those teachings would be transformed into something that has carried his name during that time (Western renderings often put it into the form called "Confucianism"). This course will introduce Confucius's Analects and trace their journey through the widely disparate period that make up  Chinese history to the present day. Through it all, we will consider a "living" Confucius and a "living" text that continues to exert a profound influence on the world both within and well beyond China.

Evaluation
Quizzes and Daily Email (TThF)........20% 
Letter Assignment..............................20%
Fifty Analects Assignment..................25% 
Final Paper.........................................35%
Class attendance and participation is expected.  
Late assignments will be penalized.


HIST 150—Introduction to Historical Thinking
Confucius and the World
Spring 2021

Week I 
Wednesday, April 7
Lau, Confucius—The Analects: 59-160
     Books 1-20 (just get a sense of the book; you'll be returning to it).

Thursday, April 8
Review Lau, Confucius—The Analects.
Choose five (5) passages that you find particularly interesting and send me a brief email message explaining why you picked them.

Friday, April 9 (Full Class Meeting Together—This Week Only)
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 1-2
(this material will be on the quiz, and eventually on the exams). 
LaFleur, Confucius/Analects (Foreword and Afterword)—.pdf 
You'll need a notebook specifically for this class; I will discuss notebooks (even which kind might be helpful to you) with you in class on Friday.
***  *** 
Due by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25


Week II
Monday, April 12
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 3-4
(this material will be on the quizzes)
Ames and Rosemont, The Analects of Confucius
            Books 1-10
Gardner, Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction 
          Chronology
          Confucius (551-479 BCE) and His Legacy
          The Individual and Self-Cultivation 
          Government in Confucian Teachings 
          Variety Within Early Confucianism
          The Reorientation of the Confucian Tradition After 1000 CE
          Confucianism in Practice
          Epilogue: Confucianism in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

Tuesday, April 13
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters (pages 70-73)
          Characters 1-50 (write three times each and move on), (pages 84-120) 
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.

Wednesday, April 14
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 5-6
(this material will be on the quiz, and eventually on the exams). 
Ames and Rosemont, The Analects of Confucius
            Books 11-20
Make sure that you have a very solid sense of the Ames translation (don't just read a few passages).

Thursday, April 15
Dictionary Exercises (online or using "real" dictionaries)
To understand why we're doing this work, refer to item 2: "Explore Language" in the Afterword to the Great Courses lectures (pages 190-192 of the .pdf)
Look up the following English words (see below) in at least three different dictionaries and one thesaurus. In your notebook, draw "semantic fields" around each word (as explained in detail in class on Wednesday).
          —Ritual
          —Filial
          —Benevolent
          —Trust
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of your "semantic fields"

Friday, April 16
Weekly "Clan Meeting" (I'll explain in class)
On sheet of paper or in your notebook (yes, really do this on paper) make a spoke outline or "mind map" of what you know about Confucius and the Analects thus far. Now, add to the outline or "map" some details about how you are going to explain it to your particular reader in the letter that will be due a week from Sunday (April 25). Have the document ready as you meet with your "clan" group on Friday.
Mind Map Basics: https://simplemind.eu/how-to-mind-map/basics/
Write a short message (send to me at lafleur@beloit edu) about what you wrote, and give a sense of your clan group's discussion.

 *** ***
Due by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25


LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 7-8
Waley, The Analects of Confucius
            Books 1-20

Tuesday, April 20
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters (pages 70-73—Review)
          Characters 51-100 (write three times each and move on), (pages 121-161)
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.
Put your name on absolutely everything or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit)

Wednesday, April 21
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 9-10
Read the introductory material (below) from each of the translations we are studying in this course; read strategically, as we will discuss in class on Monday.
Ames and Rosemont, The Analects of Confucius, 1-65
     Introduction 
Lau, Confucius, The Analects, 9-58
     Introduction 
Waley, The Analects of Confucius, 13-70.
     Introduction 
     The Ancients
     The Disciples
     The Analects
     Terms
     Written Tradition
     Ritual
Chin, Confucius: The Analects, xv-xxvi
     Introduction
Slingerland, Confucius: Analects, vii-xxv
     Preface
     Introduction
Nylan, The Analects, ix-lxiii
     Translator's Introduction
     Editor's Introduction

Thursday, April 22
Choosing a student/disciple for your own study
Examples include the following (the two major Romanizations of the name are followed by one passage that includes the student):
     Zixia (Tzu-hsia): 6.13
     Zizhang (Tzu-chang): 2.18
     Ranyou (Jan Yu): 11.22
     Zengzi (Tseng-tzu; "Master Zeng"): 1.9
To understand why we're doing this work, refer to items 2-4 in the Afterword to the Great Courses lectures (pages 190-194 of the .pdf)
Send me a brief email message describing the student you chose, with a few quick examples of his role in the Analects. 
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit)

Friday, April 23
Weekly "Clan Meeting" (I'll explain in class)
Write out the first page of your letter before the clan meeting, and then provide an outline of what you will cover in the rest of the letter. You may spend up to a paragraph (about a third of a page) with greetings ("Hi, how are you...I bet you never thought you'd get an actual letter from me, but I am writing it because..."). 
When you meet with your group, discuss the following questions:
     [1] Who is the reader of your letter, and what are the specific challenges and opportunities that you will face in writing to her/him/them.
     [2] How did you start your letter?
     [3] What topics will you cover?
     [4] When will you get started?
Write a short message (send to me at lafleur@beloit edu) answering these questions and give a sense of your clan group's discussion.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).
                                                                      *** ***
Due by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25
Send to me (lafleur@beloit.edu) as a .doc or .pdf file.

[a] 孔子 RF

LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 11-12
LaFleur, "The Art of Warning" (send to you via Dropbox...look for it, and listen).
Leys, The Analects
     Books 1-20

Tuesday, April 27
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters, (pages 70-73—Review)
          Characters 101-150 (write three times each and move on), (pages 161-201)
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Wednesday, April 28
Review Essay from the New York Review of Books
          Jonathan Spence, "What Confucius Said"
LaFleur, "Writing, History, and Culture" (Rob's Writing Guide), 1-78
          Part Three: Writing and Time (read first)
          Part One: The Writing Process (read second...and very carefully)
          Part Two: Styling Culture—Navigating Grammatical Forests (look through each of 
                           the numbered items, but you don't need to go into detail...yet).

Thursday, April 29
Become a Language Fieldworker
Start to work like an anthropologist (see item three in the Afterword to the Confucius lectures, on pages 192-193). To the extent possible (in a pandemic) get out into the world and look for themes found in Confucius's Analects that are "alive" in life-as-lived today. Look for some of the following, and then write a brief note to me about it (ideally, write more in your notebooks). Here are some things you might wish to look for:
          —Ritual
          —Way, path
          —Exemplarity, virtue
          —Reciprocity
          —Filial conduct
          —Remonstrance
          —and many more (check the translations).
To understand why we're doing this work, refer to items 2-4 in the Afterword to the Great Courses lectures (pages 190-194 of the .pdf)

Send me a brief email with a sample sketch of something you have found in your "fieldwork."
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Friday, April 30
Weekly "Clan Meeting"
Get started with your choices of 30-50 passages in the Analects for your upcoming assignment (see the link, directly below). Write down as many as you can at this point. Now jot down some ideas from those passages on a spoke outline (examples can be found on pages 12-13 of the writing guide, especially the first one on page 12). Discuss the work with your clan, and write me a message describing your work and your clan discussion. Send an attached image of your spoke outline, too.

Write a short message (send to me at lafleur@beloit edu) answering these questions and give a sense of your clan group's discussion.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).


LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 13-14
Slingerland, Confucius: The Analects, 1-235
            Books 1-20

Tuesday, May 4
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters, (pages 70-73—Review)
          Characters 151-200 (write three times each and move on), (pages 202-241)
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Wednesday, May 5
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 15-16
Fingarette, Confucius: The Secular as Sacred
     Human Community as Holy Rite 
     A Way Without A Crosswords
     The Locus of the Personal
     Traditionalist or Visionary
     A Confucian Metaphor: The Holy Vessel

Thursday, May 6
Living Your 30-50 Analects Passages
First, finish, and then print (ideally), the 30-50 Analects passages that you will be writing about this weekend. Now, think about what you have read (or watched) during the last year (or so). Use one page to create either a spoke outline, a list, or just some ideas scratched onto paper that represents some of the connections between the world in which you have lived (especially during the pandemic) and the Analects that you are studying.

To understand why we're doing this work, refer to items 2-4 in the Afterword to the Great Courses lectures (pages 190-194 of the .pdf)

Send me a brief email with an attachment showing your ideas.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Friday, May 7
Weekly "Clan Meeting" (I'll explain in class)
Take a good look at the work you did yesterday (your list and some of the connections you see to the world in which you live). Now, make a list of themes (3-5 would be ideal, but feel free to write more if you want). Discuss your 30-50 passages with your clan, and discuss how you will write your essay this weekend. Finally, write me a message describing your work and your clan discussion. Send an attached image of your list of themes, too (or put them in the email message).

Write a short message (send to me at lafleur@beloit edu) answering these questions and give a sense of your clan group's discussion.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).
                                                                      *** ***

LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 17-18
Chin, Confucius: The Analects, 1-327
            Books 1-20

Tuesday, May 11
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters, (pages 70-73—Review)
          Characters 201-250 (write three times each and move on), (pages 242-282)
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

WEDNESDAY IS SPRING DAY...NO CLASS MEETING (just turn in the quiz by Thursday night, as I'll discuss in class on Monday.

Wednesday, May 12 and Thursday, May 13
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 19-20
Annping Chin, The Authentic Confucius, 1-84
     Prologue
     Introduction
     Leaving Home
     Families and Politics
     Companions 
***If you do not have access to Annping Chin's book, send me an email message and I'll explain "Plan B" to you.***

Friday, May 14
Weekly "Clan Meeting" 
Prepare an outline (any form) of your early thoughts about how you will approach your final assignment. At the very least, make a decision about which version of the assignment you will use and write a few notes that will enhance your discussion with fellow clan members.

Write a short message (send to me at lafleur@beloit edu) answering these questions and give a sense of your clan group's discussion.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).
 *** ***

LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 21-22
Annping Chin, The Authentic Confucius, 85-171
     Wanderings
     Return
     Teaching 

Tuesday, May 18
William McNaughton, Reading and Writing Chinese
          How to Write the Characters, (pages 70-73—Review)
          Characters 251-300 (write three times each and move on), (pages 283-321_
Send me a brief email with a sample picture of some of your characters when you finish.
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Wednesday, May 19
LaFleur, Books That Matter: Confucius and the Analects, Lectures 23-24
Annping Chin, The Authentic Confucius, 172-222
     The Rites of Life and Death
     Defenders
     Epilogue 

Thursday, May 20
Send me your title, your opening paragraph, and an outline of the rest for your final assignment. One page (or two) will do, but take this seriously. Send your work to me, and save a copy for yourself (for tomorrow).

Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).

Friday, May 21
Weekly "Clan Meeting" (I'll explain in class)
Take the work you did yesterday and discuss your project with your fellow clan members. Try to gain ideas from others about things that might make your own project stronger (this does not require that everyone has chosen the same topic).
Put your name on absolutely everything you write or draw (and attach to your message) or it may well get lost (and you may not get credit).
                                                                      *** ***
 















Posted by at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)