Confucius and the World Fifty Analects Assignment

[a] Confucian RL

Fifty Analects

Midterm Assignment 
HIST 150

Autumn 2023

[1]

Now that you have read multiple translations of Confucius's Analects, and studied a range of books about the Analects and the surrounding Confucian tradition, your "job" is to choose fifty (50) passages in the text (that is about 1/10 of the complete Analects). Really think about it (them), and choose wisely. You will be "living" with those passages for the remainder of the course.

[2] Here are the rules. You must choose one passage from each chapter (juan 卷) of the Analects (chapters 1-19; you don't have to choose from chapter twenty, unless you really want to do so). 

So, go through the text and choose one from each chapter. Start there. That leaves thirty-one that you may choose from anywhere you wish in the text. 

Pick those first. You may surprise yourself by adding others as you work. Get started early.

[3]

Type them all out in a word document. No matter what form you choose (see below), you must write the chapter (juan) and number from the Analects in the following manner: "2.1". Do not write it in any other way (2,1, 2-1, j.2/1, or anything else).

[4]

You may choose any of the following four options for your main text.

     [a] Write down the Chinese characters

         [2.1] 為政以德譬如北辰居其所而眾星共之 (put in punctuation only if you wish).

     [b] Write down an English translation (all fifty) from "one" translator (e.g. 

          Annping Chin, D.C. Lau, or Simon Leys). Make sure to note the author.

     [c] Write down your "favorite" English translation from any author you choose.
     [d] Write the Chinese and an English translation (perhaps yours?)...Note the author.

[5]*****NOW COMES THE MOST IMPORTANT PART******

Once you have all fifty passages in a Word file (get started early because 1-4 are only the first third of the assignment), write an essay of 2,500-3,000 words, or about eight-to-ten pages (don't be afraid to go a little bit higher; you might surprise yourself). Do not write fewer than 2,000 words; that is a bare minimum. Your essay should "review" your fifty choices. What themes can you find in your choices? Why did you choose them? Write an essay about your passages, using all of the skills you have developed in textual analysis to this point.

***  ***

Due in my office (MI 206)

as a hard copy (printed and stapled)

by 5:00 p.m on Sunday, November 5

[b] Relentless RF

Add the word count and your Beloit College mailbox number to all papers!