During the larger part of this term, you'll be writing journal entries on readings that you do outside of the coursepack texts. These outside readings focus on the Classical era, and on Shang & Western Zhou China.
Select at least 7 of the articles and chapters listed on these pages to read for your journal (note that in some cases, a group of book chapters is listed as counting for one reading). You should select works by at least 5 different authors. There are three categories of readings listed: choose three readings from one of the categories, and two from the others. The total number of pages of the articles you select should come to at least 175 (this in a firm minimum).
Choose essays that match your interests, and if you find an article too challenging or dull after a few pages, switch to another. When you read book chapters sometimes it's helpful to skim the introduction or opening chapter to get an idea of what the writer is trying to do; occasionally you may need to look in the index to find references to terms or to people that have been discussed in earlier sections of the book.
For each article or book chapter, write an entry to be submitted via Oncourse, in line with the Journal Schedule below. Each journal entry should note clearly the author and title of the item you are reviewing. Entries should include three sections, clear distinguished:
1) "Reading Notes": a single-spaced informal compilation of notes taken as you read -- at least about one single-spaced page of notes for every 50 pages read. -- NOTE: your reading notes should be understandable, but do not have to be grammatical or in any particular form, they are a record of your reading care. You can insert any type of comments you wish.
2) "Precis" (summary): a 1-2 double-spaced page summary of the article or chapter, in your own words, bringing together the main ideas and expressing the overall argument. Longer articles and more complex will require more space. Do not exceed three pages.
3) "Response": a paragraph or two briefly indicating what aspects of the piece you found most important, difficult to understand, or interesting. The response should reflect an understanding of the author's main points, and convey insights that your class studies or analytic reflection give you.
Journal entries should be submitted via Oncourse on the following schedule (you may always submit entries early):
| #1 | Saturday, Sept. 18 -- from Section 1 of the list |
| #2 | (2 due) Friday, Oct. 1 --
two from Section 1 or one each from Sections 1 & 2 |
| #3 | |
| #4 | Friday, Oct. 8 -- from Sections 1 or 2 of the list |
| #5 | Friday, Oct. 15 -- from Section 2 of the list |
| #6 | Friday, Oct. 29 -- from Section 3 of the list |
| #7 | Friday, Nov. 19 -- from Section 3 of the list |
Journals will principally be graded on the basis of the record of careful reading reflected in your notes, accuracy of your summations, and the appropriateness and insight of your comments. However, for the precis and response sections of your entries, your writing style should also be clear and accurate in form, and entries that fall short in these aspects will earn lower grades. Please be sure to read through and consult the Writing Guide on this web site.
Be aware that many of these readings employ the older "Wade-Giles" system for transcribing Chinese (a brief chart explaining the system appears in Coursepack #1, page 5). In many cases, names and terms with which you're familiar may at first appear unfamiliar.
Note: All items are either on Closed/Open Reserve in the Undergraduate Library Collection area or are in non-circulating journals housed on the stacks of the Research Collection.
Section 1: The State and Society
1. Derk Bodde, "Feudalism in China," in his Essays on Chinese Civilization,
85-131.
[Reserve, DS 721 .B613 1981]
2. Derk Bodde: "Authority and Law in Ancient China," in Essays
on Chinese Civilization, 161-70.
[Reserve, DS 721 .B613 1981]
3. Cho-yun Hsu, "The Transition of Ancient Chinese
Society," in C.S. Chang ed., The Making of China, 62-71.
[Reserve, DS 735 .C377] [Note: The author is
named Hsu, not Chang (the book editor). Hsu is a male.]
4. Cho-yun Hsu, Ancient China in Transition -- any
one of the
following chapters:
4a. Ch. 3: "Wars and
Warriors," 53-77
4b. Ch. 4: "The New
State," 78-106
4c. Ch. 5: "Economic
Changes," 107-139
[Reserve, HN 673 .H75]
-- NOTE: If you choose one of these, you must first read item #3 above. It will present the background for these chapters. You should be alerted that Hsu refers to the Spring-Autumn Period by the Chinese name "Ch'un Ch'iu Period," and the Warring States Period as the "Chan Kuo Period."
5 Frank Kierman, "Phases and Modes of Combat in Early
China," in John K. Fairbank and Frank A. Kierman, Jr., ed.,
Chinese Ways in Warfare, 27-66.
[Reserve, U 43 .C6 C53]
6. Mark Lewis, "The Warrior Aristocracy," in Sanctioned Violence in Early China,
(Chapter 1) 15-52.
[Reserve, HN 740 .Z9 V55 1990]
7. Sydney Rosen, "Changing Conceptions of the Hegemon in Pre-Ch'in China," in David
Roy and T.H. Tsien, ed.,
Ancient China: Studies in Early Civilization, 99-114.
[Reserve, DS 721 .A59]
8. Richard Walker, The Multi-State System of Ancient China --
either of the following chapters:
8a. Ch. 5: "Leadership
in Ancient China," 59-72
8b. Ch. 6: "Interstate
Relations," 73-95.
[Reserve, DS 747 .W18]
9. David Schaberg, A Patterned Past, (Chapter 7) 222-255.
[Reserve, HN 740 .Z9 M65]
10. Mark Lewis, Writing and Authority in
Early China, (Chapter 3) 99-146
[Reserve,
PL 2280 .L48 1999]
11. Lisa Raphels, "A
Woman Who Understood the Rites," in Bryan Van Norden, ed., Confucius and the
Analects, 275-302.
[Reserve, PL 2471.Z7 C65 2002]
Section 2: Religion and Thought
12. Geoffrey Lloyd and
Nathan Sivin, The Way and the Word, Chapter 2, 16-81
[Reserve,
Q
127.C5 L6 2002]
13. Derk Bodde, "Myths of Ancient China," in Essays on Chinese Civilization,
45-84.
[Reserve, DS 721 .B613 1981]
14. Herrlee Creel, "On Two Aspects in Early Taoism," in his What Is Taoism?,
37-47.
[Reserve, BL 1925 .C913]
15. Herbert Fingarette, Confucius -- The Secular as Sacred
1-79.
[Reserve, B 128 .C8 F49]
16. Mark Lewis, "The Social History of Violence," in Sanctioned Violence in Early
China, 165-212.
[Reserve, HN 740 .Z9 V55 1990]
17. Frederick Mote, Intellectual Foundations of China, 2nd ed., Chapter 2:
"The Beginnings of a World View," 9-25.
[Reserve, DS 721 .M73 1989] NOTE: Use second
edition only.
18. Donald Munro, The Concept of Man in Ancient China, Chapter 1: "Human Nature
and Natural Equality," 1-22.
[Reserve, BD 450 .M96 1969]
Section 3: Shang and Western Zhou
19. K.C. Chang, Art, Myth, and Ritual [Note: Chang was a male.]
19a. Chapters 1-3, pp.
9-55
19b. Chapters 4-5, pp. 56-94
19c. Chapters 6-7, pp. 95-129
(each
group constitutes one "reading")
[Reserve, DS 741.65 .C53 1983]
20. K.C. Chang, Shang Civilization
20a. Chapter 1: "An-yang and the
Royal Capital," pp. 69-135
20b. Chapter 3: "The Shang Dynasty
. . ." pp. 158-209
20c. Chapter 4: "Economy and
Political Order," pp. 210-260
[Reserve, DS 744 .C38]
21. David Keightley, The Origins of Chinese Civilization
"The Late Shang State: When,
Where, and What?" pp. 523-558
[Reserve, DS 741.65 .O74]
22. David Keightley, "The Religious Commitment: Shang Theology and the
Genesis
of Chinese Political Culture,"
in the journal History of Religions, vol. 17
(1978), pp. 211-225
[find in the Research Stacks, BL 1 .H67, v. 17]
23. Cho-yun Hsu, Western Chou Civilization
23a. Chapter 2: "The Chou Before
the Conquest," pp. 33-67
23b. Chapter 5: "Forming a Nation
and Chou Feudalism," pp. 147-185
23c. Chapter 7: "The Chou
Government," pp. 227-257
[Reserve, DS 747 .H79 1988]
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