Second Paper Assignment

When we commonly use the words "Nature" or "natural," we tend to use the terms in two different senses which are mutually contradictory in certain respects:

(1) Sometimes we refer to a notion of a holistic universe of matter in space, or to the regularities (laws) which govern matter in space. In other words, "Nature" refers to the world of the natural sciences: both the object-world which scientists explore, and the universal laws about that world which scientists discover. Man is fully a part of that "Nature."

(2) At other times, we use the word "Nature" to refer to things untrammeled by human interference ("Let's drive away from this rat-race and spend the weekend with Nature!" "Drink Burpy^® All-Natural Lite Beer!"). This sort of Nature is sometimes conceived as value-free; other times the word reflects as a positive value standard (as in the case of Burpy^® Beer). Man does not belong in this world of nature--or at least not modern man--or maybe just not modern man when he's being modern. It's a muddled issue, and yet this is probably the sense in which we most often use the word, and we generally know what we mean by it.

Your paper assignment is to determine what you think the Confucian and Daoist concepts of Nature were, always being careful to make clear one invariable sense in which you will always using the term "Nature" in your paper (this is very tough to do!), and also to describe briefly how their concepts of Nature (as you have defined the term) fit the main themes of their philosophies. This last point is important. Don't simply list what Confucius said about Nature, or Mencius, or Zhuangzi--question the function of their statements. How do these positions serve the broader interests of their philosophies?

When you go to the texts, you will find that these philosophers did not make many statements directly about Nature pure and simple. They were more concerned with "human nature" (even the Daoists). One of your problems will be to consider the relationship between human nature and Nature. How do the philosophers conceive of the relationship between us, as we develop "spontaneously," and "Nature" (however you choose to define that term)?

Do not borrow a dictionary definition; look for a definition that will let you bring out the most from the various works you're considering.

Define the term clearly in your own words according to the needs of your arguments, and try to select a definition that will let you write interestingly about the texts. Apply your definition consistently throughout.

Don't let the meaning of "Nature" vary once you've defined it.

Next, give a brief overview of the main points you wish to make concerning each thinker's ideas about nature. Then, present your accounts of each text (Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, ordered as you like), and select from each of them at least one statement that you feel clearly indicates that philosopher's view of Nature. (The quality of your selection counts; give it thought. Don’t quote passages that relate only vaguely to your point. Make clear how the quote supports your argument. Be sure that you're not picking the only passage in the text that conveys the view of nature you claim for the text -- your passage should be the one that, in your view, best captures the sense of the text. You are not limited to one passage per text, but be sure you do not let quoted passages absorb a very large portion of your paper, particularly if your paper is short.) Be sure you distinguish clearly between the two Confucians and also between the two Daoists: all four differ in important ways.

Early Chinese had no term that precisely corresponds to our word "Nature" (though translators often impose the English term on the text). If you use quotes about "Tian" (Heaven) or "the Dao," you must explain how these terms relate to the concept of "Nature" as you are using the English term.

Don’t assume that it’s a given for any thinker that Tian or Dao means "Nature," in any sense.

Papers should be 4-6 typed pages (12-point type - normal one-inch margins; it is hard to imagine a successful paper that would involve fewer that four full pages).

Late paper policy: The policy for all paper assignments in this course is that they will be marked down one grade (for example, A to A-) for each weekday they are late.

Form and Grading: Be careful in your organization, syntax, and word choices. A simple set of style guidelines for you to follow is attached. Papers will be graded principally on the basis of the appropriateness and clarity of the ideas they express and the way in which their claims are supported by the textual citations. Errors in form and style (spelling, grammar, and so forth) can detract from the paper grade. However, any student who visits the IU Writing Tutorial Service (WTS) to consult on the composition of the paper will not have his or her grade lowered for technical flaws. The tutorial offices are in Ballantine Hall 206 (5-6738). (Be sure to make an appointment well in advance, and ask the Service to have a memo sent to me confirming your visit.)

General Points on Class Papers

Class papers will be graded principally on the content of your ideas and their expression. But composition skills count, and papers that include many errors in basic form, grammar, and spelling will be graded lower. Read this sheet carefully for some points on form and substance.

Mechanics (a few points that seem to give people particular trouble):

1) Agreement in tense and number. Make sure that you do not switch arbitrarily between past and present tenses (as in: "When Confucius speaks about Tian, he was actually repeating what his mother told him"), and that your subjects and verbs agree in number (avoiding constructions such as, "The main concern of Mencius and his followers were their chances for advancement, not the moral perfection of China.")

2) Non-English words, except for proper nouns, must be underlined or italicized (use Upper Case [initial caps] for proper names only). For example: ren [or ren], Tian (not Tian).

3) Book titles should be underlined or italicized. For example, Analects [or Analects] (note: "the Analects," as a book title, is a singular noun, as in: "The Analects tells us to be good," not "The Analects are Confucius's teachings to his disciples").

4) Place the following punctuation marks inside quotation marks, even when it feels wrong:

— periods, commas, question marks, exclamation marks (. , ? ! these always go inside).

Place the following outside quotation marks:

— dashes, colons, semi-colons ( — : ; these always go outside).

Substance:

5) If you introduce your paper with a major theme, be sure the discussion in the body of the paper reflects that theme.

6) Be sure that individual paragraphs discuss a unified idea. Check to see that the first and last sentences of each paragraph relate clearly to one another. Make sure your sequence of paragraphs makes sense — check carefully to make sure you’re not jumping from idea to idea.

7) When you make a claim that is central to your discussion, cite evidence that will back you up, even if you think your reader already knows the evidence.

8) Citations should be brief, but adequate to make your point. Do not cite long passages in full, but for any but the simplest passages, be sure to indicate in a phrase or two how your citation bears out your point. Always cite precisely the words in the text, using quote marks or indentations, and indicating page number or, for the Analects, Dao de jing, or Mencius, the passage number. Think carefully: Does my citation actually illustrate and support my point? The single greatest problem in papers requiring citations is quotes that seem tossed in without care when far more apt passages could have been cited.

9) If you cite or even paraphrase closely any language that is not your own, be absolutely sure to note that you are quoting someone else's work. Not to do so is considered a form of plagiarism, a serious offence that can lead to an automatic course grade of F.

General:

Read the assignment sheet carefully, and as you write, check that you are recalling it accurately. Decide what points you want to make, link them in an organized argument, and check each sentence to be sure that your words convey the point you want to make clearly and simply.

Special rule: Please spell "Confucius" correctly (not "Confucious").