ASIAN 3375 - [Confucianism in the Modern Era]

Spring. Next offered 2019-2020. 4 credits. Student option grading.

R. McNeal.

This class examines the fate of Confucianism from the end of the 19th century till the present. We will look at the first generation of Confucian scholars who were conversant with Modernity and Westernization, and see how they adapted their values and tried to keep Confucianism alive and meaningful in the modern era. We will also consider the religious aspect of the Confucian tradition and how it fared as the 20th century unfolded. Students will study how Confucianism was vilified as the greatest evil of traditional Chinese society, only to be resurrected as China’s great harmonizing heritage starting in the Reform Era and continuing down to today. Behind these shifting interpretations, is there something at the core of Confucianism that makes it so appealing and engaging to so many different people? Does Confucianism have anything to offer to the modern world or the post-modern condition? (SC)