HIST 2571 - China Encounters the World

(crosslisted) ASIAN 2257, CAPS 2570
(GB) (HA-AS)

Fall. 4 credits.

J. Chen.

This is a lecture and discussion course focusing on how China has encountered the world since the 17th century, with an emphasis on the late 19th and 20th-centuries. In particular, it will analyze the age-old Chinese “Central Kingdom ” conception and how the conception was challenged during modern times as the result of Western and Japanese incursion and China’s inability to deal with the consequences of the incursion. It will further analyze the impact of the Chinese “victim mentality” in order to pursue a deeper understanding of why radical revolutions have dominated China’s modern history. While the emphasis of this course is China’s external relations, foreign policy issues will be examined in the context of China’s political, economic and social developments in broader terms. The course’s purpose is not just to impart information but also to cultivate a basic understanding of the significance of the Chinese experience in the age of worldwide modernization. Grade in this class will be calculated on the basis of class participation, quizzes, midterm and final exams, and one essay assignment.