Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - FASS 101W D002

STT - FASSFirst Special Topics Seminar (3)

ClassicalChineseEthics

Class Number: 9750

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Students choose one of 10 FASSFirst Special Topics seminars open only to first-year FASS students by invitation from the Dean’s Office. Top ranked professors from across the Faculty work with students to discover the surprising, profound and interdisciplinary reach of the arts and social sciences. Students will learn to draw connections between values, ideas and evidence while developing core academic skills, from reading to research, writing and dialogue. Students with credit for FASS 101 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

In this seminar, we will explore ethical thought in Classical Chinese Philosophy. Questions include:

  • What virtues should we cultivate?
  • What duties do we have towards family and society?        
  • What are our moral dispositions?     
What is the proper role of the state in moral education?
We will study thinkers such as Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, and Xunzi, while drawing connections to contemporary ethics and moral psychology. Goals include learning how to approach historical texts, recognize philosophical arguments, and assess these arguments.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The Philosophy Department will allow this course to serve as a prerequisite for all PHIL courses at the 200 level.
For Philosophy Majors, this course will be considered as the equivalent of PHIL 150.

Grading

  • Short writing assignments, to be done in class or online; some will be completed in groups. 30%
  • Paper 1, including proposal (5%), outline (5%), and final draft (20%). 30%
  • Paper 2, including proposal (5%), outline (5%), and final draft (20%). 30%
  • Participation, both online (5%) and in class (5%); includes peer feedback components. 10%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Philip Ivanhoe and Bryan Van Norden, Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy 2nd edition (Indianapolis: Hackett), 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0872207806  

Bryan Van Norden, Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy (Indianapolis: Hackett), 2011. ISBN-13: 978-1603844680

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS