Teaching

At CU Boulder I have taught the following courses:

CHIN 1051: Masterpieces of Chinese Literature (Fall 2010)

Surveys Chinese thought and culture through careful reading and discussion of selected masterworks of Chinese literature in translation. Texts include significant works of poetry and fiction, and philosophical and historical writings from various eras. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.

CHIN 3321: Culture and Literature of Ancient China (Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring 2010, Fall 2012, Spring 2014)

Focuses on the religious, cultural, philosophical, and literary aspects of ancient Chinese civilization (1500 B.C. – A.D. 200). Special attention is paid to foundational works that influenced later developments in Chinese culture. All readings are in English. Recommended prereq., CHIN 1011 or CHIN 1051. Same as HUMN 3321.

CHIN 4210: Introduction to Classical Chinese (Fall 2012, 2013)

Introduces the classical language based on texts from the pre-Han and Han periods. Stresses precise knowledge of grammatical principles and exactitude in translation–the basis for all further work in classical Chinese. Prereq., CHIN 2120 or instructor consent.

CHIN 4220: Readings in Classical Chinese (Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2011)

Close reading of selected texts of ancient and medieval literature. Readings in both prose and poetry. Emphasizes a disciplined, philological approach to the texts, with proper attention to diction, tone, and nuance. Prereq., CHIN 4210 or instructor consent.

CHIN 5210: Ancient Prose (Spring 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, Fall 2015)

Studies selected pre-imperial and Han prose texts important in their own time and for the influence they exercised on the later development of Chinese literary history. Focuses on works such as the LunyuMengziZhuangziHuainanziShijiHanshu, and Lunheng. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent.

  • Spring 2008: Textual lineages – The Fan Li speeches and Related Texts
  • Spring 2009: Psychological foundations of education and ritual
  • Spring 2010: Applied Psychology in Early China
  • Spring 2014: Warring States and early Han manuscripts
  • Fall 2015: Zhuangzi

CHIN 5230: History of Early Chinese Thought (Spring 2011, Fall 2013)

Introduces early Chinese philosophy, mostly “Masters’ Literature” of the fifth to first century BCE, which is foundational for all later Chinese philosophy and political thought. Close reading of primary sources will be combined with an introduction to secondary scholarship in English and modern Chinese, both articles on individual texts/philosophers and comprehensive histories of early Chinese philosophy. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent.

CHIN 5280: Topics in Ancient Literature (Fall 2007, 2008, 2010, Spring 2016)

Examines a specific problem or issue in ancient Chinese literature, e.g., early views of language’s relationship to reality, or the commentary tradition and the emergence of allegorical and metaphysical approaches to interpreting texts. Topics vary from year to year. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent.

  • Fall 2007: Philosophical Criticism in Pre-imperial China
  • Fall 2008: The materiality of texts (a comparison of several Laozi versions) – Introduction to the reading of early Chinese manuscripts
  • Fall 2010: The Odes in newly discovered ancient texts – Introduction to the reading of early Chinese manuscripts
  • Spring 2013: Psychology and perceptions of the individual
  • Spring 2015: Writing and Reading the past: Early Chinese Historiography
  • Spring 2016: Critique of philosophical lineages before the invention of the "Six Schools"