An introduction to comparative moral philosophy, with readings drawn from the classical Chinese tradition as well as from modern, analytical scholarship on the classical Chinese thinkers. Figures likely to be taken up include Confucius (Kongzi 孔子), Mencius (Mengzi 孟子), Mozi 墨子, Xunzi 荀子, and Hanfeizi 韓非子. Attention will be given to the historical development of Chinese moral thinking through these key representatives. Questions to be taken up include the question of whether traditional Chinese thought can have relevance to us in the modern world, and how our beliefs about our nature may shape our beliefs about what is moral or immoral.

Although the course is meant primarily as an introductory survey of the ethical thought of China’s most important classical philosophers, each semester we will focus our reading and discussion on a particular theme that runs through the best-known philosophical works. This semester we will concentrate on the thinkers’ views about moral agency—that is, how we come to understand things and how this understanding motivates us to live in accordance with moral standards.