CHIN 1140 Advanced Readings in Chinese Culture (formerly CHIN 510)
Prerequisites
CHIN 1000-level
Textbooks:
Fung Yu-Lan, edited by Derk Bodde 1948, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, New York: The Free Press.
冯友兰著，赵复三译，2015 《中国哲学简史》， 长江文艺出版社。
林启彦， 黄嫣梨编著， 2001, 《中国文化专题》。香港教育图书公司。
Coordinator
Dr. Mien-Hwa Chiang (mhchiang@sas.upenn.edu)
Course Descriptions:
With an introduction of Chinese culture, the objective of this superior level content course is to extend and refine learners’ Chinese language skills and analytical skills, while enhancing the appreciation of Chinese culture. The course is for students with advanced-level competency in Mandarin. All reading materials are in Chinese written by scholars whose expertise are either in contemporary and traditional culture of China, or in comparative study of Chinese and Western thoughts. The chapters from 《中国哲学简史》 will be studied together with its English edition to familiarize learners with translation of classic Chinese and the Chinese- specific philosophy terminology. Topics of the course include: 1) culture hegemony & culture security; 2) the shared beliefs and behaviors of Chinese people; 3) what caused the lack of advanced scientific theory in Chinese culture; 3) traditional values and new values created by technological/business society; how affection and love are manifested in Chinese culture; 4) Confucius Businessmen; 5) overseas Chinese.
Sample Text (Entry)
哲学在中国文化的地位，历来被看为可以和宗教在其他文化中的地位相比拟。在中国，哲学是每一个受过教育的人都关切的领域。从前在中国，一个人如果受教育，首先就是受哲学方面的启蒙教育。（From Lesson 1 《中国哲学的精神》）
Sample Text (Exit)
要识得“无”这个第一义的真谛，就是对“无”的意识，这是“识”。因此，修行的方法也只能是“不修之修”。…… 最好的修禅便是尽力做眼前当作的事，而无所用心。（From Lesson 22 《禅宗：潜默的哲学》）
CHIN 1147 Contemporary Chinese Fiction (formerly CHIN 515)
Prerequisites
CHIN 1000-level
Texts
Selected fictional works published in China during the last two decades of the 20th century.
Coordinator
Dr. Maiheng Dietrich (maiheng@sas.upenn.edu)
Course Description
This course is designed for those who have achieved native or near-native level of reading proficiency in Chinese. Extensive reading should be expected. The reading consists of influential literary works published in China since the late 1970s. Several movies adapted from fictional works penned during that period are also included. The 1980s and 1990s—known as the “new era”—witnessed an unprecedented surge of ideas and creative energy in the literary field. For the first time in modern Chinese history, literary creation was decentralized and became genuinely the activity of individual writers. Many drastically different literary movements and schools mushroomed as a result. Although many of these schools are short-lived, their impact on Chinese literary creation is extraordinary and long lasting. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of this new era literature. Our investigation will focus on the shifting purpose of creative writing over this time period and the socio-political environment that prompted such shifts.
Sample Text:
春天，不仅带来希冀、新生、美、向上的力、大自然的繁忙、五彩缤纷的新天地，还要与亲切真诚的吐露、劳动者手上的厚茧、描绘未来的图纸、为真理而斗争的硝烟、柔情的眼波、迷人的夜曲，编织成甜蜜、幸福、诗意、闪闪发光的生活。
它从来不辜负人们。它烙守时节，还慷慨无私地把它的一切财富贡献给人们。
多好的春天呵！
然而，这一切，对于现在坐在历史研究所当院的一百多人来说，却是无关和多余的。没有一个人有心抬起头，去感受一下早春的天空。
这里又要揪人了！(From 冯骥才《啊！》)