Courses in Asian Studies (Division 323)

Asian St. 111/Hist. 151. South Asian Civilization.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).

A lecture survey of the civilizations of India and its neighboring countries – Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka – from earliest times to the present.

Asian St. 112/Hist. 152. Southeast Asian Civilization.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

A lecture survey of the civilizations of Southeast Asia--both the Indo-China peninsula and the islands from Indonesia to the Philippines--from earliest times to the present.

Asian St. 121/Hist. 121. Great Traditions of East Asia.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).

An interdisciplinary introduction to the premodern cultures of East Asia, with special attention to the historical development, socioeconomic patterns, political traditions, and religious, philosophical, literary, and artistic accomplishments of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese traditional cultures.

Asian St. 122/Hist. 122. Modern Transformation of East Asia.

(4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

An interdisciplinary analysis of the impact of the modern world on the traditional cultures of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and related areas and the consequent transformation of the societies of these countries, with an examination of their differing responses to the modern challenge.

Asian St. 150. First Year Seminar in Asian Studies: Civilizations of Asia.

No knowledge of Asian Languages required. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (HU). May be repeated with permission of instructor.

This First-year Seminar introduces undergraduates to traditions of poetic theory and practice in times and places distant from their own. The course explores different conceptions of what poetry is, and how it transforms the ways in which people interpret their lives. A second important objective of the course is to help students develop techniques and habits of research.

Asian St. 152/Chinese 150. Chinese Civilization.

No knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

An exploration of the patterns of traditional Chinese culture, philosophy, literature, and institutions in their changing historical social contexts. Some attention is given to China's modern transformations, characteristics, and problems. Lectures, readings, and discussions.

Asian St. 220/Buddhist Studies 220/Rel. 202. Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions.

(4). (HU).

An introduction to the study of Asian religions. We consider representative material drawn from some of the major Asian traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, etc.) from ancient times to the present day.

Asian St. 221/Great Books 221/Chinese 221. Great Books of China.

(4). (HU).

Introduction in translation to the great works of literature which have influenced the lives and culture of the Chinese people from ancient times to the present.

Asian St. 222/Great Books 222/Japanese 222. Great Books of Japan.

(4). (HU).

Introduction in translation to books which have influenced the Japanese people through the ages.

Asian St. 223/SSEA 223/Religion 223. Bhagavad-Gita: The Activist View of Hinduism.

(3). (HU).

This class introduces Hinduism to students through an intensive study of this single most important scriptural text, the Bhagavad-Gita. We spend half the time going over the text-in-translation, chapter by chapter. The other half of the class time is devoted to critical issues relating to the text, i.e., history of the text, its transmission, its location within the history of Hinduism, its connections with political/cultural history, its ancient and modern interpretations.

Asian St. 224/S&SEA 224. Traditions of Poetry in India.

(3). (HU).

Throughout readings and discussions this course introduces the student to six traditions of poetry in India: (1) Vedic-Upanishadic mystic poetry; (2) Tamil Sangam love poetry; (3) classical Sanskrit and Prakrit court poetry; (4) medieval devotional poetry; (5) Urdu metaphysical poetry; and (6) modern secular poetry.

Asian St. 225/S&SEA 225/Rel. 225. Hinduism.

(3). (HU).

Introduction to Hinduism, its general history over 3500 years. It studies Hindu religious literature, ritual, social system, et cetera. Also studies Hindu response to changing conditions.

Asian St. 230/Buddhist Studies 230/Phil. 230/Rel. 230. Introduction to Buddhism.

(4). (HU).

Introductory lectures and readings on the history and literature of Buddhism in India and Tibet, followed by a discussion of the basic problems of Buddhist religion and philosophy in the light of selected Buddhist texts in translation.

Asian St. 231/Buddhist Studies 231/Religion 231. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.

(4). (HU).

This course surveys the development of Buddhism in Tibet. It begins with an introduction to those doctrines and practices of Indian Buddhism that would come to hold an important place in the Tibetan tradition and goes on to examine the process of transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet.

Asian St. 249/Korean 249/Hist. 249. Introduction to Korean Civilization.

(3). (HU).

Survey of civilization on the Korean peninsula from its beginnings in prehistory to the mid-twentieth century (Korean War).

Asian St. 250/Buddhist Studies 250. Undergraduate Seminar in Buddhist Studies.

No knowledge of an Asian language required. (3). (HU). May be repeated with department permission.

This undergraduate seminar offers lower division LS&A students a small group learning experience. Students explore a subject of particular interest in collaboration with a faculty member in the area of Buddhist Studies.

Asian St. 251/Chinese 250. Undergraduate Seminar in Chinese Culture.

No knowledge of Chinese language is required. (3). (HU). May be repeated with department permission.

This undergraduate seminar offers lower division LS&A students a small group learning experience. Students explore a subject of particular interest in collaboration with a faculty member in the area of Chinese culture.

Asian St. 252/Japanese 250. Undergraduate Seminar in Japanese Culture.

No knowledge of Japanese language is required. (3). (HU). May be repeated with department permission.

This undergraduate seminar offers lower division LS&A students a small group learning experience. Students explore a subject of particular interest in collaboration with a faculty member in the area of Japanese Culture.

Asian St. 253/S&SEA 250. Undergraduate Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Culture.

No knowledge of any Asian language required. (3). (HU). May be repeated with department permission.

This undergraduate seminar offers lower division LS&A students a small group learning experience. Students explore a subject of particular interest in collaboration with a faculty member in the area of South/Southeast Asia.

Asian St. 254/Korean 254. Undergraduate Seminar in Korean Culture.

No knowledge of Korean language is required. (3). (HU). May be repeated with department permission for a total of six credits.

This undergraduate seminar offers lower division LS&A students a small group learning experience. Students explore a subject of particular interest in collaboration with a faculty member in the area of Korean Culture.

Asian St. 263/Philosophy 263/Chinese 263. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy.

(3; 2 in the half-term). (HU).

This course focuses on the major philosophical schools of Classical China (through the unification of China in 221 B.C.). Special consideration is given to the ethical, religious and political thought of the Confucian, Mohist and Daoist schools.

Asian St. 303/S&SEA 303/Rel. 303. Sikhism.

(3). (HU).

Sikh religious beliefs, practices, and institutions. Emphasizes the techniques of the founder, Guru Nanak, and major doctrinal developments under subsequent Gurus. Particular attention is paid to the scripture, the Adi Granth, and other Sikh texts to understand the evolution of the Sikh community.

Asian St. 316/Buddhist Studies 316/Rel. 316. Religion in Modern Japan.

(3). (Excl).

This course looks at dominant trends in modern Japanese religion. We pay particular attention to the "new religions" that arose after the Meiji restoration (1868), and the continued popularity of ancient religious practices (shamanism, exorcism, etc.) in a modern industrialized society.

Asian St. 320/S&SEA 320. Sikh History I (18th-19th Centuries).

(3). (HU).

Study of the historical context of North India which provides the basic impetus for the emergence of a new religious tradition in the beginning of the 16th century. The emphasis is on religio-cultural innovation of Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and his nine successors. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the Sikh community (Panth) in tension with Mughals and Afghans. We also examine the influence of Banda Bahadur and the Misals on the Hkalsa as established by Guru Gobind Singh.

Asian St. 321/S&SEA 321. Sikh History II (19th Century-Present).

(3). (HU).

Study of the five phases of Sikh history (1800-1993), beginning with the Sikh Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The emphasis is on religious and cultural transformation that took place under the British Raj. We examine a series of socio-religious movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that gave rise to modern Sikh identity. Particular attention is paid to the Singh Sabha and the Akali movements. We also examine the Sikh situation between 1925 and Independence. We end with the last phase of Sikh history in Independent India (1947-1993).

Asian St. 325/Buddhist Studies 325/Rel. 323. Buddhism in Zen Perspective.

(3). (HU).

An introduction to the Buddhism of the Far East, as viewed through the perspective of Zen (Ch'an) thought and institutions in China, Korea and Japan.

Asian St. 375/Japanese 375. Japanese Popular Music.

(3). (HU).

This course deals with both historical and contemporary forms of popular music in Japan. Amateur and professional music-making, as well as vernacular discourse about music (in translation) are treated as resources for thinking about the culture and experience of the populace, and ways in which they have been distinct from the 'high' culture of Japan's elites.

Asian St. 380. Topics in Asian Studies.

(3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Course Topics vary.

Asian St. 381. Junior/Senior Colloquium for Concentrators.

Junior or senior standing and concentration in Asian Studies. (3). (Excl).

Readings, discussion, analysis, and short papers on major themes in the field.

Asian St. 395. Honors Seminar.

Honors candidate in Asian Studies. (3). (Excl).

Directed research and the writing of an Honors essay.

Asian St. 399. Directed Reading.

(1-3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).

Individual work and reading for undergraduate concentrators.

Asian St. 400/Japanese 400. Love and Death in Japanese Culture.

A knowledge of Japanese is not required. (4). (HU).

This course covers issues of Love and Death in Japan, and how it is portrayed in Japanese Literature. In this course, students read a variety of premodern literature, including portions of the Tale of Genji and the Tale of Heike. All literature is read in a cultural context.

Asian St. 401/Japanese 401. Japanese Literature in Translation: the Premodern.

A knowledge of Japanese is not required. (3). (HU).

Selected genres and works of classical Japanese literature from the earliest period (seventh century A.D.) to the end of the sixteenth century. Readings include selections from the great poetic anthology Man'yoshu; the complete Tale of Genji, Japan's supreme masterpiece of classical fiction; essays and diaries from the Court period; medieval war tales; and selected noh plays.

Asian St. 402/Japanese 402. Japanese Literature in Translation: Edo and Modern Periods.

A knowledge of Japanese is not required. (3). (HU).

Selected works and genres of late medieval and modern Japanese literature. Readings include seventeenth-century tales of urban life, haiku and kabuki plays, and mainly fiction from the modern period by such authors as Natsume Soseki, Kawabata Yasunari, Tanizaki Junichiro, and Mishima Yukio.

Asian St. 420/Korean 420. Korean Literature in Translation.

(3). (HU).

The course introduces and discusses classical Korean literature, from the earliest poetry ìhyanggaî, to the 19th century ìsijoî which are the central poetic genre in the tradition of Korean poetry. The course examines the classical poetry and prose both in vernacular Korean and in Sino-Korean, hanmun.

Asian St. 428/Poli. Sci. 428/Phil. 428/Soc. 426. China's Evolution Under Communism.

Upperclass standing. (4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl).

An analysis of developments in China since 1949 with particular emphasis on evolution of political control, economic development and social change, and their relationship to ideology.

Asian St. 440. National Cinema of Asia.

(3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Explores the diverse cinemas of Asia, form their beginnings in one-shot actualities to today's proliferation of electronic media. Analyzing the aesthetic and narrative style of Asian films in the context of their culture and historical moment, we study everything from popular films to art cinema to animation.

Asian St. 441. Asia Through Fiction.

(3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

Asian and Western perspectives on Asia as seen through selected works of fiction by Asian and Western authors dealing with similar themes in similar Asian settings.

Asian St. 444. The Southeast Asian Village.

(3). (Excl).

Daily life, religion, customs, ceremonies, music, drama, arts, and crafts are examined to provide a view of Southeast Asian village life. An analysis of the village economy, society, and political organization relates the peasant village tradition to the greater urban traditions of Southeast Asia.

Asian St. 461/S&SEA 461. Southeast Asian Literature.

(3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

An introduction to Indonesian literature in English translation.

Asian St. 462/S&SEA 462. Writing, Culture, and History: Perspectives on Indonesia.

(3). (Excl).

The course considers the colonial and postcolonial formation of Indonesia as a subject of scholarly study. How is the Indonesian past recalled and how is Indonesian culture represented?

Asian St. 466/Chinese 466/Phil. 456. Interpreting the Zhuangzi.

Asian Studies 263 or another introductory philosophy course is recommended. (3). (Excl).

This course is a survey of different interpretations of the early Daoist classic, Zhuangzi. We examine both traditional and modern interpretations, but we focus on modern interpreters and approaches.

Asian St. 468/Chinese 468/Phil. 468. Classical Chinese Thought.

Upperclass standing; no knowledge of Chinese required. (3; 2 in the half-term). (HU).

Focuses on the major philosophical schools of the Chou-Han period. Special consideration is given to the Confucian and Taoist schools since doctrines associated with them were the sources of the two major philosophical traditions in China for the next 2000 years.

Asian St. 469/Chinese 469/Phil. 469. Later Chinese Thought.

Upperclass standing; no knowledge of Chinese required. (3; 2 in the half-term). (HU).

Examines the poetic, philosophical, and religious aspects of the Taoist revival of the third century A.D., Chinese Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism that dominates Chinese thought from the twelfth through the nineteenth centuries.

Asian St. 471/Chinese 471. Classical Chinese Literature in Translation.

No knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU).

A general survey of the highlights of early Chinese literature covering the various forms of poetry, fiction, and philosophical and historical prose from the beginning to the 13th century. Includes close analysis of selected masterpieces and general discussion of their cultural background. Can be elected by non-concentrators.

Asian St. 472/Chinese 472. Traditional Chinese Drama and Fiction in Translation.

No knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU).

A survey concentrating on fiction and drama of the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries, with reference to their origins in ancient legend and oral tradition. Readings include a selection of China's great classical novels, e.g., Dream of the Red Chamber and the operatic drama of the Yüan Dynasty. Can be elected by non-concentrators.

Asian St. 475/Chinese 475/Hist. of Art 487/RC Hums. 475/Phil. 475. The Arts and Letters of China.

(4). (HU).

An interdisciplinary introduction to Chinese civilization through the study of significant and representative works from philosophy, art, drama, and literature. Taught jointly by a team of faculty specialists.

Asian St. 476/Chinese 476/RC Hums. 476. Writer and Society in Modern China.

No knowledge of Chinese is required. (4). (HU).

A course examining the role and self-conception of the writer in relation to the changing historical context of modern China, through the study of works of narrative fiction, criticism, and literary theory.

Asian St. 480/Buddhist Studies 480/Phil. 457/Rel. 480. Topics in Buddhism.

Buddhist Studies 230. (3). (Excl).

This course covers selected topics in the history of Buddhist ideas. The class combines lectures and discussions on a number of primary sources ("Buddhist Texts") in English translation. Buddhist doctrines are approached from several points of view, using primarily, but not exclusively, the conceptualizations of classical Buddhist systems.

Asian St. 481/Buddhist Studies 481/Rel. 483. Ch'an and Zen Buddhism.

(3). (Excl).

An introduction to the history, rhetoric and institutions of Zen Buddhism in light of modern scholarship; traces the development of Sino-Indic techniques of dhyana from Upanishadic yoga, through Taoist nei-tan, to Zen koans. Lectures and discussions concentrate on the analysis of selected texts from the Sino-Japanese literature of Zen.

Asian St. 482/Chinese 480. Upperclass Seminar in Chinese Humanities.

Two of Chinese 471, 472, 473. Knowledge of Chinese is not required. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Enables upperclass students to study in-depth aspects of Chinese humanities in a seminar setting. Readings (in translation) vary from year to year.

Asian St. 485/Buddhist Studies 485. Chinese Buddhism.

Buddhist Studies 230. (3). (Excl).

A study of the transformation of Indian thought, practice, and literature in Chinese Buddhism. Historical events surrounding Buddhism's entry and growth in China as well as study of important texts of Chinese Buddhism.

Asian St. 487/Buddhist Studies 487. Buddhism in India: Its Doctrines and History.

Buddhist Studies 230. (3). (Excl).

This course is intended as an introduction to the history, doctrines, and institutions of Buddhism in India, from its origins in the fifth century B.C. to its revival in the second half of the twentieth century.

Asian St. 488/Buddhist Studies 488. Tibetan Buddhism.

Buddhist Studies 230. (3). (Excl).

A survey of the development of Buddhism in Tibet from the eighth century to the present. The course examines the process of transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet and considers the rise of the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, comparing their approaches to a wide range of issues of Buddhist philosophy and practice.

Asian St. 489/Buddhist Studies 489/Korean 489. Korean Buddhism.

Buddhist Studies 220, or any introductory course on Buddhism. (3). (HU).

This course surveys the introduction and development of Buddhism in Korea from the third century to the present. It introduces the doctrines and practices of Chinese Buddhism which hold an important place in the Korean tradition while examining the transmission and assimilation of Buddhism in Korea.

Asian St. 490. Topics in Japanese Studies.

(3). (Excl).

Selected topics in the Anthropology, Economics, Demography, Geography, History, Sociology of Japan and East Asia. Students are required to write papers based on original research taken from primary/secondary sources. Special attention is given to current topics on Japan.

Asian St. 491. Topics in Japanese Studies.

(1). (Excl).

Selected topics in the Anthropology, Economics, Demography, Geography History, Sociology of Japan and East Asia. Students are required to write papers based on original research taken from primary/secondary sources. Special attention is given to current topics on Japan.

Asian St. 492. Topics in S&SEA Studies.

(1-3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

This course is a topics course that allows visiting faculty, sponsored by the Center for South & Southeast Asian Studies, to teach seminar courses to departmental MA students.

Asian St. 499. Independent Study-Directed Readings.

(1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of eight credits.

Directed readings or research in consultation with a member of the Asian Studies faculty.

Asian St. 505/Chinese 505/Phil. 505. Modern Chinese Thought.

Permission of instructor. (3; 2 in the half-term). (Excl).

The philosophical foundations of Chinese views of man and society, with special attention to values. The historical period selected varies. Material in this course is accessible and of interest to both upperclass and graduate students who have had some previous introduction to China. The seminar format encourages debate on controversial interpretations of trends in Chinese thought.

Asian St. 527/Buddhist Studies 527. History of Buddhist Studies.

Buddhist Studies 230. (3). (Excl).

This seminar traces the history of the study of Buddhism in the West, beginning with early contacts between Europeans and Buddhists in the 13th century and proceeding to the present, focusing especially on the late 19th and 20th centuries.