Asian Philosophy Paper

Philosophy 7: Asian Philosophy (Fall 2019) Paper Guidelines

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Paper #3: Chinese Philosophy You may choose to write about either Confucianism (A) or Daoism (B). (A) Confucianism: Kongzi (Confucius) or Mengzi (Mencius) Choose a passage from one of the primary Confucian texts that we read: The Analects or The Mengzi. Whatever you choose, you must confine your essay to one of our authors’ texts: either Confucius’ Analects or Mencius’ Mengzi. You may choose any passage you like but you may only write within the context of one of the two thinkers.

and Analyze and explain it as thoroughly and precisely as you can, staying close to the text of the author you choose (using its terminology, following its reasoning, etc.). This point is important: refer to, quote, paraphrase, and cite Confucius’ or Mencius’ text—his words, his terms, his explanations, his examples, etc.—to aid your explanation of the idea. The closer you stay to the text, the clearer your explanation will be. (B) Daoism: Laozi or Zhuangzi Choose a passage from one of the primary Daoist texts that we read: The Daodejing or The Zhuangzi. Whatever you choose, you must confine your essay to one of our authors’ texts: either Laozi’s Daodejing or Zhuangzi’s Zhuangzi. You may choose any passage you like but you may only write within the context of one of the two thinkers.

and Analyze and explain it as thoroughly and precisely as you can, staying close to the text of the author you choose (using its terminology, following its reasoning, etc.). This point is important: refer to, quote, paraphrase, and cite Laozi’s or Zhuangzi’s text—his words, his terms, his explanations, his examples, etc.—to aid your explanation of the idea. The closer you stay to the text, the clearer your explanation will be. Note on Daoism: Remember that these specific texts are notoriously opaque and mysterious, and their purpose seems to be, quite explicitly in some cases, to effect an experiential change in thinking on the part of the reader. So, if you choose this option, give yourself time to let the text affect you and wash over you. It is common that the sense of particular passages vacillates and shifts as one reads them again and again. So try— without trying, of course (i.e., in a wu wei fashion)—to give yourself ample room to maneuver within the text’s mysterious spaces, as Zhuangzi’s butcher’s blade maneuver’s freely within the heavenly contours of the ox’s carcass.

Philosophy 7: Asian Philosophy (Fall 2019) Paper Guidelines

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In these papers, I want you to try to capture the essence of what you choose. You might imagine that what you are trying to do is teach someone what passage means within the context of Confucianism or Daoism. I am looking for in-depth and detailed analysis/explanation. Paper Details Due Date SUNDAY, May 3rd on Canvas by MIDNIGHT Paper Length At least 3 full pages of text (“full” beginning from the place on the page that your first paragraph starts, not the top of the piece of paper). No more than 4 pages. Paper Format Double-spaced 12-point font (use a standard font, of your choice, but nothing difficult to read, please) 1” margins Terminology Philosophical writing generally assigns weight to technical terms that are unique and significant within that specific system or thinker’s texts (think of Plato’s “Forms” or Descartes’ “thinking thing”). The weight of terms/phrases like “junzi,” “Ren,” and “De” are essential to understanding Chinese philosophy, so make sure you strive to use these terms correctly, defining them when you introduce them, and—overall—show comprehension of the work they do within Confucian/Daoist thought, generally, and your passage, specifically. Textual Evidence/Citations I expect you to use the text, which means: offer quotes from the text that support your analysis/explanation. USE ONLY PRIMARY TEXT (i.e., no material from introductions or the chapter introductions). You are writing a text-based analysis/explanation, and I expect you to explain your passage with textual support from other Confucian/Daoist primary text. *In the case you use them, know that foreign language terms are always italicized (e.g.: junzi, shu, De, ren, wu wei, Dao, etc.). AND please use the Pinyin transliteration style (see RCCP, or Google it). Textual Evidence/Citations I expect you to use the primary text, which means: offer quotes from the original text (not the introductions) that support your explanation. Please simply cite parenthetically within the body of your text (no footnotes), using the following model:

Philosophy 7: Asian Philosophy (Fall 2019) Paper Guidelines

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For Confucius: (book #.chapter #) e.g.: (3.1)* For Mencius: (book#part#chapter#) e.g.: (6B2)* For Laozi (chapter #) e.g.: (41) For Zhuangzi (chapter #, RCCP page #) e.g.: (2, 216). *The text we are reading (RCCP) uses these forms, so if you get confused, look there. There is no need to include the book titles within you parenthetical citations. Since most students seem to be completely oblivious when it comes to in-text, parenthetical citations, here is a paradigm to follow, in terms of grammar and punctuation: …Mencius argues, “Yeah, you would save that little kid, too” (2A6). [not a real quote]. The quotation marks designate only the quoted text, and the period goes at the end of the sentence, after the parentheses. This is a rule that far too many students do not know and/or follow. (And periods and commas go inside double-quotation marks). **YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE OR CITE OUTSIDE SOURCES** Final Comments I will be grading these papers with an eye toward their presentation, which includes grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation, etc. Likewise, I am looking for you to strive to articulate yourself clearly and with precision. Admittedly, this is not an easy task when it comes to philosophical issues—it takes practice and effort. I don’t expect any of you to be the next Confucius, but I am looking to see genuine effort to really grapple with the text, make important connections, follow the movement of its thinking, and attempt to offer an explanation that goes beyond a superficial reading. The point of this assignment is to help you strive toward comprehension of the material. That begins with understanding what is being said in the text you are reading. If you struggle with writing, seek help at the University Writing Center: https://pennstatelearning.psu.edu/tutoring/writing Make sure you hand in a proofread, polished, college-level essay! Good luck writing!