HIS 100-01 - Making History (Spring)

4 credits (Spring)

Confucian Civilization and Its Challengers. This course provides an introduction to issues of historical causation, argumentation, and evidence, through the lens of the rise of Confucian civilization. Using primary sources, we will examine the foundations of the idea of civilization, and how it can be applied to the numerous cultures and peoples living within Confucian East Asia. Topics to be addressed in detail will include: the relationship between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism; interactions between agrarian and nomadic societies; meanings of the past in pre-modern China, Korea, and Japan; the spread and consolidation of Confucian states in world historical time. By the end of this course students will understand more about the methodology and history _of_ history, and how these historical practices have shaped our understanding of one of the ancient world’s most dynamic regions.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Johnson