HISTORY OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONS 2

The course closely examines a range of key topics in history of Chinese religion and thought from the late medieval period to modern times and focuses in particular on the analysis of the relationships between Buddhism, Daoism and popular religion, religion and gender, self-cultivation and Neo-confucianism, and the relationship between religion and society. This is one of the electives of the BA Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and North Africa and contributes to the learning outcomes of the Humanities' CdS.

By the end of this course unit students should normally:

1. Have gained a good knowledge and critical understanding of the main topics concerning the cultural history of Chinese religion in the first two millennia of the common era.
2. Have gained an understanding of the continuities and discontinuities between modern and with pre-modern Chinese societies
3. Be able to find and use critically a range of materials including books, journals, primary sources, and web-based resources relevant to the topics studied in the course.
4. Write a sustained argumentative essay on the basis of their study of the texts in the bibliography of the course.

In order to pass the final written text, students must have passed the exam of History of Chinese philosophy and Religions 1 [LT0470]. Students must possess a good working knowledge of the history of China in imperial times.

The Chinese religious world from the Middle Ages to the present. Buddhism, Taoism and Neoconfucianism: theory and practice. In particular, we will focus on the relationship between religion and power and the role of religion in social and cultural life.

Lecture notes and didactic material uploaded on the Moodle page of the course.

Cheng, A., Il pensiero cinese, Torino, Einaudi, 1997.
[tutto il vol. II (capp. XVII-XXII)]

Francesca Tarocco, Livia Kohn, Paolo Santangelo e John McRae, Buddhismo, Daoismo e Neoconfucianesimo in La Cina. L'eta' imperiale dai Tre Regni ai Qing a cura di Mario Sabattini e Maurizio Scarpari, Einaudi, 2010: 429-689.

The final examination will be a written test including close- and open-ended questions as well as the composition of a short essay (1 page max.), whose subject will be chosen from a set of themes highlighted during the course.

Lectures and in-class discussions. Audiovisual materials, keywords and on-line interaction in the e-learning platform of the course in moodle.unive.it

written