Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions/week, 1.5 hours/session
Prerequisites
This course has no prerequisites and all MIT students are welcome to enroll. Non-enrolled guests (parents, siblings, friends, etc.) are welcome, but please let me know in advance that they’re coming, as classroom space has sometimes been an issue in past terms.
This course will be conducted in English and Chinese language ability is not a prerequisite.
I will provide primary sources in Chinese whenever possible because some of you may wish to count this class towards a Chinese language minor. Please speak to me first if you want this class to count towards a minor in Chinese. In most cases, I will instruct you to direct your attention to the Chinese materials provided, respond to them in the class discussion forum, and submit your final timeline project in written Chinese.
Course Description
With China playing a central role in global affairs today, an understanding of the country’s long and rich history has never been more important. In this class, we will trace the rise of the world’s first centralized bureaucratic state, the development of the world’s oldest living written culture, and the formation of the pre-modern world’s largest single commercial market. We will hear the voices of Chinese women and men as they founded dynasties, engaged in philosophy, composed literature, challenged orthodoxies, and invented technologies used around the globe. This class equips students to appreciate China’s past, understand the country’s present, and reflect on what its stories mean for the wider world.
Readings and Digital Resources
Textbook
- Ebrey, Patricia B. Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780521669917. [Preview with Google Books]
Required Sourcebooks
- Ebrey, Patricia B., ed. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. Free Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780029087527. [Preview with Google Books]
- Mair, Victor H., Nancy S. Steinhardt, and Paul R. Goldin, eds. Hawai’i Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture. University of Hawai’i Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780824827854. [Preview with Google Books]
Other readings can be found in the Readings section.
Assessment
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 10% |
| Discussion posts (10) | 20% |
| Geography quiz | 5% |
| Classical texts quiz | 5% |
| Mid-semester check-in | 5% |
| Midterm | 15% |
| Timeline proposal (5%) and final project (15%) | 20% |
| Final exam | 20% |
For detailed information on the activities above, see the Assignments section.
Important Information: Plagiarism
Students are required to review, understand, and abide by the university policy on plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the time students finish this course, they should be able to describe the physical and administrative geography of China, list the different dynasties that have ruled China over its history, explain how the modern state of China came into being, describe the great cultural diversity that is found within China, analyze primary sources and appraise arguments concerning the past, and be equipped to apply their historical knowledge to engage with a range of present topics related to China.
