Comparing East and West

In this course, students will be exposed to the similarities and differences of the great Eastern and Western traditions by focusing on the foundational works of each tradition. These include certain works by Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, and Mencius. The primary purpose of this course is to show the lasting power of the foundational ideas of East and West and how these ideas still resonate today. Students will see how ancient ideas still play out in real-time.

This 32-week course consists of four eight-week quarters. Each quarter students will be assigned a weekly recorded lecture, reading appropriate for the week, relevant reading questions, a weekly 1-hour live recitation, one 500-700-word essay, and a quarterly exam. In the course of the year, the students will read all the texts listed below, will have listened to 32 lectures, written four essays and attended at least 90 percent of live recitations to discuss the texts in Socratic fashion.

This class is offered for grades 7-12, but for 7th and 8th-grade students, it is best if the student is gifted or an honors-level student. This course is being offered for a wide range of students because of the unique nature of the course content. As far as grading is concerned, I will take into consideration students' grade levels when tabulating grades.

Course Objectives:

1. To become proficient in the conversational approach to learning: close readings, interpretative questions, and Socratic discussions of the texts.
2. To gain a grasp of the key ideas of East Asia and the West, paying particular attention to similarities and differences.
3. To develop lateral thinking skills by analyzing and synthesizing themes and motifs.
4. To cultivate an appetite for learning as a way of life (the life of the mind).
5. To be able to think Christianly and write persuasively about perennial human questions.

Texts:

• Plato (Works from the Great Books of the Western World)
• Aristotle (Works from the Great Books of the Western World)

The selected works of Plato and Aristotle will be provided electronically when possible. However, it will be helpful for this program to order the entire 2nd edition of the Great Books of the Western World through Logos Bible Software, though it is NOT A REQUIREMENT to order the Great Books series through Logos as it can be expensive.

The Four Books: ASIN: B01L9XKZU6

• Confucius (Great Learning)
• Zisi (Doctrine of the Mean)
• Confucius (Analects)
• Mencius (Mencius)

NOTE: The ASIN number is similar to the ISBN number. All of the works of the Four Books and Five Classics are available digitally as a complete set through Delphi Classics. Please use the ASIN number provided. Please order the Kindle edition through amazon.com or delphiclassics.com.

The Five Classics:

• Confucius (Classic of Poetry)
• Confucius (Book of Documents)
• Confucius(Book of Rites)
• Confucius (I Ching [Book of Changes])
• Confucius (Spring and Autumn Annals)
• The Holy Bible (KJV)

The authorship of these works cannot be fully authenticated but are frequently attributed to Confucius’s own hand or his editing of them from preexisting works.