Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Philosophical Skills and one of the following combinations: Concepts of Selfhood and at least one of the components World Philosophies: China, India, Middle East or Africa OR Language and Thought and World Philosophies: Greek and Roman Antiquity.
BA students in Filosofie, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Filosofische vaardigheden and one of the following combinations: Philosophy of Mind and Comparative Philosophy OR Griekse en Romeinse filosofie and Medieval Philosophy.
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement and who have to complete an advanced seminar.
BA3 Korean Studies students who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the first and second years.
Description
This course offers an in-depth exploration of Neo-Confucianism and its philosophical evolution in East Asia. By focusing on Korean Confucianism during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), we will examine Neo-Confucianism as a foundational ethical and sociopolitical framework across China, Korea, and Japan, as well as its lasting influence on their contemporary culture.
We will first delve into the philosophical convictions of Confucian scholars during the early Joseon period (15th-16th centuries) regarding their pursuit of Sagehood, known as “Sage learning (Seonghak),” while laying the groundwork for the state’s sociopolitical systems based on Confucian principles. By analyzing pivotal philosophical debates of the era, such as the Confucian-Buddhist debate, the Four-Seven debate, and the moral and human minds debate, we will understand how Joseon Confucian scholars sought to establish coherence and completeness within Neo-Confucian metaphysics and ethics.
Moving into the later Joseon period (17th–19th centuries), we will examine the intellectual diversification of Neo-Confucianism in response to changing sociopolitical conditions in East Asia. Topics will include the critical re-evaluation of orthodox Neo-Confucianism as a basis for social reform, as well as the impact of “Western Learning (Seohak),” which introduced scientific and empirical approaches to Confucian thought. We will also consider how these philosophical traditions continue to shape contemporary Korean thought and practice within a democratic and capitalistic social structure.
By situating Confucian philosophy within its historical and sociopolitical contexts, this course provides an opportunity to explore the interplay between philosophical ideals and sociopolitical practices while broadening our anthropological and cross-cultural perspectives.
Course objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
the development of Neo-Confucianism in East Asia, with particular emphasis on the Korean intellectual tradition from the 15th to the 20th century.
philosophical debates regarding Neo-Confucian metaphysics and ethics;
the association between Confucian moral self-cultivation and sociopolitical reform.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
formulate critical responses to the philosophical texts and ideas in a cross-cultural context;
critically analyze notions and arguments presented in primary and secondary resources;
present this knowledge in oral and written forms (presentations and paper).
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminars.
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
Final essay
Presentation
Attendance and participation in course discussion
Weighing
Final essay (70%)
Class presentation (20%)
Attendance and participation (10%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
The resit will consist of an opportunity to resubmit the final semester paper that was not sufficient. The grades for other exam components (proposal, presentation, attendance and participation) remain in place. Students who have obtained a satisfactory overall grade for the course cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
The reading list will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga.
Remarks
Not applicable.