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Classical East Asian Thought

Code: 101537
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
East Asian Studies OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Artur Lozano Mendez
Email :
artur.lozano@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Gustavo Pita Céspedes

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Module 2 will be taught in English by Prof. Artur Lozano, while Module 1 will be taught in Spanish by Prof. Gustavo Pita. Beyond a basic command of English and Spanish, the course requires no academic prerequisites. To get the most out of the course, students should have a habit of reading, intellectual curiosity and a willingness to engage in dialogue.

Objectives

On successfully completing this subject, students will be able to show that…

  • They know and understand the basic concepts of classical East Asian thought, having read translated primary texts and explanatory teaching material;
  • They can apply their knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts of classical East Asian thought in discussions;
  • They can form opinions on the interpretation of the basic concepts of classical East Asian thought and on how they may be applied to solve social, economic and political problems, by gathering and interpreting relevant data;
  • They can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions related to the basic concepts of classical East Asian thought;
  • They have acquired the learning skills needed to continue studying East Asian thought with a high level of autonomy.

Learning outcomes

  1. Understanding the referential universe of written and verbal texts in the languages of East Asia.
  2. Knowing, understanding, describing, analysing, and assessing the history, thought and literature of East Asia.
  3. Knowing, comprehending, describing and analysing the values, beliefs and ideologies of East Asia.
  4. Knowing the great literary, philosophical, and artistic movements of East Asia.
  5. Knowing and comprehending the classical, modern and late modern thinking of East Asia.
  6. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  7. Developing self-learning strategies.
  8. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  9. Producing innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  10. Having interpersonal skills.
  11. Students must be flexible and capable of adapting to new circumstances.
  12. Respecting the gender equality.
  13. Working in teams in an international, multilingual and multicultural context.
  14. Working in interdisciplinary and intercultural groups.
  15. Solving problems of intercultural communication.
  16. Solving conflict situations.
  17. Ensuring the quality of one's own work.
  18. Following the characteristic code of ethics of the professional practice.

Contents

MODULE 1: CHINA

  1. Ancient myths and beliefs.
  2. Confucianism.
  3. Mohism.
  4. Yang Zhu.
  5. Daoism.
  6. School of Names.
  7. Legalism.
  8. Buddhism in China.


MODULE 2: JAPAN

Buddhism in Asia:

  • Historical origins and development
  • Ethical and philosophical teachings
  • Main branches

Japan:

  • Buddhism
  • Confucianism
  • Daoism
  • Shintoism

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Lectures 52.5 2.1 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18
Document based class discussions 5 0.2 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Autonomous work 50.5 2.02 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 17, 18

The learning methodology comprises lectures about the topics. Lessons will contain texts that will both expand and reinforce students’ knowledge of the issues involved. It will be compulsory to read certain texts to benefit fully from the course and pass its tests.

If the professors deem it appropriate, some sessions will be centred on discussions of primary documents that students will read in advance.

To write their essays, students will research academic and specialised sources, using the information they gather to contrast and form their own conclusions.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Quiz about the contents of Module 1 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12
Quiz about the contents of Module 2 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12
Individual written assignment 40% 38 1.52 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Continuous assessment

Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing various tasks and tests. These activities are detailed in the table at the end of this section of the Study Guide.

Review

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Missed/failed assessment activities

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for. In case of retaking, maximum grade will be 5 (Pass).

Classification as \"not assessable\"

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as \"not assessable\" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the student involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred (e.g. plagiarism, copying, impersonation) are excluded from recovery.

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies may or may not be permitted depending on the activity. The permitted and prohibited uses in each case will be detailed in the course introduction. Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using AI technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final result of the activity. A lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in graded assignments will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty on the assignment grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Single assessment

This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.

Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.

Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.

On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).

Single assessment activities

The final grade for the subject will be calculated according to the following percentages:

  1. Quiz about the contents of Module 1: Chinese thought (30% of the subject's final mark).
  2. Quiz about the contents of Module 2: Buddhism and Japanese thought (30% of the subject's final mark).
  3. Individual written assignment (40% of the subject's final mark).

Grade revision and resit procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this study guide.

More information: http://www.uab.cat/web/study-abroad/undergraduate/academic-information/evaluation/what-is-it-about-1345670077352.html

Bibliography

Bibliography (China):

Cheng, Anne (2006) Historia del pensamiento chino. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.

Feng Youlan (1991) Selected philosophical writings. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press.

Graham, Angus Charles (2012) El Dao en disputa. La argumentación filosófica en la China antigua. Traducción de Daniel Stern; revisión de Flora Botton. México D. F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

Maspero, Henri (2000) El taoísmo y las religiones chinas. Valladolid: Editorial Trotta.

Xinzhong Yao (2001) El confucianismo. Madrid: Cambridge University Press.

Bibliography (Japan):

Asian Philosophy. An International Journal of the Philosophical Traditions of the East. Taylor and Francis.

Barnes, Gina L. (2007): State Formation in Japan: Emergence of a 4th-Century Ruling Elite. London: Routledge.

De Bary, William Theodore (1972). The Buddhist Tradition in India, China & Japan. New York: Vintage Books.

De Bary, William Theodore; Gluck, Carol; Tiedemann, Arthur E. (eds.), Sources of Japanese Tradition—Volume 2: 1600 to 2000. Part One: 1600 to 1868. Abridged, Second edition, vol. 2, part 1, New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.

De Bary, William Theodore; Gluck, Carol; Tiedemann, Arthur E. (eds.), Sources of Japanese Tradition—Volume 2: 1600 to 2000. Part One: 1868 to 2000. Abridged, Second edition, vol. 2, part 2, New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.

De Bary, William Theodore; Keene, Donald; Tanabe, George; Varley, Paul (eds.), Sources of Japanese Tradition—Volume 1: From Earliest Times to 1600, second edition, vol. 1, New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.

González Valles, Jesús (2002) Historia de la filosofía japonesa. Madrid: Tecnos.

Heisig, J. W., Kasulis, T. P., & Maraldo, J. C. (2011): Japanese Philosophy: A Sourcebook. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

Kasulis, T. P. (2004). Shinto: The Way Home. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

Naumann, Nelly (1998): Antiguos mitos japoneses. Barcelona: Herder.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: <http://plato.stanford.edu>. Metaphysics Research Lab, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University.

Swanson, P. L. (Paul L., & Chilson, C. (2006). Nanzan guide to Japanese religions. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

Zavala, Agustín Jacinto (ed) (1995) Textos de la filosofía japonesa moderna / Antología, Vol. I. Zamora: El Colegio de Michoacán.

Zavala, Agustín Jacinto (ed) (1997) La otra filosofía japonesa / Antología, Vol. II. Zamora: El Colegio de Michoacán.

Software

The course does not require any particular software. Students will only need the kind of apps necessary to conduct common academic tasks.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed