Ancient Chinese Philosophy: Who Was Confucius?
In this one time class, students will learn about Confucius, the great philosopher from Ancient China. What did Confucius say and why was he so important?
Anna H.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(45)
What's included
1 live meeting
40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
In this class on the philosophy of Ancient China, your child will learn about the life and work of Confucius, China’s most famous philosopher and one of the most well known thinkers in world history. Confucius’ philosophy has survived in China for over 2500 years and is still very important to Chinese culture as well as to other cultures abroad. I first teach students about the life and work of Confucius. Afterwards, I will teach students several “aphorisms” (short sayings that embody truths) found in a collection of writings called The Analects, which is attributed to Confucius and his followers. These sayings are not difficult to understand and children find them interesting because they encompass basic ideas about how to live life. Students will discuss these sayings, engaging with the philosopher’s ideas, and are free to agree or disagree with the teachings. No knowledge of China, Chinese, or world history is necessary. With this lesson, my teaching style is to get students to think about the ideas of Confucius by talking about them. By the end of the class, students will have used the philosophical tool of dialogue while learning about philosophy. I will also show artwork from Ancient China, as well as maps of China and other images. (Image for course: by "File:Statue de Confucius au Temple de Confucius de Pékin.jpg" by Laurent Bélanger is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
Learning Goals
Students will familiarize themselves with Ancient China and the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius. They will use basic philosophical skills to talk and think about the ideas of Confucius.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
N/A
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! My name is Anna and I have a PhD in the History of Chinese Religions, as well as an MA in Art History and a BA in Philosophy and Romance Language. I have taught many classes in the humanities, and especially classes about Chinese, European, and North American philosophy, art history, and history of religions at the college and university levels. I have also taught these topics to my two children (elementary and middle school ages), both of whom have been home/unschooled for several years. They take Outschool classes too and that is how I learned about this wonderful platform for learning! In addition to teaching my own children, I have volunteered in the elementary school classroom, interacting with a wide variety of children and their different learning styles.
My lessons often include art and images to give students beautiful representations from which they can learn, while also helping students who learn better visually.
I love teaching children and exploring topics in the humanities with them. From a young age, children are curious and intrigued to learn about the world we live in, often approaching the world in ways that are highly philosophical and creative. I hope to nurture, encourage and further develop those skills in them through my teaching.
Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$14
per classMeets once
40 min
Completed by 26 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
2-5 learners per class
