World History: Ancient China - History, Culture, and Thought
In this introductory course, students will come to understand the ancient history and origins of Chinese civilization through their material culture, philosophies, and ways of life and governments.
Stephanie Carta, B.Sc.
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:(46)
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
In this four week introduction to China, students will learn the history of the Ancient era of China, including the earliest dynasties, the Shang, Zhou, and Qin, and concluding with a full history of the empire and subsequent fall of the Han Dynasty, both eastern and western. We will use a variety of sources, including the websites of museums to view artifacts and art, texts such as The Analects of Confucius, and talks by Harvard professors. Week 1 will focus on archaeological evidence for the earliest Chinese dynasty and that which marks the Bronze Age, the Shang, including the role of the famous oracle bones and their function in legitimizing political power; seeing how the artifacts can conflict with textual narratives; understanding the origins of the Chinese language; the great debate over authority as deriving from a single source or multiple sources (a continuous tension in Chinese society); and the role of ritual in the organization of society. Week 2 will focus on the philosophies of ancient China, including Confucianism and what they thought it meant to be a sage and what is meant by humaneness; the texts and thinkers now known as Daoism and what is meant to follow "the way". The philosophical history then shifts from official ideology to "the Hundred Schools of Thought" and the new idea that rulers could be persuaded by thinkers, some whom challenge Confucian ideas. Week 3 will focus on the political question of centralization under the Qin Dynasty and their new ideas, including cosmic resonance theory and its function as an ideology of consolidation. We will view the terracotta warriors and understand the symbolism of the emperor's tomb, as well the great weaknesses of Qin bureaucracy and standardization. (Hint: They burned books.) Week 4 will focus on how the Han Dynasty takes the model of the Qin and builds a more lasting imperial structure, including the balance needed to maintain it, between centralism and regionalism, between feudalism and bureaucracy, between ancestry and merit, and between civil society and the military, as well as the role of court and family politics. Photo Credit: Dragon-head tripod container, courtesy of the open access collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Other Details
Supply List
You do not need to purchase anything. We'll use open access resources.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined October, 2018
4.6
46reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I studied government, history, and literature at Suffolk University (Boston) as an Archer Fellow and InterFuture Scholar. My teaching as an inter-disciplinary scholar is inspired by my own education where I was taught to consider the humanities, social sciences, and science as overlapping subjects.
As a student, I researched political issues in Europe and Africa. Since then, I've taken my academic experience and learned to write professionally for general and specialized audiences, using what I learned in my courses in the professional world of journalism, technical and creative writing. I especially enjoy writing about films and music.
Over the past 10 years, I've taken a deep dive into Asian cultures, studying the histories, art, and philosophies of China and Japan. As a hobby, I work with Asian scholars and film-makers, reviewing and analyzing films from East Asia. Reviews
Live Group Class
$75
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
55 min
Completed by 10 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
2-9 learners per class
