Essay Assignment on China's History: Critical Reading and Synthesizing Information

Scope and Focus of Essay Topics

The ability to read both primary and secondary sources critically and to synthesize information from multiple sources is a key skill for the study of history. The presentation of research and argumentation in a coherent and well-structured written document is necessary for many fields. This essay assignment asks that you practice both these skill set.

 
You have a good deal of freedom in deciding the scope of content to cover except that this Essay is about China exclusively (Essay 2 asks you to look at ‘China and the World’).  The subjects suggested below are by no means exclusive and are meant only to provoke your imagination; each of them is stated in "topic" form and must be focused much more narrowly onto a specific problem.  Also, most of these suggestions pose "what"-type questions; having answered that question through your initial reading, you should go on to analyze the underlying "why."  Of course, you are also free to ignore these suggestions and instead develop a focus completely of your own choosing. 

•    Why are the ancient legends of China of interest to historians?
•    What was the influence of such factors as the written language or geophysical setting on the development of Chinese society?
•    What differences are there in the way a Zhou period Confucianist or a Daoist might understand "the Dao?"
•    Compare and contrast the contexts and methods in which Confucian thinkers of the Zhou and Han periods addressed themselves to the problem of "good government."
•    How effective was the framework of inter-state relations during the Eastern Zhou?
•    What criticism might Confucius and/or Mencius have of Dong Zhong-shu's Confucianism?
•    What tensions or contradictions might there be in adopting Confucianism as a state orthodoxy?  How were these tensions resolved in actual practice?
•    Compare the views on human nature and their political implications presented by any of the following:  Mencius, Xunzi, Taoists, Legalists, Buddhists.
•    On what points did the Confucian and Mohist schools differ?
•    How do the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi compare with the commentaries on those works cited in Chan's Source Book?
•    What were the differences between the Confucianists' and Legalists' goals and techniques of government?
•    What was the proper relationship of the Confucian "gentleman" to society?
•    To what extent might classical Confucianism be described as élitist or egalitarian?
•    How well did Legalism survive the fall of Qin?
•    Could Confucianism be considered a "religion?"
•    What attitudes toward the masses can be discerned in Zhou period thinkers?
•    What (dis)advantages did "State Confucianism" offer to the emperor?  the literati?  the masses?
•    To what extent does the Han mark a new stage in the theory and practice of Chinese government?

You must use at least one appropriate scholarly source and one appropriate primary source. Double check with your professor to make sure the sources are appropriate.