This class will involve students in close reading of, and exegetical writing about, core texts of ancient Chinese political thought. The purpose is to gain an understanding of a number of different perspectives on politics and leadership, especially Confucianism, Legalism and Taoism. While the primary focus will be on the meaning of the texts in the context of their own times, contemporary applications of core concepts will also be considered. The class will begin with background reading from Benjamin Schwartz's text, The World of Thought in Ancient China. Then the class will read significant portions of the following canonical works: The Classic of Change (Yi Jing); The Analects of Confucius (Lun Yu); Lao Zi's Classic of the Way and Integrity (Dao De Jing); Sun Zi's Art of War (Bing Fa); the Writings of Han Fei Zi. Format: discussion. Requirements: Students will write short (5 page) papers on any four of the core texts. All papers will be subject to revision and resubmission at the instructor's discretion. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit:15 (expected: 15). This is a writing intensive course. Comparative Politics Subfield