You must write an essay of approximately 10-12 pages responding to the prompt given below. Your paper must be double-spaced, with 2.54 cm—1”– margins on all sides, produced in 12-point Times New Roman).

Please remember that you must substantiate claims that you make in your essay through references to the texts, by citing both sources of direct quotations as well as sources of ideas drawn from sources used in the course by using the short method of citation (author’s last name and page number or “Lecture, Date,” in parentheses). As indicated in class, this is not a research paper, but a thought piece, and you are to use and cite only materials assigned for this course in your paper. Please do not, therefore, include a list of works cited. (If you used a different edition of the material than that cited for this course, simply consult a copy of the assigned version that is on reserve to make sure that you cite the correct page numbers in the assigned version).

PS113BR Chinese and Japanese Political Thought Final Paper Assignment ?

PROMPT

On the basis of what we have studied this quarter, evaluate the validity of the following assertion expressing a view widely shared by American scholars and policy makers, most notably by Samuel P. Huntington of Harvard University, in accordance with the instructions that follow it:

“China, Japan, and indeed most societies in the Asia-Pacific have poor prospects of achieving authentic, vibrant democratic polities, because of the legacy of their Confucian philosophical tradition, with its emphasis on authority, hierarchy, order, and the supremacy of the collectivity over the individual. In short, their philosophical traditions simply offer no basis for democracy.”

(Note: This is not a direct quotation from Professor Huntington’s work. It is a summary by Dr. Hoston of the views he espouses.)

Make an argument in support of or against this claim by selecting three schools of thought or thinkers, one of which must be one of the schools of Buddhist thought covered in the latter half of the course, and one of which must be either Zhu Xi’s or Wang Yangming’s school of Neo- Confucianism.

You must choose 1 of the following schools (1 to be selected from 1-4 below):

1. Xunzi
2. Mohism (Mozi)
3. Legalism (Han Feizi, Li Si)
4. Daoism (Laozi and Zhuangzi)
You must choose 1 of the following Buddhist schools in China and Japan (The Tiantai School must be discussed in either case):
5. Mahayana Buddhism (including a discussion of the Tiantai School, but excluding /Zen Buddhism,)
6. The Chan / Zen School (including a discussion of the Tiantai School)
You must choose 1 of the following schools of Neo-Confucianism: (1 to be selected from the following numbered 6 and 7):
6. The Rationalist School of Zhu Xi (including a discussion of Confucius and Mencius)
7. The Idealist School of Wang Yangming (including a discussion of Confucius and Mencius)

Your essay must answer each of the following questions:

1. What is the Socratic myth (or 1 or more possibilities thereof offered by Buddhism) legitimatingthe body politic and its leadership;
2. What provision does the myth make or imply for political change, including political revolution(from below); and
3. What role do “the people” play in that provision?

In making your argument, be sure to give adequate consideration to and address seriously the possible reservations that critics might hold concerning your argument. You may find it helpful to consult the guidelines on writing a paper that I posted on Canvas. When you have finished, reread the prompt and your paper to be sure that you have addressed at least three schools and/or thinkers and that you have followed all the instructions above before submitting your paper. Then run spell- check and grammar check before submitting your paper.

I will give out all the additional lectures and material.