Thoughts on Session #5 (Monday, April 23)

[Anonymous]

The debate was a little unnerving at first,I do have a middle school class and I felt that this type of debate would be interesting especially defending their topic. They often have their own views on life choices and the last question of what to do with father dearest, would make them probably question their current choice making skills. It was interesting to see the forum of the debate and I could also imagine the idea of "walk in my shoes" type of involvement for my lesson plans when covering these philosophies in my class.

[Anonymous]

The debate was fun and informative. Thanks for the gentle guidance, Professor Dube. I was also struck by the parallels between Chinese philosophies and classical western thought. Anyone else see the interesting parallels with Plato's Republic?

The question of when China became China was also a way I hadn't thought about it before. I have to admit that the only thing I knew about dynasties before was that they produced very valuable pottery. Other than that, I knew a little about folk heroes. Looking at the early history of China through the lens of philosophy was engaging.

[Anonymous]

The debate was awesome and fun! I made me understand and learn more the 4 schools of thought. Dr. Clay validate everyone's effort, and make sure everyone stays on the topic.

[Anonymous]

I was at Barnes and Nobles this weekend and at the checkout I saw the "Tao of Pooh" book on display. I would have never picked it up before having done those debates, but now the book actually has meaning to me. I want to put it on my summer reading list because it looks very interesting. Through the debates I learned that I do implement a lot of Daoist thoughts into my current lifestyle, especially finding inner peace and truth. However living in modern day society, I know that following the Daoist philosophy/traditions is not always practical for me. For instance, in my classroom, I must take on some of the Mohist views of practicality and Legalists views of rules and consequences, and Confuscian views of respecting elders (that would be teachers and staff in the classroom!). I manage my classroom with a mix of all 4 schools of thought...

[Anonymous]

Steve, I too find it a little cool to see the parallels between western thought and east Asian philosophies. Again, just the political nerd in me.

[Anonymous]

The information on various Chinese philosophies was well prepared and - in spite of the large amount of historical data - concise. I found it extremely useful to have it all laid out in comparison to one another. I can see using the comparisons to help my students reflect on the various ways Chinese people view life. Ultimately, this will help my students understand Chinese culture from various perspectives and even help them reflect on their own understanding of how they see the world.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I really like Confucian ideas for the classroom... if only they were incorporated from a young age. By the time I get 'em, it's hard to retrain them with new ideas and rules.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have thought about the parralels between Greek thought (in the Republic) and Chinese (particularly Confucian) thought; they seem to share a focus on social and political organizations that while recognizing some sort of absolute standard ("Heaven" / "forms"), tends to be more secular in their approach than other philosophies of the "good life".....

[Anonymous]

Here are a couple of examples I found of how ying yang concept has been used in popular culture recently- superheroes and rap stars!

[Anonymous]

Ruby, I know you mentioned you had a ying yang tattoo... is it a traditional image or is it a variation/original design?

[Anonymous]

I chose a yin yang in water and a friend has the same one but surrounded in fire. I got this when I was 18. I love the symbol and what it represents.

[Anonymous]

The debate not only was a creative way to become more familiar with four major philosophical schools of thought in ancient China, but gave me an example of a good way to engage students in contrasting philosophies, also. I had referred to the Tao as "the Way" because on Wikipedia, it is translated as such. However, I agree with Clay that it's better to leave such important Chinese phrases in the Chinese, at least phonetically.

[Anonymous]

My daughter, who loves all things Asian, started reading Art of War. This novel is a must in business and life. She found it interesting but a hard read. She said it's great if you read it and reread 10 times. She's 16 and ambitious.

[Anonymous]

I read this book about a year ago and yes, it resembles "The Prince" but what makes separates the two is the religious undertone that the "Art of War" contains. I did not know this before, it was after this seminar that I could see many different influences. It also treats war as an art and something that has rules and regulations that both sides must adhere to.

[Anonymous]

It was helpful to sit in on Clay's lecture on Confucianism; I cover many of the same points that he stressed and it was encouraging to see that modeled by someone else - definitely gives me more confidence when Ireturn to the topic with my students in the fall. I will definitely be implementing a lecture-debate combo similar to the one that we experienced several weeks back in the seminar.

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