From the earliest Chinese poetry to the latest Arabic Internet novels, comparative literature makes available new worlds—and “newly visible” old worlds. To become “world-forming,” one must realize one’s belonging to a given world or worlds, as well as one’s finitude. To rethink the relationship between literature and world, each section of this course focuses on a given genre, movement or theme. Through topics such as “Epic Worlds,” ”The Short Story” and “Literature and Medicine,” we consider the creation of worlds through words. May be repeated once with a different topic.

Topics course: Readings from the major schools of Chinese thought, such as Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism and Buddhism. Consideration is also given to the relevance of these traditional teachings in contemporary China. As China moves away from Marxist-Leninist ideology, is there a place for a renewed Confucianism? As the Chinese become more ecologically concerned, will they draw on the concepts and vocabulary of Daoism and Buddhism? How do views of the relationship between body and cosmos in traditional teachings influence medical practices in China today?