This course is centered on the discussion of Chinese Philosophy. The development of the rationale of Chinese Philosophy cuts through the issues of the relations between Heaven and Man, and between the past and the present. Accordingly, we shall be concerned with the Dao of Heaven, the Dao of Man, as well as historical and methodological issues. In detail:

1. The relation between Heaven and Man (Heaven and Man, ming [fate, destiny, decree] and li [strength, will] ).
2. The Dao of Heaven:
(i) Distinction between metaphysics and physics (Dao and qi [Dao and its instruments], ti and yong [substance and function], xin and wu [heart-mind and things], ben and ji [the root and its demonstrations] ).
(ii) The basis of the universe (Dao, qi [breath, material force, vital force], taiyi [Great Change], wuji [Ultimate of Non-being], taiji [Great Ultimate], li [reason, rationale, principle] ).
(iii) The universe and the life process (yinyang, wuxing [five elements], you and wu [being and non-being], dong and jing [movement and stillness], chang and bian [constancy and change], yi and liang [oneness and duality], jian and zou [the gradual and the sudden] ).
3. The Dao of Man
(i) The endowments of man (xing and shen [form and spirit], xing and
qing [nature and substance].
(ii) Moral choice (yi and li [righteousness and benefit], li and yu [reason and desire], ren [benevolence, human-heartedness] and li [rites, rituals] ).
(iii) The ideal character (self-cultivation, types of character, models).
(iv) The ideal society (community and the well-ordered society).
4. Historical discussion: reason and power, past and present.
5. Methodological discussion: (knowledge and practice, investigating the principles of things and utmost knowledge, practice and true knowledge, name and reality [words and meaning], evidential debate and thought.