Teaching

Below is a representative selection of courses I have recently taught. I will be visiting Hong Kong University in Fall of 2026 and will be teaching while there.

Confucianism in China, Korea, and Japan

Last offered at Georgetown University, Spring Semester 2025

This class introduces students to representative Confucian philosophers from the pre-modern period in China, Korea, and Japan. It consists of weekly lectures and related discussion sections. The course will focus on what in the West is called neo-Confucianism, which means that it will be primarily concerned with Confucian thinkers from roughly the 10th century CE onward. Some background in East Asian philosophy, for example, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, is strongly recommended. The course will be conducted in English with some references to ideas and sources in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Students who have questions about preparation are encouraged to consult with and get permission from the instructor.

Confucian Ethics and Human Biology

Last offered at Georgetown University, Spring Semester 2024

In this class we shall ask, how accurate, plausible, and complete are the theories of human nature that underlie the ethical thought of different Confucian philosophers. Do such theories find any support from the best psychology and cognitive neuroscience of our day? Moreover, are the normative moral claims Confucians derive from their theories of human nature universally valid, merely one variation among many possible forms of society and culture, or without any normative force (i.e. incapable of justifying the moral claims they make)?

In order to achieve the ends described in the previous paragraph, this course will describe, analyze, and evaluate the theories of the two most important early followers of Kongzi (Confucius): Mengzi (Mencius) and Xunzi from the perspective of both modern science and comparative philosophy. Our aims are on the one hand, to gain a more accurate and philosophically sophisticated understanding of their views and on the other hand to bring their views into constructive conversation with other thinkers and the insights of contemporary psychology, cognitive neuroscience, anthropology, and philosophy.

Advanced Classical Chinese/Reading Korean Confucian Philosophical Texts

Last offered at Georgetown University, Spring Fall 2024

This class introduces students to works by representative philosophers from the Korean Confucian tradition of the 14th to 18th centuries. It is an advanced level class and assumes a fairly high level of ability to read Classical Chinese as well as a solid grasp of Confucian philosophy. The class will be conducted as a seminar, students will come to class regularly prepared to read, translate, and discuss the readings assigned for that day. The selections listed in the syllabus represent the range of texts we will read this semester. If we are not able to complete the text assigned for a given week, we will continue that assignment the following week. We are prepared to adjust the pace of the class to the rate of our progress.

Xunzi, Ritual, and Religion

Last offered at Georgetown University, Spring Fall 2022

The primary aim of the course is to read, analyze, and assess a range of sophisticated and influential theories about ritual that have been used by various scholars to explain Xunzi’s views on the nature, practice, and role of ritual in the ideal life. The primary readings will be in English but some time will be dedicated to reading the text in the original Classical Chinese.