EALC7528 - Apocalypse and Utopia in China

Representations of a perfect society and imagined scenarios of a dystopian or apocalyptic future are a common features of all human societies. Philosophical, religious, and literary attempts to imagine alternative futures and critique present conditions enjoyed wide popularity and considerable influence throughout Chinese history. The goal of this course will be to introduce students to the major themes and trends in utopian and apocalyptic thought in China, from the premodern age to our times. In the first part of the semester, we will learn about the utopian and apocalyptic narratives that emerged in early and medieval China. We will begin by discussing the two archetypal models of a utopian society in early China: the Confucian harmonious moral society and its Daoist counterpart of an idyllic secluded community located in faraway lands. We will then turn our attention to the emergence of organized religion and the utopian and apocalyptic scenarios promoted by Daoist and Buddhist writers and religious innovators. In the second part of the semester, we will focus on the modern and contemporary periods and the study the impact of the introduction of Western utopian and millenarian narratives on the Chinese imagination. In addition to surveying some real-world attempts to establish a utopian society, such as the 19th century Taiping Rebellion, Mao Zedong's attempts to re-fashion China into a Community Utopia in the 20th century, and the 21st century eco-village green movement, students will be introduced to a wide variety of literary and cinematic texts that try to imagine a possible future - from the utopian sci-fi nationalism of The Wandering Earth to the dystopian fiction of leading writers such as Han Song, Chen Qiufan, and Han Jingfang. Using these works as case studies, we will strive to ascertain the role of utopianism as a tool of political, social, and environmental criticism and as a way to construct a better and more just society in the 21st century. No knowledge of Chinese is necessary - all readings will be in English. As a split-level seminar, the course will be discussion-based. Students will be asked to post weekly 500-word response papers in which they will analyze and critique the readings. The goal of this task is to help students familiarize themselves with the assigned sources before the in-class discussion thus facilitating a meaningful and productive discussion. For their final project, students will conduct their own research on a topic of their choice and present it during the last meeting. Undergraduate paper will be limited to 10-pages; graduate papers should be around 20-25 pages, including original-language research.