Philosophy 104 / Winter 2014

Term Paper Topic and Guidelines

(2014-1-10 version)

Guidelines:

(a) Select one from the following two term paper topic candidates.
(b) Your term paper is due by midnight/23:59 of January 17 (Friday) [in electronic version of
the MS Word file to be submitted in “Dropbox for Term Papers” at the class website]
(c) Typed, double-spaced, 1 inch margin, the Times New Roman font face with font size 12. The
main text of your paper should be 5–6 full pages (at least 275 words each page).
(d) The paper should show use of library resources [research books or journal articles to which
the library subscripted, rather than source books such as (English translations of) the Analects
and the Dao-De-Jing], through at least two direct or indirect citations from different
resources [the article cited from the supplementary readings counts only as one / the textbook
does not count] in the main text of your paper and giving their full reference information in
endnotes. For relevant book/journal-article resources (and also for reference format), you can
consult “Subject Bibliography” of the textbook Chinese Philosophy A-Z, Sections 1.1.2 (Yi-
Jing philosophy), 1.2.2 (classical Confucianism) and Section 1.5.2 (classical Daoism).
(e) For how to write philosophy papers, see “Some Suggestions for Writing Philosophy Papers”,
Reading #20 in the Course Reader.

Topics:

1. According to your understanding of Lao Zi’s and Confucius’s relevant teachings as well as
to your own opinion, explain what a reasonable relation between ‘superior virtue,’
advocated by Lao Zi, and disciplined morality, emphasized by Confucius, would be.

Steps: (1) What are “superior virtue” and “inferior virtue” according to Lao Zi? (2) Why did
Lao Zi criticize “inferior virtue”? (3) How would a Confucian, who emphasizes
deliberate/disciplined morality (conscious moral cultivation), respond to Lao Zi’s criticism?
(4) Try to give an account which includes reasonable/adequate points from both Lao Zi’s and
Confucius’s teachings in this regard. [In your discussion, to support your analysis, need to
cite relevant passages from the Analects and the Dao-De-Jing plus your explanation.]

2. Explain how the Yin-Yang way of thinking influences Confucius’s and Lao Zi’s ways to look
at things and explain its contemporary relevance.

Steps: (1) Present major points of the Yin-Yang way of thinking; (2) How does it influence
Confucius’s way as given in the Analects (need to cite relevant passages from the Analects
plus your explanation)? (3) How does it influence Lao Zi’s way as given in the Dao-De-Jing
(need to cite relevant passages from the Dao-De-Jing plus your explanation)? (4) Try to
apply the Yin-Yang way of thinking to analyze one issue or event in contemporary times (i.e.,
how this contemporary issue or event should be treated if the Yin-Yang way of thinking is
adopted, whether or not this issue or event in fact goes that way).

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