The aims of the Chinese Civilisation-History and Philosophy course are to: (1) introduce basic knowledge of, and the key concepts and major events in, Chinese history and philosophy; (2) introduce methods of assessing source materials; (3) train students to think critically in historical and philosophical analysis and interpretation; and (4) help students to identify the ‘self’ in the modern world.

This course critically examines historical themes and philosophical concepts from a variety of perspectives. All large-class learning activities, tutorials, online discussions and field trips (optional) in the course cover select topics in Chinese history and philosophy. These topics have been chosen with the aim of helping students to identify the self and to better understand the relationship between individuals and the state and society.