Week 1 Introduction
HUMA1000: Cultures and Values (L3): Love,
Death and
Human Nature
Prof. Simon Wong
Division of Humanities hmmhwong@ust.hk Introduction
• This course has defined “narrative as a perception” as the specific aspect of humanities perspective to form the contents of the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs).
Within this framework, three basic values will be explored:
Love, death and human nature. Lectures and readings will be built upon selected texts of Chinese philosophy and religion. Through studying the texts, students will reflect and explore the deep meanings and different aspects embodied in the concepts of love, death and human nature, which, in the long run, may serve as stimulating factors for the construction of their philosophies of life.
• For the concept of love, love as benevolence in Confucius’ and
Mencius’ thoughts and love as universal love in Mohism will be compared and explored. For the concept of death, a naturalistic view of death in contrast to death viewed by
Chinese Buddhism and religious Taoism will be introduced. A
Confucian view of death will be put forward as a dialectical unity of the previous two seemingly contradictory views of death. As for the concept of human nature, various traditional views of human nature will be discussed and a suggestion is given to explain why Mencius’ idea that human nature is good triumphs over other views and becomes the orthodox view of human nature in the Chinese tradition.
HUMA 1000: Culture and Values
Writing Workshops
Dr. Nigel Huckstep
Center for Language Education
Senior Instructor lcnigel@ust.hk Writing workshops:
Intended Learning Outcome
• We offer 5 writing workshops (6.6 hours).
• If you have a suitable level of English to work with and attend them all and complete all the required tasks you will be able to
– communicate in writing, persuasively in a professional manner.
– (write a persuasive essay about an issue covered in the course, in English that is appropriate for use at university).
Death and
Human Nature
Prof. Simon Wong
Division of Humanities hmmhwong@ust.hk Introduction
• This course has defined “narrative as a perception” as the specific aspect of humanities perspective to form the contents of the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs).
Within this framework, three basic values will be explored:
Love, death and human nature. Lectures and readings will be built upon selected texts of Chinese philosophy and religion. Through studying the texts, students will reflect and explore the deep meanings and different aspects embodied in the concepts of love, death and human nature, which, in the long run, may serve as stimulating factors for the construction of their philosophies of life.
• For the concept of love, love as benevolence in Confucius’ and
Mencius’ thoughts and love as universal love in Mohism will be compared and explored. For the concept of death, a naturalistic view of death in contrast to death viewed by
Chinese Buddhism and religious Taoism will be introduced. A
Confucian view of death will be put forward as a dialectical unity of the previous two seemingly contradictory views of death. As for the concept of human nature, various traditional views of human nature will be discussed and a suggestion is given to explain why Mencius’ idea that human nature is good triumphs over other views and becomes the orthodox view of human nature in the Chinese tradition.
HUMA 1000: Culture and Values
Writing Workshops
Dr. Nigel Huckstep
Center for Language Education
Senior Instructor lcnigel@ust.hk Writing workshops:
Intended Learning Outcome
• We offer 5 writing workshops (6.6 hours).
• If you have a suitable level of English to work with and attend them all and complete all the required tasks you will be able to
– communicate in writing, persuasively in a professional manner.
– (write a persuasive essay about an issue covered in the course, in English that is appropriate for use at university).