Hocbigg - Asian Studies
Contents
Summary
The Asian Studies curriculum is a complete education in Asian Studies using online materials. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, balancing history, culture, religion, philosophy, politics, and language proficiency.
Asian Studies is inherently broad, covering East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.), and Southeast Asia. Students should select a primary regional focus early (e.g., East Asia) while maintaining comparative exposure.
Language study runs parallel throughout, aiming for intermediate proficiency in one Asian language (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, or another relevant to the chosen region).
Organization
This repository is organized into 2 main components:
- Core Curriculum (this page): the foundational knowledge of the field;
- Advanced Topics: focused study in specific areas;
Process: Learners may work through the curriculum independently or collaboratively, and either sequentially or selectively.
- For simplicity, courses in the Core Curriculum are ordered according to their prerequisites.
- The Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation and is intended to be completed in full.
- Advanced Topics are optional; learners are encouraged to select one area of focus and complete all courses within that topic.
Note: When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses, extras/readings.
Communities
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Forums:
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Subreddits:
- r/AsianStudies
- r/AskHistorians (frequent high-quality threads on Asian history and culture)
- r/southeastasia
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
- Join our Discord server (for discussions around this and other curricula):
:
Curriculum
- Pan-Asian Foundations
- Core Regional Histories
- Asian Philosophical Traditions
- Asian Literatures & Arts
- Modern Asia: Society, Politics, Economy
How to use this curriculum
Core Sections
These five sections form the essential backbone of the discipline. Study them in this exact order:
I. Pan-Asian Foundations: Start here. This section gives the basic geographical, historical, religious, and linguistic context shared across much of Asia.
II. Core Regional Histories: Next, learn the major historical development of the three main sub-regions of Asia (East, South, and Southeast). This is the historical spine of the field.
III. Asian Philosophical Traditions: After history, study the major ways of thinking and belief systems that have shaped Asian societies for centuries.
IV. Asian Literatures & Arts: Then explore how Asian cultures have expressed ideas, values, and experiences through literature, visual art, and performance.
V. Modern Asia: Society, Politics, Economy: Finish the core by understanding how Asia changed in the last two centuries – colonialism, independence, modern states, and economic transformation.
Pan-Asian Foundations
Geography, Peoples, and Regions
Big-Picture Asian History
- A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century by Charles Holcombe – focus on early chapters for pan-Asian frame
- Khan Academy – Asian Art and Culture overview sections
Major Religious Traditions of Asia
- edX / Coursera – Introduction to Asian Religions or World Religions courses covering Asia (search for broad Asian coverage)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, Jainism) (search for related entries)
- Asian Philosophies by John M. Koller
(Note: Language study – optional: Hocbigg - Languages)
Core Regional Histories
East Asia (China, Korea, Japan)
- A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century by Charles Holcombe
- Harvard edX – ChinaX or similar humanities series
South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka)
Southeast Asia
- Milton Osborne – Southeast Asia: An Introductory History
- Asia Society – Introduction to Southeast Asia
Asian Philosophical Traditions
Indian Traditions
- Bhagavad Gita (Easwaran or any standard beginner translation)
- Asian Philosophies by John M. Koller – Indian sections
Chinese Traditions
- Stanford Encyclopedia – Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism
- The Art of Chinese Philosophy by Paul Goldin (accessible intro)
Buddhist Worlds
- Access to Insight (Theravada texts)
- What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula (standard beginner text)
Asian Literatures & Arts
Literary Traditions
- Anthologies of Asian Literature in Translation (e.g., Norton or Columbia anthologies)
- Harvard edX – China Humanities: The Individual in Chinese Culture
Visual & Performing Arts
Modern Asia: Society, Politics, Economy
Colonialism & Independence
Politics & International Relations
- MIT OCW – International Relations of East Asia
- Introduction to Asian Politics (various edX/Coursera options)