Great Courses: Chinese Philosophy

A curated directory of standout university lecture series, high-production MOOCs, open-access courses, and authoritative audio masterclasses in Chinese and comparative philosophy.

Course Index

• Classical Foundations & Pre-Qin Thought
• Cosmology, Han Synthesis, & Chinese Buddhism
• Neo-Confucianism, Modernity, & Comparative Political Philosophy
• Academic Masterclasses, Podcasts, & Audio Series

Classical Foundations & Pre-Qin Thought

• The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches Us about the Good Life (Harvard University / edX / Prof. Michael Puett)
• Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought (The University of Hong Kong / edX / Prof. Chad Hansen)
• Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science (University of British Columbia / edX / Prof. Edward Slingerland)
• China's Political and Intellectual Foundations: From Sage Kings to Confucius (Harvard University / edX / Prof. Peter K. Bol & Prof. William C. Kirby)
• Leverhulme Lectures in Chinese Philosophy: Engaging Chinese Philosophy (University of Aberdeen & UNSW Sydney / YouTube / Prof. Karyn Lai)
• The Confucian Mengzi and His Context (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)

Cosmology, Han Synthesis, & Chinese Buddhism

• Chinese Cosmology: Dao, Qi, Yin-Yang, and the Five Phases (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)
• Understanding the Classic of Changes (I Ching) (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)
• Buddhism Through Its Scriptures (Harvard University / edX / Prof. Charles Hallisey)
• Basics of Buddhist Philosophy: Indian Roots and Chinese Developments (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)
• Leverhulme Lectures in Chinese Philosophy: Orientation, Agency, and Dao (University of Aberdeen & UNSW Sydney / YouTube / Prof. Karyn Lai)

Neo-Confucianism, Modernity, & Comparative Political Philosophy

• Neo-Confucian Ethics and Metaphysics: Pattern, Qi, and Zhu Xi (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)
• China's Favorite Confucian: Wang Yangming (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)
• Teleology and Consciousness in Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism (University of Chicago Divinity School / YouTube / Prof. Brook Ziporyn)
• The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy (PublicSquareNet / Prof. Daniel A. Bell & Prof. Stein Ringen)
• Why Confucius Still Matters: Virtue, Wisdom, and Progressive Confucianism (The Prometheans / Prof. Stephen C. Angle)
• The European Reception of Chinese Philosophy (Vassar College / YouTube / Prof. Bryan W. Van Norden)

Academic Masterclasses, Podcasts, & Audio Series

• History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps: Classical China Series (LMU Munich & King's College London / Prof. Peter Adamson & Prof. Karyn Lai)
• In Our Time: Confucius (BBC Radio 4 / Melvyn Bragg with Frances Wood, Prof. Tim Barrett, & Dr. Tao Tao Liu)
• In Our Time: Daoism (BBC Radio 4 / Melvyn Bragg with Prof. Tim Barrett, Martin Palmer, & Prof. Hilde De Weerdt)
• In Our Time: The Han Synthesis (BBC Radio 4 / Melvyn Bragg with Dr. Christopher Cullen, Carol Michaelson, & Prof. Roel Sterckx)
• In Our Time: China's Warring States Period (BBC Radio 4 / Melvyn Bragg with Dr. Christopher Cullen, Dr. Vivienne Lo, & Carol Michaelson)
• Michael Puett on Ritual in Chinese Philosophy (Philosophy Bites / David Edmonds & Nigel Warburton)