Chapter 1 Overall Introduction 1
Study One Civilization or Two？ 2
Why This Comparison Now？ 4
From a Chinese Point of View 4
From a Western Point of View 5
Cultural Relativism 6
Modernity Is Different in China and in the West 8
The Goal of Comparative Civilization Studies 10
Western Thought Patterns in WCwCC 10
The Uses of Distant Perspectives 11
Preparatory Skills 12
“Last Words” 14
Chapter 2 Technical Features of This Text 16
Modular Organization 16
Format for Each Half-Module 18
Reuniting Cultural Elements Dispersed among Modules 18
Technical Aspects of the CD-ROM Format 19
1.Installation 20
2.On -Screen Reading 21
3.Copying or Printing 27
Appendix： technical details for downloading Adobe Reader 27
Chapter 3 WCwCC as a University Course 29
1 How to Approach a Reading in WCwCC 30
1.1 Inspection 30
1.2 Interpretation 31
1.3 Comparison 31
1.4 Generalization 32
2 Advice for Prospective Students and Teachers 34
2.1 Self -Study versus In-Course study 34
2.2 A One-semester Version 35
2.3 Understanding Is More Important Than Knowledge 36
3 Critical Thinking and Academic Writing in English 38
3.0 Introduction 38
3.1 Debate： the Concentrated Form of Western Argumentation 39
3.2 Comparative Guidelines for Argumentative Writing 43
3.3 The Basic Tripartite [three-part] Structure 45
3.4 The Model of Modern Science 46
3.5 Questions of Focus： Forests and Trees 47
3.6 Seeking a Workable Thesis Statement 48
3.7 The Importance of Comparative Topics 50
3.8 Schematic Model for Structuring an Argument 51
3.9 Conclusion 52
Chapter 4 Module 0.1 GROUNDWORK 53
MODULE 0.1.1 Working Concepts for WCwCC 53
0.1.1.1 Mapping Ethnocentrism 53
0.1.1.2 Cultures and Civilizations： Definitions and Problems 71
0.1.1.3 Thirteen Working Premises for Comparative Civilization Studies 83
0.1.1.4 The Idea of a Cultural Construct 87
0.1.1.5 Worldviews and Paradigms 94
0.1.1.6 Modernity as a Touchstone Concept in WCwCC 101
0.1.1.7 The Place of History 106
0.1.1.8 False Friends 109
MODULE 0.1.2 Tentative Comparisons： China and the West 113
0.1.2.1 Guidelines for Credible Civilizational Comparisons 113
0.1.2.2 A Chinese-Based Comparison： Prof.Gu Zhengkun’s Seven Laws 118
0.1.2.3 Intersecting Cultural Constructs： DNA and the Yijing 130
0.1.2.4 Simplified Binary Comparisons： China and the West 134
MODULE 0.1.3 Intermediate Conclusion 149