Special Topics In History Interdisciplinary History

AY2018/2019 Semester 2

We study the history of the environment of Southeast Asia and East ('Northeast'?) Asia, focusing on what is present-day China and Japan (though we might touch on other territories such as Taiwan, the Korea peninsula, Mongolia, etc.). We will study how 'nature' and 'the environment' or rather, and more accurately, how cognate concepts in Southeast and East Asian societies are understood in the regions throughout history. We will study how these cognate concepts are perceived through the philosophy and worldview of the region and how environmental processes have intertwined with socio-economic, cultural, and political process. Some of the major themes include forest, agriculture, climate, colonialism, war, industrialism, and environmentalism. By the end of the course, we would have gained a deeper appreciation for the climate and terrain of the two regions, how humans have maintained livelihoods there, and how the environment has played a role in human history. Another important benefit is to compare Singapore with the rest of Southeast Asia and with East Asia.