Philosophy 213 Eastern Philosophy, Winter 2005-06 CRN23919 PLC180 10:00-10:50 a.m.
Introduction to selected religious philosophies of Asia. This
course will examine various Asian religious and philosophical
traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Rather than provide a comprehensive survey of all of the Asian
philosophies (which is impractical in a ten-week quarter), this
course emphasizes in-depth understanding of selected traditions
through the study of primary religious texts supported by secondary
readings in the relevant scholarly literature. The focus of our
examination will be on the philosophical understanding of religious
ideas supported by a critical examination of historical context.
There will also be selected comparisons with Western thinkers, in
particular Soren Kierkegaard and Audre Lorde. We will study key
philosophical ideas within the critical context of various cultural
and historical issues such as gender, class, and ritual.
Requirements
1. Attendance: Required. Students can have one unexcused absence
without penalty. Each class missed thereafter without prior
permission will result in 1/2 grade penalty for the course grade.
Attendance at weekly discussion sections is mandatory.
2. Short exams: Two short, in-class exams, based on materials from
the readings, lectures, and course web site. The first exam will
include questions on writing papers, based on essays from the course
web site.
3. Short papers: Two short papers on the readings, 2-3 pages each.
Paper topics will be posted to the course web site.
4. Presentation: Students will make a presentation on the readings
for one of the section meetings. The presenter should NOT summarize
the reading but should use the presentation to discuss why the
selected ideas/passages in question are important for understanding
the reading and proceed to explain and well as raise questions about
these ideas/passages. Each student will prepare a brief handout with
ONE question and accompanying quotation(s) from the readings.
The primary purpose of these presentations is to launch the
discussion, not to demonstrate breadth of knowledge or to lead the
discussion. Each presenter will prepare a handout with 2 questions
and brief, corresponding quotations from the readings. More detailed
instructions will be provided on the course web site.
5. Final paper: Each student will hand in a medium length final paper
of 4-6 pages double-spaced. Suggested topics will be provided.
Students may choose to create their own topics with the consent of
their section leader. In the case of the latter, a one-paragraph
description of the topic must be submitted by email to your GTF one
week prior to the due date.
6. Late policy on written assignments: Three grace days total will be
allotted excluding the medium-length paper for which no extensions
will be given. For all other assignments, a cumulative total of three
late days will be allowed without penalty. Thereafter, each late day
will result in a two-point deduction from the course grade. Weekends
are not counted against the grace days.
Grades
Short exam A 10%, Short exam B 10%
Short paper I 15%, Short paper II 15%
Final paper 25%
Presentation 10%
Discussion 15%
Required Texts (Information listed here is given in
footnote/endnote format.)
1. Herbert Fingarette, Confucius-The Secular as Sacred (New York:
HarperCollins, 1972).
2. Burton Watson, tr., Chuang Tzu (New York: Columbia University
Press, 1964).
3. Taitetsu Unno, tr. Tannisho-A Shin Buddhist Classic (Honolulu:
Buddhist Study Center Press, 1996).
4. Course Reader, Philosophy 213 Eastern Philosophy World, Winter
2005
Available at the Copy Shop, 539 E. 13th Street, Eugene, OR 97401, TEL
485 6253
1. Ralph T. H. Griffith, trans., The Hymns of the Rgveda (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1973) 206, 633-4.
2. A. C. Bhakitvedanta Swami Prabhupada, trans., Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1990) 633-634.
3. B. Srinivasa Murthy, trans., The Bhagavad-Gita (Long Beach, CA: Long Beach Publications, 1985) 29-44.
4. Joseph Campbell, Oriental Mythology - The Masks of God (NY: Penguin, 1991) 343-353.
5. Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983) 5-23, 34-53.
6. Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990) 9-26.
7. Frederick Streng, Emptiness-A Study in Religious Meaning (Nashville and New York: Abingdon Press, 1967) 199, 212-215.
8. Mark Unno, "Key Ideas: Nagarjuna" and "Key Ideas: Philosophical Schools."
9. Jay Garfield, trans., The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (NY: Oxford University Press, 1995) 67-72.
10. C. W. Huntington, The Emptiness of Emptiness (Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1990) 36-59.
11. Robert A. F. Thurman, trans., The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1987) 56-63, 73-77.
12. Taitetsu Unno, "Philosophical Schools-San-lun, T'ien-t'ai, and Hua-yen," in Buddhist Spirituality, ed. by Takeuchi Yoshinori (New York: Crossroad, 1995) 343-365.
13. Heinrich Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History-India and China (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1988) 85-94.
14. Mark Unno, "Key Terms - Philosophical Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought of Dogen"
15. Norman Waddell and Masao Abe, trans., "Shobogenzo Genjokoan," by Dogen Kigen, The Eastern Buddhist 5:2 (10/1972) 129-140.
16. Mark Unno, "Key Terms - Pure Land Buddhism and the Philosophy of Honen and Shinran."
17. Mark Unno, "The Nembutsu of No-Meaning and the Problem of Genres in the Writings and Statements of Gutoku Shinran." The Pure Land 10-11 (12/1994). 1-9 (originally pages 105-121).
18. Mu Soeng Sunim. Thousand Peaks: Korean Zen-Tradition & Teachers. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1987. 28-48, 191-314.
19. Audre Lorde, "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power," Sister Outsider (Freedom, CA: Crossing Press, 1984) 53-59.
Introduction
1/09 Introduction: Western Logic & Eastern Logic: 3-step
syllogism & 4-step dialectic
Indian Philosophy - Hinduism
1/11 Early Practice & Logic; History & Transcendence.
Reading: Rg Veda, CR1.
1/13 Ascetics and Warriors: Yoga and Duty. Reading:
Bhagavad Gita, CR2, 3.
1/16 No class: Martin Luther King, Jr. day.
1/18 Comparison: Soren Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith.
Reading: Fear & Trembling, CR5.
Indian Philosophy - Buddhism
1/20 Eros and Agape: Transgression & Transcendence. Reading:
Oriental Mythology, CR4.
1/23 Special Lecture-attendance required: PLC 180 7:30 p.m.,
Dale Cannon, Prof Emeritus, Western Oregon University, "Comparative
Study of Religion & Philosophy" (no regular class).
1/25 Early Buddhism: Life and Thought of Sakyamuni Buddha
Reading:
Peter Harvey, An Introduction to
Buddhism, CR6
1/27 Mahayana Buddhism: Nagarjuna - Two-fold Truth and Four-Step
Dialectic.
Reading: Unno, Garfield, & Huntington, CR7, 8, 9 Paper
I due in class.
1/30 Mahayana Buddhism: Emptiness in Scripture. Rdg: The
Holy Teaching of Vimalak_rti, CR10.
Chinese Philosophy - Confucianism
2/01 Early Chinese Society and Confucius. Rdg: Fingarette,
Confucius, RT, vii-xi, 1-17.
2/03 Confucius and the Orchestral Vision. Rdg: Fingarette,
Confucius, RT, 18-56. Exam A in
class.
Chinese Philosophy - Daoism
2/06 Zhuangzi & the Logic of Daoism. Rdg:
Zhuangzi, RT, 1-30; Ivanhoe,
"Zhuangzi," CR12.
2/08 Zhuangzi & Skillfulness. Rdg:
Zhuangzi, RT, 31- 88
(focus pages: 31-49, 62-63, 78-81).
2/10 Zhuangzi, Life, & Death. Rdg:
Zhuangzi, RT, 89-140
(focus pages: 94-95, 126-140).
Chinese Philosophy - Buddhism
2/13 Chinese Philosophical Schools - San-lun & T'ien-t'ai.
Rdg: Unno "Ch Phil Schools," CR11.
2/15 Chinese Philosophical Schools - T'ien-t'ai & Hua-yen.
Rdg: Unno "Ch Phil Schools," CR11.
2/17 Zen (Chan) Buddhism. Rdg: Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A
History, CR13. Paper II due in class.
Japanese Philosophy - Zen Buddhism
2/20 Dogen: Rdg: "Philosophical Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought
of Dogen," CR15.
2/22 Dogen & Soto Zen: Rdg: Dogen: "Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"
129-133, CR16.
2/24 Dogen & Soto Zen: Rdg: Dogen: "Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"
134-140, CR16. Students: Ask questions about Exam B topics.
2/27 Comparison: Soren Kierkegaard's Relation Self. Rdg:
Sickness Unto Death, 13-21, 29-47, CR14.
Japanese Buddhism - Pure Land Buddhism
3/01 Shinran and Shin Buddhism. Rdg: Unno "Key Terms - Pure Land
Buddhism, CR17.
3/03 Exam B in class.
Rdg: Mark Unno, "The Nembutsu of No-Meaning and the Problem of
Genres," CR18.
3/06 Shinran. Rdg: Tannisho-A Shin Buddhist Classic,
SECTIONS 1, 3, 13, 4, 8, Afterword, RT.
3/08 Shinran. Rdg: Tannisho-A Shin Buddhist Classic,
SECTIONS 9, 5, 10, 6, Epilogue, RT.
Korean Buddhism
3/10 Comparison: Eros & Compassion. Rdg: Audre Lorde,
"Uses of the Erotic," CR20.
3/13 Classical Period: Wonhyo - Scholar and Transgressor. Rdg;
Thousand Peaks, 28-48, CR19.
3/15 Modern Period: Seung Sahn - East and West. Rdg;
Thousand Peaks, 191-314, CR19.
3/17 Final Lecture. Final Papers Due in Class.