Religious
Studies
353 W2014 Dark Self East & West: Comparative Conceptions CRN
26498
Instructor:
Mark T. Unno, Tel. 346-4973 munno@uoregon.edu
http://www.uoregon.edu/~munno/
Tues & Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
a.m. CHA 204: Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 12:00-1:00 p.m.
SCH 334
This
course on comparative religious and philosophical thought examines
selected thinkers and conceptions of the self in East Asia and the
West, with a special focus on the dark side of the self. Although
comparisons are often made between ultimates - God, Buddha, Tao,
and the like - it is often overlooked that they are responses to
what are regarded as the fundamental problems or dark sides of the
inner life. Through comparing the dark side including - sin in
Christianity, karmic evil and delusion in Buddhism, entanglement
in Taoism, and suffering in psychology - it will become evident
that that there are both significant similarities and deep
differences between diverse religious and philosophical views.
In
the latter part of the course, films together with readings will
be used to explore the dark side through various cultural themes
including racism, gender discrimination, and war. In turn,
possible responses to these issues from various thinkers in the
first half of the course will be considered.
This is an intermediate-level
course with a lecture/discussion format. Some meetings will be
entirely in lecture format. Others will involve a combination
of lecture and small breakout discussion groups.
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.
2. Short exams: There will be
two short, in-class exams, based on materials from the
readings, lectures, and course web site. The first exam will
also contain questions on writing papers.
3. Short papers: Students
will write three short papers based on topics that will be
provided by the instructor.
4.
Final paper: Each student will hand in a medium length
final paper of 5-7 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 the instructor
one week prior to the due date.
5.
Late policy on written assignments: Three grace days
total will be allotted excluding the medium-length
final 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.
Student
Assessment
In this
course students will:
A. Develop
their paper writing skills through regular feedback on papers and
an exam containing questions regarding the process and elements of
writing university essays.
B. Develop a sophisticated understanding of how diverse religions
and philosophies define the dark or problematic dimensions of
human existence.
C. Acquire tools for the study of comparative religion through the
examination of the philosophical anthropology (views of human
nature) as characterized by diverse strands of religious and
philosophical thinking, using primary sources and secondary
scholarly literature.
D. Learn to
identify and analyze thematic presentations of the dark or
problematic dimensions of human existence concerning diverse
factors of human culture such as gender, sexual orientation, race
and ethnicity, and class.
E. have their work assessed through exams, papers, and class
discussion.
Grades
*
Short Paper I - 10%; Short Paper II - 15%; Short Paper III -
15%
* Short Exam A - 10%; Short
Exam B - 10%;
Final Paper - 30%
Attendance and Participation - 10%
Note: You must complete
all assignments in order to receive course credit.
Even if you
are too late for an assignment to receive a passing
grade, you must hand it in.
Required
Texts
Shinmon
Aoki,
Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician (Anaheim,
CA:
Buddhist Education Ctr, 2002).
Rubin Carter, Eye of the Hurricane, My Path from
Darkness to Freedom (Chicago: Chicago Review
Press, 2011).
Viktor
Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
(NY: Washington Square Press, 1997).
Burton
Watson, trans., Zhuangzi
(New York: Columbia
University Press, 2003).
Mark Unno, ed., REL
353 Course Reader, Copy
Shop, 539 E 13th St,
Eugene, OR 97401 TEL 541
485 6253.
Course
Reader, REL 353 Dark Self, at the Copy Shop, 539 E. 13th
Street, Eugene, OR 97401, TEL 541 485 6253.
Course
Reader,
REL 353 Dark Self
1.
Suzy Hansen, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Evil," Salon.com
08/21/2002.
2.
Ralph Griffith, trans., "Hymn on Creation from the Rig Vedas"
(Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1973) 206, 633-34.
3.
B. Srinivasa Murthy, trans., The Bhagavad Gita
(Long Beach, CA: Long Beach Publications, 1985) 29-44.
4.
Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983) 5-23, 34-53.
5.
Soren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1980) 13-21, 29-47.
6.
Peter Schneider, "Saving Konrad Latte," The New York Times
Magazine
(February 13, 2000) 52-57, 72-73, 90, 95.
7.
"The Bill Wilson - Carl Jung Letters," 1-5.
8.
Robert Aziz, C. G. Jung's Psychology of Religion and
Synchronicity (Albany:
SUNY Press, 1990).
9.
P. J. Ivanhoe, "Zhuangzi on Skepticism, Skill, and the Ineffable
Dao," Journal of the AAR,
LX:4 639-654.
10.
"The Ten Oxherding Pictures," in How to Practice Zazen,
Institute for Zen Studies, 26-45.
11.
Mark Unno, "Key Terms: Pure Land Buddhism of Honen and
Shinran"
12.
Mark Unno, "The Borderline between Buddhism and Psychotherapy," in
Buddhism and Psychotherapy Across Cultures,
ed. Mark Unno (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2006), 139-158.
13.
Taitetsu Unno, trans., Tannisho-A Shin Buddhist Classic
(Honolulu: Buddhist Study Center, 1996), 5-11, 16-17, 35.
14.
Catherine Keller, "The Ethic of Inseparability, Weaving the
Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality ,
eds. J. Plaskow and C. Christ (NY: HarperCollins) 256-265.
15.
Audre Lorde, "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power," Sister
Outsider
(Freedom, CA: Crossing Press, 1984) 53-59.
16.
Sandy Gunther, "An Alternate View of Reality: Understanding
Mystical Experience in Jacob's Ladder," Unpublished Paper 1-10.
17.
Albert Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus," in The Myth of Sisyphus
(NY: Random House, 1955), 88-91.
18.
Robert Akeret, Tales from a Travelling Couch
(NY: Norton, 1996) 19-57.
Weekly
Schedule
REL353 Dark Self East & West
(Reading
assignments
are to be completed by the date under which they are listed.)
CR
= Course Reader; RT = Required Text
Week
1 INTRODUCTION; KIERKEGAARD AND SIN
1/07
Introduction: The Dark Side of Human Existence: Contrasts and
Comparisons
1/09
Reading: Reading: Suzy Hansen, "Ordinary People, Extraordinary
Evil" (CR1); Soren
Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling,
5-23; 34-53 (CR4).
Paper
I due in class.
Week
2 KIERKEGAARD (cont.)
1/14
Reading: Soren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, 13-21,
29-47 (CR5).
1/16 Reading:
Robert Aziz, Jung's Psychology of Religion and Synchronicity
(CR8).
Week
3 EXISTENCE : MEANING & MEANINGLESSNESS; INDIAN
PHILOSOPHY: KARMA AND NEITHER/NOR
1/21
Reading:
"Hymn on Creation from the Rig Vedas," 206, 633-4 (CR2); The
Bhagavad Gita, 29-44 (CR3).
1/23
Reading: Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning (RT).
Reading:
Peter
Schneider, "Saving Konrad Latte," 52-57, 72-73, 90, 95 (CR6).
Week
4 BLINDNESS, LIGHT, & INSIGHT
1/28
Reading: Rubin
Carter, Eye of the Hurricane, 1-196
(RT).
1/30
Reading: Rubin
Carter, Eye of the Hurricane, 197-320 (RT).
Second
half of class: Special Guest Lecture: STEVE WEHRMEIER
Reading:
"The
Bill Wilson - Carl Jung Letters," 1-5 (CR7).
Reading:
Crispin
Sartwell, "Addiction and Authorship," Obscenity,
Anarchy, Reality, 129-153 (online).
(Alan Bewell responds to this essay here).
Paper
II due in class.
Week
5 DAOISM: ZHUANGZI WANDERING THE DAO
2/04
Reading: Zhuangzi,
1-30, 31- 88 (focus pages: 31-49, 62-63, 78-81) (RT).
Reading:
P.J.
Ivanhoe, "Zhuangzi on Skepticism," 639-654 (CR9).
2/06
Reading: Zhuangzi,
89-140 (focus pages: 94-95, 126-140) (RT).Exam A in class.
Week
6 PURE LAND BUDDHISM: SHINRAN & COFFINMAN
2/11
Reading: Mark Unno, Key Terms: "Pure Land Buddhism of Honen
& Shinran" (CR11).
Reading:
Tannisho:
A Shin Buddhist Classic, 5-11, 16-17, 35 (CR13).
Reading:
Mark
Unno, "The Borderline between Buddhism and Psychotherapy,"
139-158 (CR12).
2/13
Reading: Coffinman,
xiii-xvi, 3-111 (RT).
Week
7 MYSTICISM & THE QUESTIONING OF REALITY
2/18
Film: Jacob's Ladder
2/20
Reading: Sandy Gunther, " An Alternate View of Reality:
Understanding
Mystical Experience in Jacob's Ladder," 1-10 (CR16). Paper
III due in class.
Week
8 SEXUALITY, EROS & SPIRIT: A WOMANIST ACCOUNT
2/25
Film: Antonia's Line
Reading:
Alice Walker, The Color Purple
(RT).
2/27
Reading: Catherine Keller, "The Ethic of Inseparability (CR14);
Audre Lorde, "The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,"
53-59 (CR15).
Week
9 BUDDHIST KARMA, EXISTENTIAL ABSURDITY
3/04
Film: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, . . . and
Spring Again
3/06
Reading:
Albert Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus," 88-91 (CR17).
Reading:
"The Ten Oxherding Pictures," 26-45 (CR10). Exam B in class.
Week
10 CONCLUSIONS AND BEGINNINGS
3/11
Reading: Robert Akeret, Tales from a Travelling Couch,
19-57 (CR18).
3/13
Concluding
Lecture and Discussion. Final papers due in class.