Phi 238 - Spring 2019
Asian Philosophies
Asian Philosophies
syllabus
Week 1: Jan 29
- The vastness of the topic "Asian Philosophies", both geographically and chronologically. Eastern religions (video, pdf). What is the difference between philosophy and religion? How are they similar to one another? Focus of this course: Indian philosophy. Historical overview (audio). Main schools of Indian philosophy (pdf). Key ideas and works (pdf). Dialogue between Nagasena and Milinda (pdf).
Week 2: Feb 5
- How to prepare for this class: First, start by listening to podcast episodes 3 and 4 of "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India" (audio, audio). As you listen to these episodes, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting. Try to keep track of names, authors, titles and dates. Write down in your diary the names of the Upanisads mentioned. I recommend that you listen to each episode at least twice. Second, have a look at some of the Upanisads (pdf), especially those whose name is mentioned in the podcast episodes you listened to. Finally, read chapter 1 of "Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction" (pdf). This will give you more historical and cultural context.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: Vedic beginnings of Indian Philosophy. The Upanisads. What are some of the main Upanisads? What is the relationship between the Upanisads and the Vedas? Why are rituals so important? What challanges do Jains and Buddhists present for the Brahaminical tradition? What are some examples of correspondences or hidden connections we find in the Upanisads? What does it mean to say that "knowledge of the self" is "knowledge of the world"?
- Presenter: Mark-Anthony.
Week 3: Feb 12 - No Class
Week 4: Feb 19
- How to prepare for this class: First, start by listening to podcast episode 5 of "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India" (audio). As you listen, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting. Try to keep track of names and titles. Second, read Chapter 1 of Ganeri's book "The Concealed Art of the Soul" (pdf). You will notice that episode 5 of the podcast is based on this chapter. Try to combine information from the two sources. Finally, go back and read again some of the Upanisads (pdf), especially those mentioned in Ganeri's chapter (e.g. the Chandogya Upanisad). Write down in your diary some passages from the Upanisads which you find most interesting and/or memorable.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: Why is Prajapati so reluctant to talk about the "self"? What are the different definitions he gives? Why are some of them inadequate? What does Ganeri mean when he claims that the "self" cannot be an object of consciousness (p. 27)? What have we learned about the "self" from the Upanisads? Is this at all satisfactory?
- Presenters: Natalia and Tangina.
Week 5: Feb 26
- How to prepare for this class: First, read chapter I and II of Calasso's book titled "Ka" (pdf). Chapter I tells the story of Garuda and Chapter II talks about Prajapati. Second, write down in your diary a summary of the story, describing the main characters and the key ideas in the two chapters of Calasso's book. Does anything sound familiar from previous parts of the course? Write down your reflections in the diary.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: What is the story of Garuda? How was the world created? What is differentiation? What is the theory of identities? What is the relationship between Prajapati, Death and the other gods? Why is Prajapati so exhausted?
- Presenters: Lisa and Michael.
Week 6: March 5
- How to prepare for this class: First, start by listening to podcast episode 6 on Karma of "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India" (audio) and then listen to epistede 14 on the Bhagavad-Gita (audio). As you listen to both episodes, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting. Second, read chapters 1 and 2 of the Bhagavad-Gita (pdf). As you read, write down in your diary excerpts or sentences that you find interesting as well as questions you have about the text.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: What is Karma? Where does this notion come from? Why is Arjuna so conflicted? What is Krisna's answer? What is the difference between the answer based on "Kowledge" and the answer based on "Yoga"? Are they in fact the same? What do you think about Krisna's answer? If you were Arjuna, would you be satisfied?
- Presenters: Nelson and Jose'.
Week 7: March 12
- How to prepare for this class: Read from the remaining chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita, specifically chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6. (pdf). As you read, write down in your diary excerpts or sentences that you find interesting as well as questions you have about the text.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: Why is Arjuna so puzzled by the answer given to him by Krsna in chapter 2? How does Krsna respond in chapters 3 and 4? Why is sacrifice so important (p. 113 and p. 118)? Why is attachment to sensible objects problematic for Krsna? In chapter 5, Arjuna asks Krsna whether "renunciation of works" is better than "selfless performance"? How does Krsna respond? Summarize the key message of the Yoga of Knowledge (chapter 2), Yoga of Works (chapter 3), Yoga of (divine) Knowledge (chapter 4), Yoga of Renunciation or Action (chapter 5) and Yoga of Meditation (chapter 6). Are they all the same? If not, how do they differ from one another? Which one do you find most convincing? Why?
- Presenters: Jefferson and Mohammed.
Week 8: March 19 - Midterm preparation
- How to prepare for this class: First, review your class notes, your diary notes as well we all the readings and other course materials you have studied so far. Second, make sure you can answer all the questions we discussed in class during the previous weeks. Third, write down in your diary summaries and conceptual maps of everything we covered so far. These will be useful for the midterm.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: Review of topics/questions discussed in previous classes.
Week 9: March 26 - Midterm
- How to prepare for the midterm: Keep in mind that the midterm is "open diary". That is, you will be allowed to use your philosophical diary and nothing else. So make sure your diary has good notes and summaries which you can rely on during the midterm.
- The midterm will consist of three parts: (a) Open questions to test your understanding of key ideas and concepts (for example: What are the main schools of Indian philosophy? Why are rituals so important in the Vedas? What are the three definitions of "self" given by Prajapati? What is Karma? What is the main message of Krisna to Arjuna in the Gita? And so on.) (b) An excerpt whose title and author (if any) you need to identify. (c) An excerpt whose meaning and context you'll be asked to explain and comment on.
Week 10: Apr 2
- How to prepare for this class: First, start by listening to podcast episode 9 and 10 of "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India" (audio, audio). As you listen to both episodes, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting. Second, read sections 1, 2 and 3 in the selection of Buddhist texts (pdf). Third, for more historical and philosophical context, have a look at chapter 2 of "Buddhism as Philosophy" by Mark Siderits (pdf). As you read these texts, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: What is the middle way? What are the four noble truths? Are you convinced by the teachings of the Buddha? What do you find appealing? What do you find problematic?
- Presenters: Marco and Aura.
Week 11: Apr 9
- How to prepare for this class: First, read sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the selection of Buddhist texts (pdf). As you read these texts, write down in your diary what you find most important and/or interesting. Second, read chapter 4 of Chatterjee and Datta's book "Introduction to Indian Philosophy" (pdf). This chapter gives you a comprehensive introduction to Buddhism and his main doctrines. As you read it, go back to the orginal Buddhist texts (pdf) and check whether what Chatterjee and Datta write is accurate. Write down in your diary any critical thoughts you have about Chatterjee and Datta's presentation of Buddhist's doctrines.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: What is the doctrine of depedent origination? What is the doctrine of no-self? Which topics the Buddha did not want to discuss? Why?
- Presenters: James.
Week 12: Apr 16
- How to prepare for this class: Read section 4.1 (pp. 69-72) of Siderits, Buddhism as Philosophy (pdf). Next, read sections 9.1 and 9.2 (pp. 180-186) of Siderits, Buddhism as Philosophy (pdf). Finally, complement the readings by listening to podcast episodes 44 (audio) and 45 (audio) on Nagarjuna in "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India". These are difficult course materials. Do not be discouraged if things do not make complete sense. Come to class with questions! Make sure to write down in your philosophical diary any critical thoughts you have about Nagarjuna's thesis that "reality is empty" and his argument against change.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: How do we make sense of Buddha's puzzling claim that it is false to say any of the following: (1) the enlightened person exists after death; (2) does not exist after death; (3) exists and does not exist after death; and (4) neither exists nor does not exist after death? How should we understand Nagarjuna's theory of emptiness? What does Siderits say about it? What does the podcast (episode 44) say about it? What is Nagarjuna's argument against the existence of change? How does Siderits describe it? How does the podcast (episode 45) describe it? In what way (if any at all) does Nagarjuna's philosophy help us to understand Buddha's denial of claims (1), (2), (3) and (4) above?
- Presenters: Lauren and Lakeyre.
Week 13: Apr 23 - Spring break
Week 14: Apr 30
- How to prepare for this class: First, read sections 2.1 through 2.4 (pp. 42-58) of Ganeri, Philosophy in Classical India (pdf). Second, read the short story "The Circular Ruins" by Argentinian writer J.L. Borges in the English translation (pdf) or the Spanish original (pdf) Next, complement the readings by listening to podcast episodes 45 (audio) and 46 (audio) on Nagarjuna in "History of Philosophy Without Gaps - India". Make sure to write down in your philosophical diary any critical thoughts you have about Nagarjuna's tetralemma and his argument against the possibility of causation.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: What does Ganeri mean by the "objective view"? What is the relationship between the objective view and common sense? What is the point of Najarguna's tretalemma? What is Nagarjuna's argument against causation? How does Borges' short story have to do with Najarguna's philosophy? Do you think Nagarjuna's philosophy makes Buddhism more or or less convicing?
- Presenters: Romulo, Mikqun and Nelson.
Week 15: May 7
- How to prepare for this class: Read select excerpts (pdf) from the works of Sri Aurobindo, a contemporary Indian philosopher of the last century (1872-1950). Aurobindo writes at a point in time much closer to us than thinkers such as Buddha or Nagarjuna. Try to see how he engages with traditional themes of classical Indian philosophy, such as the relationship between thought and matter, illusion (Maya) and reality, self and the world, man and God. Make sure you write in your diary points of similarity and difference with other Indian thinkers.
- Topics/questions to be discussed in class: How does Aurobindo describe East and West (p. 578)? What is the "integral view of the unity of Brahman" (p. 585)? What is Aurobindo's attitude toward what he calls a "philosophy of world-negation" by thinkers like the Buddha (p. 589)? What is the distinction between higher and lower Maya (p. 597)?
- Presenter: Justin.
Week 16: May 14
- Review
- Presenter: Karina.