PHIL - 270 Introduction to Asian Religious Thought

Credits: 3

Prerequisites
ENGL 101; recommended PHIL 101 or REL 201.

This course is intended to serve as an introduction to some of the methods, issues & theories associated within major Asian philosophical religious systems, focusing on Vedantic Hinduism, Early Buddhism, Philosophical Taoism, & Zen Buddhism. Perennial issues which will be addressed include: the Nature of Sacred, the relationship between the Sacred and the self, life and death, happiness and meaning, and morality. In addition to the content of the course, students should find the analytic “tools” utilized in the course helpful in all courses of study requiring critical thinking as well as in assessing the plethora of arguments and pseudo-reasoning which pervade everyday life. Films and literature will be utilized to reveal how the themes of the course extend beyond canonical religious texts. Personal reflection and group discussion exercises will also be required. This course will only satisfy one discipline to complete the Associate Degree requirement.

Notes
This course meets the Non-Western Perspective criteria for transfer to University of Virginia’s College of Arts and Sciences.