Undergraduate Course: Japanese Philosophy (PHIL10222)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The purpose of this course is to examine major philosophical themes as they have been articulated in the history of Japanese philosophy. |
| Course description |
Classical Japanese philosophy consists of multiple cultural, intellectual, and religious traditions, including a Native Shinto tradition, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Modern Japanese philosophy also engages with an influx of Anglo-European philosophical concepts against the backdrop of East Asian traditions. The upshot of this is that the emergence of many philosophical concepts in the intellectual history of Japan has been shaped, to a greater or lesser degree, by some form of cross-cultural thinking.
This course will focus on one such theme in the history of Japanese philosophy (the theme chosen may vary from year to year). This will allow students to pursue a two-fold objective: (1) to deepen their knowledge of the way in which Japanese thinkers articulated their problems (and sometimes solutions) in their distinct intellectual and historical context; (2) to engage in their own versions of cross-cultural thinking by reflecting on, and responding to, these problems and the (possible) solutions proposed by philosophers in the history of Japan.
This course will not assume any previous knowledge in the area. All reading will be in English translation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 32,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
164 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Midterm essay (40%) 1500 words
Final essay (60%) 2500 words |
| Feedback |
Guidance will be given in advance of each assignment. This may be in the form of an in-class discussion, a handout, or discussion of a component of the assessed work. Instructor feedback on essay outline and peer feedback provides further formative opportunities ahead of final essay. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the way in which Japanese thinkers articulated their problems (and sometimes solutions) in their distinct intellectual and historical context.
- Demonstrate their knowledge of themes in Japanese Philosophy.
- Improve core skills in philosophy, including ability to interpret and engage with philosophical texts, evaluate arguments, and develop critical ideas in response.
- Analyse influential texts in Japanese Philosophy.
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Reading List
| A detailed course reading list will be provided 4 weeks before the semester begins, via the course handbook. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Japanese philosophy will ask students to think beyond the confines of Anglo-European philosophy. For many students, this would be going beyond their familiar social, cultural, linguistic, and even philosophy backgrounds, thus engaging in the intellectual EDI. For Asian students, this would be an opportunity for them to explain their intellectual background and make it pertinent to the ongoing philosophical discussions in Europe. Through this class, students will learn what it is like to think about the world and self in the context of world philosophies.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Being open to different perspectives; Adapting presentation or writing tone/style to audience; Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical analysis and evaluation; Critical thinking; Ethics and research ethics; Independence; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Problem solving; Academic reading skills; Research skills; Resilience; Self-reflection; Writing clearly and concisely; Decolonising understanding, Cross-cultural thinking, Intellectual EDI. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Takeshi Morisato
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: tmorisat@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Catriona Keay
Tel:
Email: ckeay4@ed.ac.uk |
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