Undergraduate Course: Buddhist Philosophy (PHIL10229)
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 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting 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 Buddhism and the Buddhist traditions. |
| Course description |
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama¿the Buddha¿who lived in Northern India approximately 2500 years ago. His teachings spread throughout the vast continent of Asia (including Central, East, and Southeast Asia), and were critically appropriated by, while also shaping, many of the cultural, intellectual, and religious traditions and languages which had been flourishing in these regions. The historical development of Buddhist thought is complex, as is manifest in the rise and the fall of numerous schools, set against the backdrop of multiple intellectual traditions. Its significance for the formation of Asian cultures and philosophies cannot be overestimated. This course will focus on several specific themes in the history of Buddhist philosophy (the themes chosen may vary from year to year). This will allow students to pursue a two-fold objective: (1) to deepen their knowledge of the ways in which Buddhist thinkers articulated their problems (and, sometimes, solutions) in their distinct intellectual and historical contexts; (2) to engage in their own versions of Buddhist thinking by reflecting on, and responding to, these problems and the (possible) solutions proposed by philosophers in the multi-faceted history of Buddhism. This course does not require any previous knowledge in the area. All readings will be in English translation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | There are no pre-requisites for this course, however, Japanese Philosophy or a course in Asian Studies or Buddhist Studies is recommended. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group presentation (20%)
Group-research output (20%)
Individual final essay (2500 words) (60%).
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the way in which Buddhist thinkers articulated their problems (and sometimes solutions) in their distinct intellectual and historical context.
- Demonstrate their knowledge of themes in Buddhist 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 Buddhist Philosophy.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Buddhist philosophy will ask students to complete three assignments: (1) a group presentation, (2) research output, and (3) final paper. The course content will demand students to think beyond the confines of Anglo-European philosophy, which for many of them would mean to going beyond their familiar social, cultural, linguistic, and even philosophy backgrounds, thus engaging in the intellectual EDI. They will also have an opportunity to cultivate this cross-cultural thinking inter-subjectively through a group presentation and to think about the real-life application of the acquired knowledge on Buddhism through research output. This course will prepare Year 4 students not only for a graduate program in humanities but also for the non-academic world in which they have to pursue their career with a degree in philosophy.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Adapting presentation or writing tone/style to audience; Being open to different perspectives; Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Critical analysis and evaluation; Data collection; Data analysis and evaluation; Enhanced programming / coding skills; Ethics and research ethics; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Group work (delegation, influencing, conflict resolution, motivating others, taking responsibility); Independence; Oral communication (discussion, debating respectfully, influencing); Preparation, planning and organisation; Presentation skills ; Problem solving; Public speaking; Academic reading skills; Report writing; Research skills; Resilience; Self-reflection; Taking initiative; Understanding broader perspectives; Written communication; Writing clearly and concisely; Knowledge impact; Employability. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Takeshi Morisato
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: tmorisat@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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