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 | 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 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. |
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. **Please note that honours Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** 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 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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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 (various formats, 800 words) - 20%
Individual final essay (2,500 words) - 60%
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| Feedback |
Comments in class and office hours. Students are allowed to send the course organiser their ideas for the research output and outlines of their term papers but the feedback is presented in person either in class or during the office hours. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Articulate 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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Reading List
- Bhikkhu Bodhi (eds.) In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discouses from the P¿li Canon (Sommerville, MA: Wisdom Publishing, 2005).
- Walpola Sri Rahula What the Buddha Taught? (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1997).
- Beth Jacobs The Original Buddhist Psychology (Berkley CA: North Atlantic Books, 2017).
- The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Preface, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014), p. vii-xxxii.
- Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries (Parallax Press, 2017). |
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 | Mr Cameron Findlay
Tel:
Email: cameron.findlay@ed.ac.uk |
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