PHIL 271, Philosophies and Religions of India
Syllabus subject to change at discretion of instructor.
Instructor: Lisa Kemmerer, Lkemmerer@msubillings.edu (Please contact me via e-mail rather than telephone)
Office: LA 409, Website: http://www.msubillings.edu/CASFaculty/Kemmerer
Gandhi, Fischer; Ramayana, Buck; Mahabharata, Buck; Mascaro, Bhagavad Gita; The Great Compassion, Phelps; Buddha,
Armstrong; and perhaps an article or two
A very Short Introduction (Hinduism and Buddhism)
Course Description: Through a critical and comparative lens, this course explores the philosophies and religions of India (Vedic,
Hindu, early Buddhist—and perhaps Jain and Sikh traditions), focusing on such topics as history and change, the gods, mythology,
art, creation, ethics, founders, religious exemplars, and sacred writings, with an eye to contemporary issues such as the treatment of
women, attitudes toward nature, and the place of nonhuman animals. Course invites students to ponder their sense of self and their
own culture’s answer to enduring questions as they explore the philosophical and spiritual world of India. If possible, visiting
speakers will be included in the schedule, requiring a measure of flex in the schedule. If you are unwilling to explore alternative
religious perspectives on controversial subjects such as abortion, animal rights, homosexuality, feminism, and the environment, or
if you cannot refrain from a defensive posture toward your faith when faced with other faiths, you are in the wrong class. Students
must be willing to examine controversial, minority, and divergent points of view.
Outcomes—The intent of the course is that students be able to:
 Analyze our culture in relation to Indian philosophy.
 Analyze personal life choices, attitudes, and action in light of Indian philosophy.
 Explain Indian philosophy as presented in fundamental texts such as the Mahabharata.
 Explain the storyline of fundamental texts such as the Mahabharata.
 Identify images of major Hindu deities and describe key attributes of those images.
Books:
Each book is less than $1 online, unless indicated.
Required Books: Fischer, Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (any version, mine is 1991); Ramayana, Buck (2000, U.
CA, $2); Mahabharata, Buck (2000, U. CA); Mascaro, Bhagavad Gita; The Great Compassion, Phelps ($6); Buddhism: A very
Short Introduction, Keown ($3); Hinduism: A very Short Introduction, Knott; and likely an article or two
Books total: $14
Grades:
Attendance is required. Class participation informed by readings is encouraged. If you miss more than one week of classes
(three classes for MWF, two for TR—no need to offer any reason for your absence) your grade can be affected as much as
one full mark per week missed beyond the allowable limit. (E-mail me in an emergency—not weeks after the fact.) If you are
absent, please ask another student what we covered. I can’t review an hour of material before I start the next class. If you miss a
day, simply do the assigned readings to stay current.
Mere attendance is not enough; be alert and attentive; do not wander in and out of the classroom. Come prepared to stay for the
duration of class. Leaving early, arriving late, and/or a lack of attentiveness or distracting behaviors can contribute to
absences and lower your grade half a mark. Ditto for napping and using electronic devices in the classroom.
Quizzes are accumulative and are designed to assess whether or not you have completed readings. You must earn at least 4/5 on
any one quiz in order to earn one point for that quiz. There are no make-ups for quizzes. You can take the quiz beforehand
(not afterwards) if you ask well in advance. You must continue to remind me beforehand so that I prepare your quiz early. You
must be in class on time to take quizzes, which are given at the start of class. You are responsible to keep track of your quiz
scores, which tells you where you stand in the class (though you can also ask me to check scores after class—not before). You
must do assigned readings to do well in this course. Do not beg for amnesty—just do the reading. I do not decide your
grade—you do (with your actions).
D and F range: Failure to achieve a C will earn a D or an F.
C RANGE GRADES: 1) Maintain attendance 2) AND earn at least 65% accumulatively on weekly quizzes. 3) AND
complete one Project (several hours outside of class), including Project write-up (description on D2L).
To earn a B or an A requires incrementally more work (as in most classes).
Recommendation: If your quizzes are within 5% of a B, and you are willing to commit to doing better on your quizzes, take a risk
and do the B work, but commit to focusing more on readings!
B RANGE GRADES: Succeed with all C work, AND earn 75% accumulatively on quizzes, AND 2) complete a You-Tube
current event assignment (instruction sheet on D2L), AND complete an art assignment (instruction sheet on D2L) and present
information in class and (likely but not firm yet) on campus. (See me after the first few weeks of class if terrified of presentations.)
A RANGE GRADES: 1) Succeed with all C and B work, AND 2) engage in an additional Project (research or hands-on)
requiring 4-5 hours outside of class. Create outline and offer a 15 minute presentation on your project during finals week
(follow B guidelines for presentation). Bring me your topic 3 weeks in advance and turn in a copy of your outline at least one
week before your presentation so I can be sure you are on track. Sample research topics (focused on India): dance, nature
preserves, cows in contemporary society, female infanticide, democracy, minorities, British influence, American pop or technology
influence. Other project ideas: Work with someone on campus to create educational materials regarding India; create a DIG
presentation for campus; work with High Plains Museum to create exhibit on Indian immigrants in Billings; Whatever you choose,
you must explore the subject through the lens of Indian philosophy and religions. If you do not like this “A” assignment,
please suggest your own—I am open. Due finals week.
Late Work: Due dates are posted on the Reading List. There is no late work. Plan ahead.
MARKS:
 Written assignments receive a plus, check, minus, or some combination therein.
 A minus means you have not successfully receive the grade toward which you were working. Most common reason for a
minus: Failure to follow each of the provided guidelines for a given assignment.
 I may allow failed work to be redone. I generally note on your paper if you need to resubmit (“redo”). If I am willing to
revisit your work (this depends on the initial quality of your work), your work must be resubmitted within one week and must
be returned with your original paper (and if it is a writing assignment, with a slip of paper indicating that you received
assistance from the writing lab). Without these, I will not accept resubmitted work. Generally, only one redo is permitted
for any one student.
Student Integrity—critical to earning the grade you strive for. Failing to do any of the following will lower your grade at least
one mark, or cause you to fail the course completely (for example, cheating of any kind, or not working independently). Choosing
to do a B or an A assignment does not guarantee that you will earn a B or an A. Work must be done with integrity—
thoughtfully, and according to instructions. Integrity includes (but is not limited to):
 Engage only in thoughtful, considerate, and respectful interactions.
 Attend class. Arrive on time. Be alert and attentive; do not wander in and out of classroom or use gadgets.
 Complete assignments; read with enough care to pass quizzes. If you don’t, accept the consequences gracefully.
 Work independently—do not copy, plagiarize, or work together on quizzes or assignments (without permission).
 Follow directions. For papers/outlines, see guidelines on website. Read directions before you begin, read them again as you
work, and once again as you complete your assignment to be sure you have done your work completely and correctly. If
you choose to do an assignment, follow directions and work with integrity, otherwise you will not receive credit (this is no
different than failing a test or a paper assignment in a conventional course).
OTHER DETAILS:
 Counseling: If you feel overwhelmed, angry, depressed, or need help or support, please contact Student Health Service in the
SUB (657-2153), or after hours: Billings Clinic Emergency Department (657-4150), Billings Clinic Hospital Emergency Room
(2800 10th Ave N) or Community Crisis Center (259-8800), 704 N 30th.
 Planned MSUB Absences Beyond Allowable Limits: Attendance is critical; those who miss more than one week of class due
to extracurricular activities will be expected to complete additional work or pass an exam to demonstrate mastery of the material.
 To drop this course, do so before the deadline, through the registrar. I rarely grant late drops.
 Disabilities: Students with a disability seeking accommodations should contact Disability Support Services in the Academic
Support Center (657-2283).
Please remember that you are here to learn; learning is a worthwhile, enjoyable, and never-ending part of life.