Philosophy of Asian Religions: Phil 204
Spring 2016
Instructor: Agust Magnusson
Office: Curtin Hall 622
Office hours: MW 10:30 to 11:30 and by
appointment
Email: magnusso@uwm.edu
Teaching assistant: Waylon Jennings Smith
Email: wjsmith@uwm.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTON: The course will offer a philosophical examination of the primary religious
traditions of Asia, with emphasis on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The primary
purpose of the course is to familiarize the student with the significant philosophical concepts of each
religion and to engage with these traditions in a philosophical dialogue that enables us to understand their
contributions to our understanding of the nature of the human self, the nature of reality, and the nature of
the divine. Although we will examine differences between views and critique philosophical argumentation,
there is no intention to disparage or endorse any particular belief system.
REQUIRED TEXTS: 1) Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought, 5th edition, Patrick
Bresnan, ISBN: 978-0-205-24298-6. 2) Other required reading assignments will be posted on D2L under
the “content” tab.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is required at all lectures and discussion sessions. Attendance will be taken
at every lecture and discussion session. Please, no food in the classroom, no private conversation, and
no reading of material unrelated to the class during the lectures. No cell phones are allowed during class.
More than three unnecessary absences at lectures will result in a reduction of the final grade by one
grade level (e.g. if you had a final grade of A- and missed more than three lectures your final grade would
be B+). Students must be in class punctually with the assigned reading material with them. If the material
is made available online the student must either print out the material or access it in class via laptop or
tablet.
EXAMS (300 POINTS): There will be three exams, each worth 100 points. These will consist of: a)
identification of terms and concepts, b) short answer questions, and c) one longer essay question. The
final exam is not cumulative.
SHORT PAPER (100 PONTS): 3-4 pages, Times New Roman 12pt, Double spaced, due at the end of
the semester. The paper topic will be given by the instructor and will center on a comparative analysis of
two traditions we have covered this semester.
DISCUSSION SESSIONS (100 POINTS): You have been assigned to a small discussion section, held on
Thursdays of each week. Discussion sessions will cover crucial material from lectures that will be on
exams as well as provide opportunities for in-depth review and discussion. Attendance is required at each
discussion session. Points will be given for attendance and participation. See the discussion section
syllabus for more detailed information.
POSITION PAPERS (100 points): Students must submit a position paper at each discussion session in
which the student is to formulate one or two questions from the week’s lectures and reading material. The
questions should address the primary philosophical issues at stake in the material covered during the
week. The position papers should be ½ page in length (approximately 200 words), Times New Roman,
12pts, double spaced. Please submit the paper to D2L in the dropbox for the week AND print the paper
out and bring a hardcopy to your discussion session. Students may be asked to read their position papers
during the discussion session in order to further the discussion. Please see the sample position paper
uploaded on D2L for reference.
The position papers will be graded via the following scale:
Check+ (Exceptionally thoughtful, philosophically insightful, and well-formulated questions that address
the text as well as the content of the lecture and move the class-discussion forward; no errors in spelling
or grammar; paper is at least ½ page / 200 words in length): 10 points.
Check (Good questions that address the reading material or the content of the lecture; minor errors in
spelling and/or grammar; paper is at least ½ page / 200 words in length): 7 points
Check- (Questions are fully formulated but fail to address the reading material or the content of the
lecture; paper is between 100 and 200 words in length): 3 points.
Papers that do not contain fully formulated questions or that have a word count of less than 100 will
receive 0 points. Failure to turn in a paper or turning in a paper late will result in a 0 score for that week.
NOTE: Students can receive a maximum of 100 points for position papers. There are 14 discussion
sessions and therefore 14 opportunities to turn in position papers. If a student turned in 10 position
papers which each got a Check+ grade (for a total of 100 points) the student would not need to turn in the
last 4 position papers.
COURSE GRADE SUMMARY
Three exams / 100 points each: 300 points
Short paper: 100 points
Discussion sessions: 100 points
Position papers: 100 points
TOTAL: 600 points
Percentage Grading Scale
93-100%: A
80-82%: B-
67-69%: D+
90-92%: A-
77-79%: C+
63-68%: D
87-89%: B+
73-76%: C
60-62%: D-
83-86%: B
70-72%: C-
59% and below: F
EXPECTED WORKLOAD (HOURS): This three-credit course meets twice weekly for 50 minutes, for a
total of 24.2 hours of required lecture time. Discussion sessions are held once a week, for a total of 11.7
hours of required discussion time. Reading the textbook and other required readings should take at least
60 hours over the course of the semester. Study time for each exam should be at least 10 hours, for a
total of 30 hours of study time. The short paper should take between 10 and 15 hours to write. Position
papers should take an hour each, with a total of 14 hours of work. The total expected workload for the
course is approximately 149.9 hours. All times are estimates and all grades are based on the
outcome of the student’s work and not on time invested in the work.
Lecture: 24.2
Study for exams (10x3): 30.0
Discussion sessions: 11.7
Short paper: 10.0-15.0
Required reading: 60.0
Position papers (1x14): 14
TOTAL: 149.9
COMMUNICATION: Please check your UWM email account daily and check D2L for required readings.
Please note my office hours at the top of the syllabus. I am also available to meet by appointment. Please
do not hesitate to contact me at any point if you need any help or assistance with the course material or if
you need help preparing for exams (or if you just want to chat about philosophy).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. The University’s academic
misconduct policies and procedures will be fully enforced in any case of cheating or plagiarism. Any
violation of the academic honor code may result in failing the course, suspension, or dismissal from the
University. For more information, please see:
http://uwm.edu/academicaffairs/facultystaff/policies/academic-misconduct/
INCOMPLETES: Please see: http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S_31_INCOMPLETE_GRADES.pdf
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with physical or learning disabilities wishing to have special
accommodations should contact the instructor as soon as possible.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES: Available at: http://www.4uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND UWM SHARED LEARNING GOALS
GER Statement: Learning Outcomes for this Course: This course meets the UWM General Education
Requirements in the division of the Humanities. All Humanities courses have the following learning
outcome: 1) “Students will be able to identify the formation, traditions, and ideas essential to major bodies
of historical, cultural, literary, or philosophical knowledge.” This course satisfies this outcome by
presenting a philosophical inquiry into the major religious traditions of Asia, including Hinduism,
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Course material will explore the underlying metaphysical, ethical,
and epistemological theories underlying these traditions and explore ways in which they contribute to our
understanding of the nature of reality, the nature of the human self, and the nature of the divine.
In addition, this course addresses the following two learning outcome: 2) ”Students will be able to respond
coherently and persuasively to the materials of humanities study through logical analysis and
argumentation”; 3) “Students will be able to apply diverse humanistic theories or perspectives to other
branches of knowledge or to issues of universal human concern.”
The course satisfies outcome no. 2 by requiring students to analyze philosophical concepts and theories
and to compare and contrast competing metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical theories. The course
satisfies outcome no. 3 through philosophical analysis of the primary religious traditions of Asia and by
relating them to theories and issues that are of universal philosophical, spiritual, and existential concern.
GER Assessment: Assignment(s) Used to Measure Learning Outcomes: Outcome no. 1 will be
assessed via the three exams, primarily through multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Outcome
no. 2 will be assessed through the discussion sessions, essay questions on exams, and a short paper at
the end of the semester. Outcome no. 3 will be assessed through discussion sessions and position
papers.
UW Shared Learning Goal: The aforementioned assignments also assess the student’s ability to
accomplish the second of the UW System’s Shared Learning Goal for all student’s: “Critical and creative
thinking skills including inquiry, problem solving, and higher order qualitative reasoning.”
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
1/25 – Intro / Syllabus
1/27 – Religious diversity / Orientalism (D2L)
2/1 – Awakening: Chapters 1, 2, and 3 (pp. 4-36) (India before Vedas, Veda and the Vedas, Intro to the
Upanishads)
2/3 – Awakening: Chapters 1, 2, and 3
2/8 – Further reading on the Upanishads (D2L)
2/10 – Awakening: Ch. 3 and 4 (Bhagavad Gita and Ashtanga Yoga) pp. 64 to 99)
2/15 – Awakening Ch. 3 and 4
2/17 – Further reading on Bhagavad Gita (D2L)
2/22 – Awakening: Ch. 7 (Devotional movement) 124-144
2/24 – Reading on theism in Vedanta (D2L)
2/29 – Influence of Hinduism on Western philosophy and culture (D2L)
3/2 – FIRST EXAM
3/7 - Awakening: Ch. 9 and 10 (Life of Buddha and Basic teachings) pp. 162 to 211
3/9 – Further reading on Buddhist noble truths and noble eightfold path (D2L)
3/21 – Finding a self / Buddhist and feminist perspectives (D2L)
3/23 – Awakening: Ch. 11 and 12 (Theravada and Mahayana) pp. 213 to 259
3/28 – Awakening: Ch. 13 (Confucianism) pp. 261-290
3/30 – Readings from Mencius (D2L)
4/4 – Awakening: Ch. 14 (Daoism) pp. 292-315
4/6 – Further reading on Daoism (D2L)
4/11 – Awakening: Ch. 15 (Shinto) pp. 316-328
4/13 – 2nd EXAM
4/18 – Awakening: Ch. 16 and 17 (329 to 382) Buddhism in China and Tibetan Buddhism
4/20 – Dalai lama on environmentalism (D2L)
4/25 – Awakening: Ch. 18 Chan (384 to 422)
4/27 – Awakening> Ch. 19 Zen (424 to 461) / Will you sit with me? (D2L)
5/2 – Further reading on Zen / You can’t get off the train (D2L)
5/4 – SHORT PAPER DUE – Presentation on Zen meditation
5/9 – Review for final exam
FINAL EXAM DATE TBA