COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY
SPRING 2012
Senior Lecturer: Dr. R. Stephen Krebbs
PHIL 4330-001PHIL 5320.001 Tuesday 6-8:40
Office Bus. 245, Ph. 566-7456 (voice mail); email—skrebbs@uttyler.edu
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10-11:00; Tuesday 5-6:00 or by appointment.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through readings, discussions, & research students will:
 learn to read, speak, and write clearly, effectively and critically about the
questions raised;
 learn the difference between the disciplines making up the study of philosophy
 acquire a historical sense of Western philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Hindu religion and philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Buddhist religion and philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Confucian religion and philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Taoist religion and philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Islamic religion and philosophy:
 learn the issues and practices inherent in Christian religion and philosophy;
Course Books:
Huston Smith's The World's Religions (2009),
The Bhagavad Gita,-- translator Swami Prabhavananda
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/tao/TaoTeChing.html#1
Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, translator Hilda Rosner,
Humanistic Manifesto I and II,--ed. Ed. Kurtz and class handouts.
Final Grade:
I determine this according to 4 of 5 exams = 40%, a research paper = 40%, a guided book
report = 15%, and class attendance, preparation, and informed participation = 5%. The
research paper (using MLA writing format) will be 10 pages in length, typed, double-spaced
plus 2 pages of critical comments (20 plus 3 pages for graduate students). Minimum overall
length will be 12 pages, (23 pages for graduate students). Topic, student's choice though it
requires the my approval. (I will provide a more detailed writing instruction sheet later in the
semester).
PLAGIARISM OR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OF ANY KIND WILL RESULT
IN AN AUTOMATIC SEMESTER GRADE OF “F”
Important Dates to Remember:
January 16th—Martin Luther King Day
January 17th—First day of Class-Introductions
January 24th—Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty statement due:
January 30th—Census Date/12th day—all fees and course changes must be paid
January 31st. Siddhartha Guided book report due
February 14th—Research Paper Abstract due
March 12th—17 —Spring Break
March 26th—Last day to Drop
April 17th—Research paper due
May 8th—PHIL 4330 Final Exam—6-8:00
COURSE ITINERARY
Schedule may change as deemed necessary by instructor.
January 17th & 24th
--State course objectives, discuss philosophic disciplines and short history of Western
philosophy
--Submit the above Plagiarism statement to skrebbs@uttyler.edu by January 24th
--Read and write guided book report over Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.
--begin reading Huston Smith’s chapter over Hinduism
--work on finding your semester research topic
Siddhartha book report due January 31st
January 31
Lecture and discussion over Hinduism
Complete reading over Huston Smith’s Hinduism chapter.
Read The Bhagavad Gita
--continue work on finding your semester research topic
February 7th
--Lecture and discussion over Hinduism and The Bhagavad Gita
--Prepare for Hinduism/Bhagavad Gita Exam
February 14th
--Hinduism exam, begin lectures on Buddhism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Buddhism and handout over Buddhism's Two Truth's Doctrine
Research Paper Abstract due February 14th
st
February 21
--Lecture and discussion on Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
--Readings: complete Smith's chapter on Buddhism and handout over Buddhism's Two Truth's
Doctrine
February 28th
--Buddhism Exam / begin lectures over Confucianism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Confucianism
March 6th
--Lecture and Discussion over Confucianism; begin discussion of Taoism
--Readings: Smith’s chapter on Taoism
Handout over the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu’s four Skeptical Arguments
March 12th–17th Spring Break
th
March 20
—Lecture and Discussion over Taoism and Chuang Tzu's Four Skeptical Arguments
--Prepare for the Confucianism/Taoism Exam
March 27th
--Confucianism and Taoism Exam/ begin lecture over Islam
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Islam and handouts
April 3rd Lecture and Discussion over Islam,
--Prepare for exam over Islam and complete research paper
April 10th
—Islam Exam, Begin lectures over Judaism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Judaism
Research Paper Due—April 17th
No Exceptions
April 17th
—Lecture and Discussion over Judaism
--Readings: complete reading of Smith's chapter on Judaism
Read The Humanistic Manifesto I & II
April 24th
--Lecture and Discussion over The Humanistic Manifesto I & II and prep for final
Final Exam May 8th -- 6-8:00pm
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FINAL EXAM Judaism
Further Reminders
Students Rights and Responsibilities
To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at
UT Tyler, please follow this link:
http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html
Attendance and Make Policy
Attendance is required for this course and non-attendance will cause a grade reduction. No
exam make-ups are allowed; one exam missed will count as the lowest grade dropped. All
written assignments (for example, book reports, abstracts and/or research papers) are due on
the date assigned. Late papers will not be excused without serious justification. Broken printers
or computers do not count as serious justification. Students need to back up all written data.
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive
grade forgiveness with the registrar by the 12th day of class. Failure to do so will result in both
the original and repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average.
Undergraduates will receive grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three course
repeats; graduates, for two course repeats during his/her career at UT Tyler.
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy
Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from
dropping more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses
dropped at another 2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this
rule, a dropped course is any course that is dropped after the 12th day of class (January 26th).
Exceptions to the 6-drop rule include, but are not limited to, the following: totally withdrawing
from the university; being administratively dropped from a course; dropping a course for a
personal emergency; dropping a course for documented change of work schedule; or dropping
a course for active duty service with the U.S. armed forces or Texas National Guard.
Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to the Registrar's Office and must be accompanied
by documentation of the extenuating circumstance. Please contact the Registrar's Office if you
have any questions.
Disability Services
In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodation must provide
documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. If you have a
disability, including a learning disability, for which you request an accommodation, please
contact Ida MacDonald in the Disability Support Services office in UC 282, or call (903) 5667079.
Student Absence due to Religious Observance
Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to
inform the instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities
If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event
sponsor) must notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence.
At that time the instructor will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be
completed.
Social Security and FERPA Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social
security numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students
have an identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks
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violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted
electronically.
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