Buddhism and Social Justice
PHIL 266
Spring 2020
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
FGSS 263, RELI 266 |
| Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory |
| Course Cluster: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate |
In this course students will get a basic introduction to Buddhism, covering major concepts including interdependent origination, suffering, not-self, and Buddhist ethical practices. Through major historical texts, we will establish a uniquely Buddhist basis for social justice. Historical texts to be covered include the Dhammapada, Therigatha, Jataka Tales, and Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisatva's Way of Life. We will discuss major philosophical questions such as, "how can we strive for change, while simultaneously accepting things as they are?" "How do we respect the importance of identities while denying the existence of a self?" "If the world will always be imperfect, why bother trying to improve social conditions?" We will then discuss contemporary applications of Buddhism for social change, and compare these with non-Buddhist approaches. Modern texts include "Soaring and Settling" by Rita Gross, "Freedom in Exile" by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, "Burdened Virtues" by Lisa Tessman, and "Strength to Love" by Martin Luther King Jr. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS PHIL |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (FGSS)(PHIL)(PHIL-Social Jus)(RELI-MN)(RELI) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
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