REL 244
Mind and Persons in Indian Thought Fall 2023
Division II
Cross-listed PHIL 245 / ASIA 244
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

In this course, we follow the Indian philosophical conversation concerning the self and the nature of consciousness, particularly as they are found in its various Yogic traditions. We start with some of the Hindu views about the self and the mind and consider their ethical implications. We then consider a range of Buddhist critiques of these views, focusing more particularly on the Madhyamaka, which radicalizes the critique of the self into a global anti-realist and skeptical stance. We also examine the Yogacara school, which offers a process view of reality focusing on the analysis of experience. We conclude by considering some of the later Hindu holistic views of the self as responses to the Buddhist critique. In this way we come to realize that far from being the irrational foil of “the West,” Indian tradition is a rich resource for thinking through some of the central questions that have challenged philosophers in both traditions.
The Class: Format: lecture; discussion
Limit: 18
Expected: 18
Class#: 1742
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: full attendance and participation, three short essays (6 pages each)
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: selection based on the basis of relevant background
Distributions: Divison II
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
PHIL 245 Division II ASIA 244 Division II REL 244 Division II
Attributes: GBST South + Southeast Asia Studies

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