Questions of Indian and Far Eastern Philosophy and Spirituality

Language

French

Prerequisites

Elementary knowledge in Buddhism, Hinduism and/or the foundations of the Ancient Indian history and thought.

Main themes

Devoted mainly to the Hindu and Buddhist philosophies and spiritualities, the course deals with the questions of the Vedic foundations, the ideological context, the Brahmanic or Buddhist classical structurations, the devotional expressions and the heterodox or sectarian developments. The lectures are based on the analysis of textual or archaeological indigenous sources related to the various questions.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	The aim of the course is to provide the student with a critical approach to deal with questions related to the philosophies and spiritualities of India and the Far East, on the basis of primary sources, both textual and archaeological.

Content

The course is structured around the following four sections:

1. Hindu philosophy
2. Buddhist philosophy
3. Confucian philosophy
4. Taoist philosophy

Teaching methods

Lectures including reflections on certain philosophical terms, the presentation of research carried out by the teacher, as well as debates on fundamental questions of Eastern philosophy.

Evaluation methods

Students will be assessed in a closed-book oral examination. A list of questions will be provided in preparation for this exam. On the examination day, each student will be required to answer four questions from this list. The assessment criteria include: the structure of the answer, logical and at the same time personal, critical and at the same time self-critical, as well as a good knowledge of Eastern philosophies, while remaining open to other religious or philosophical traditions.

Bibliography

M. Thompson, Eastern Philosophy, London : Cox & Wyman Ltd, 2003.
E. Alteriani, Guide des Philosophies Orientales, Paris : Éditions de Vecchi, 1997.
 

Teaching materials

• Textes proposés et fournis aux participants en fonction. du contenu du séminaire.

Faculty or entity

> EHAC