PHIL 112 PZ -Buddhism Secular Phil & Rel Trad

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Buddhism as Secular Philosophy and Religious Tradition Is Buddhism a secular philosophy? Is Buddhism a religious tradition? Is it possible that Buddhism is both secular philosophy and religious tradition and neither? If so, how? Regardless of how it is catalogued, Buddhist thought has aided people around the world for thousands of years. So, what resources does Buddhism offer people trying to live good, meaningful lives? Buddhist thought has fluidly moved into and out of cultures and communities with relative ease throughout history. But what exactly is ?Buddhism,? and how should it be categorized within academia, society, and politics? If Buddhism is religious, what does one even mean by ?religion?? The same question should be asked about Buddhism as a ?secular philosophy.? What is ?secularism? and ?philosophy?? The history of both religion and philosophy has historically been controlled by Western/North Atlantic hegemony, typically construed through monotheistic paradigms. This course challenges that perspective, considering Buddhist thought through various secular and religious lenses, and critically examines how Buddhist practitioners and scholars disagree about these very frameworks. At the conclusion, students will better understand Buddhist history, teachings, practices, religion, philosophy, and what resources Buddhism has for living the good life.

Prerequisite(s): See the current course schedule for registration restrictions.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal .