Since the time of the Buddha, Buddhists have developed a rigorous and profound tradition of philosophy. The Buddhist path consists in the combined practice of philosophical reasoning, ethical practice and meditation. This course will focus on philosophical reasoning (but may incorporate some meditation). For Buddhists, enlightenment is attained by gaining insight into the nature of reality (metaphysics), knowledge (epistemology), language (philosophy of language) and our ways of living (ethics). These insights are acquired, in large part, by subjecting our beliefs to rational scrutiny. In this course, we critically examine some of the core issues in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language and ethics that are elaborated by Buddhist philosophers. The course proceeds by analyzing some core texts of Buddhist philosophy (in English translation) together with some secondary literature. We study Buddhist philosophy not as an item of historical and cultural interest but as an attempt to ascertain how much truth lies in this system of thought. Once we gain an understanding of the views expounded by Buddhist philosophers, we will subject their doctrines to rational scrutiny.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate a general understanding of some major schools, figures and issues in the Buddhist tradition of philosophy;
- critically evaluate theories, arguments and presuppositions of Buddhist philosophers;
- articulate and defend written arguments for and against positions using rationally persuasive argumentation;
- apply philosophical ideas and arguments to defend your own position related to a fundamental issue in Buddhist philosophy;
- engage in high-level oral discussion and debate, substantiating viewpoints with justified arguments; and
- experimentally explore how some Buddhist ideas practically apply in the context of contemplative meditation
Indicative Assessment
- Tutorial Participation (10) [LO 1,4,5]
- Meditation Reflection Journal (10) [LO 2,6]
- First Essay (1000 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Second Essay (2000 words) (35) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Take Home Final Exam (25) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures, and 12 hours of tutorials; and,
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Mark Siderits, Buddhism as Philosophy, Ashgate, 2007Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
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