Honors Seminar 3014 H (Spring 2012)
Philosophies of Ethics and Peace: India
12:45PM- 2:00PM MW (01/17/2012-05/04/2012)
Nicholson Hall 12, TCEASTBANK
Professor Indira Y. Junghare
Jungh001@umn.edu
This course will explore diverse philosophies of ethics and peace with focus on India: orthodox and heterodox; idealistic and realistic; socio-cultural/collective and individualistic. Indian philosophies covered include Vedic-Upanishadic (Vedantic) eternalism, Buddhist constant fluctuation, Carvakian materialism, Gandhi's socio-political philosophy of peaceful resistance, naturalism, and Sufism. The influence of these philosophies on the West will be considered. Topics will include the fundamental nature of individuals (selves), their relationships with the external world of humans, animals, plants and microbes; the nature of societies, and use of ethical principles in shaping institutions, social roles and personal values, with special reference to India's cultural traditions.
The course will assess the correspondence of ideal visions to the real world of individual and social existence confronted with problems of industrialization, modernization, cosmopolitanism, and conflict.
