HISTORY OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY

Fall 2023 Syllabus

Section 001
CRN: 13694
MW 12:00 — 12:50 PM
Edith Kanakaʻole Hall 111

Dr. Timothy J. Freeman
The University of Hawaii at Hilo
Edith Kanaka‘ole Hall 212
office: 932-7479; cell: 345-5231

freeman@hawaii.edu

Office Hours: MWF 1:00-2:00 PM
and by appointment

Phil 300 History of Indian Philosophy
The historic Indian schools of thought, Brahmanism, Jain, Carvaka, Buddhist, Samkyha, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaishesika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. The main philosophers and thinkers of India including Gandhi, Radhakrishnan, and Tagore. Pre: previous work in philosophy or religious studies is recommended.

A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore, eds. Princeton University Press, 1957.
The Indian Way: An Introduction to the Philosophies and Religions of India, 2nd.Ed, John M. Koller. Pearson Press, 2006.

This course will follow a fairly chronological development of the history of Indian Philosophy. We will begin examining the origins of the Vedic culture from out of the prehistorical Indus Valley civilization and subsequent Aryan migrations. We will take a close look at the Vedas and the Upanishads and come to an understanding of the key terms, philosophical questions and standpoints that thus structure the Brahmanical tradition. In the next section we will focus primarily upon the full flowering epic expression of that tradition in the Bhagavad Gita. We then examine three streams of philosophical dissent from the orthodox tradition in the heterodox traditions of Carvaka, Jainism, and Buddhism. From there we move on to examine the development of the orthodox systems, focusing first on the Nyaya and Vaishesika systems and then on the Samkhya and Yoga. From there we turn to pick up the developing thread of Buddhism in the rise of the Mahayana Tradition. We return then to the Brahmanical tradition focusing on its ultimate development in the Vedanta philosophy. The end of the course will focus on modern developments in the Renaissance Period in the philosophies of Aurobindo, Radhakrishnan, Tagore, and Gandhi.


We will address such questions as: What is the Self? What is the relationship of the Self to the mind and personality? What is the person’s place in the world and cosmos? What is the goal, purpose, meaning of human life? What is psychological health? What are the means for attaining enlightenment—what are the spiritual practices used for reaching what goals?

[Philosophy courses for GE purposes]: (As with all Philosophy courses) Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
●respond clearly, logically and critically to examination questions and discussion questions about some important philosophical issues relevant to the course;
●read, comprehend, and discuss philosophical texts relevant to the course;
●compose effective written materials that assimilate, synthesize and reflect on course information;
●identify and describe in writing and in class discussion some important aspects of the cultural heritage and contributions of Indian philosophy.

Classroom sessions will be both lecture and discussion.

* All students are expected to come to class on time and to bring their books as well as paper and pen suitable for taking notes of class lectures.
* No laptop computers are to be used during class time.
* Active cellular telephones or paging devices are not permitted in class.
* No consumption of food is allowed during the class period.

The final grade will be based on the following:
1) Attendance & classroom participation (10%)
2) Two take home mid-term essay exams (20% each)
3) Final Essay Class Presentation (10%)
4) Final Essay Term Paper (40%)

Grading will be determined according to the following scale:
A 95-100 Excellent
A - 90-94
B + 87-89
B 84-86 Good
B - 80-83
C + 77-79
C 74-76 Satisfactory
C - 70-73 Poor
D 60-70 Failure
F below 60

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Course Evaluation

**Schedule is subject to revision**