COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY
SPRING 2010
Senior Lecturer: Dr. R. Stephen Krebbs
PHIL 4330-001PHIL 5320.001 Tuesday 6-8:40
Office Bus. 245, Ph. 566-7456 (voice mail); email—Stephen_Krebbs@mail.uttyl.edu
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-9:30; Tuesday 4:45-5:45 or by appointment.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through readings, discussions, & research students will:
learn to read, speak, and write clearly, effectively and critically about the questions raised;
learn the difference between the disciplines making up the study of philosophy
acquire a historical sense of Western philosophy;
learn the issues and practices inherent in Hindu religion and philosophy;
learn the issues and practices inherent in Buddhist religion and philosophy;
learn the issues and practices inherent in Confucian religion and philosophy;
learn the issues and practices inherent in Taoist religion and philosophy;
learn the issues and practices inherent in Islamic religion and philosophy:
learn the issues and practices inherent in Christian religion and philosophy;
Course Books:
Huston Smith's The World's Religions,
The Bhagavad Gita,-- translator Swami Prabhavananda
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/gita/bg1.htm
http://www.asitis.com/
http://www.friesian.com/gita.htm
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/tao/TaoTeChing.html#1
Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha,
Humanistic Manifesto I and II,--ed. Ed. Kurtz and class handouts.
Final Grade:
I determine this according to 4 of 5 exams = 40%, a research paper = 40%, a guided book report = 15%,
and class attendance, preparation, and informed participation = 5%. The research paper (using MLA
writing format) will be 10 pages in length, typed, double-spaced plus 2 pages of critical comments (20
plus 3 pages for graduate students). Minimum overall length will be 12 pages, 23 pages for graduate
students.. Topic, student's choice though must be approved by instructor. (I will provide a more detailed
writing instruction sheet later in the semester).
PLAGIARISM OR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OF ANY KIND WILL RESULT
IN AN AUTOMATIC SEMESTER GRADE OF “F”
Important Dates to Remember:
th
January 12 —First day of Class-Introductions
th
January 18 —Martin Luther King Day
th
January 19 —Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty statement due:
th th
January 25 —Census Date/12 day—all fees and course changes must be paid
January 26th —Siddhartha Guided book report due
th
February 15 —Abstract/outline for research paper due
th
March 8-11 —Spring Break
th
March 24 —Last day to drop with an automatic ―W‖
th
March 30 —Research paper due
COURSE ITINERARY
Schedule may change as deemed necessary by instructor.
th th
January 11 & 26
--State course objectives, discuss philosophic disciplines and short history of Western philosophy
th
--Submit Plagiarism statement to drkrebbs@yahoo.com by January 18
--Read and write guided book report over Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.
--begin reading Huston Smith’s chapter over Hinduism
--work on finding your semester research topic
Siddhartha book report due January 26th
nd
February 2
Lecture and discussion over Hinduism
Complete reading over Huston Smith’s Hinduism chapter.
Read The Bhagavad Gita
--continue work on finding your semester research topic
th
February– 9
--Lecture and discussion over Hinduism and The Bhagavad Gita
--Prepare for Hinduism/Bhagavad Gita Exam
th
Research Paper Abstract/Outline due February 9
th
February 16
--Hinduism exam, begin lectures on Buddhism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Buddhism and handout over Buddhism's Two Truth's Doctrine
rd
February 23
--Lecture and discussion on Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
--Readings: complete Smith's chapter on Buddhism and handout over Buddhism's Two Truth's Doctrine
--Lecture and discussion on Mahayana and the Vajrayana Buddhism, as well as the Two Truths Doctrine
nd
March 2
--Buddhism Exam / begin lectures over Confucianism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Confucianism
th
March 8-11 Spring Break
th
March 16
--Lecture and Discussion over Confucianism; begin discussion of Taoism
--Readings: Smith’s chapter on Taoism
Handout over the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu’s four Skeptical Arguments
rd
March 23
—Lecture and Discussion over Taoism and Chuang Tzu's Four Skeptical Arguments
--Prepare for the Confucianism/Taoism Exam
th
April 6
--Confucianism and Taoism Exam/ begin lecture over Islam
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Islam and handouts
Lecture and Discussion over Islam, Research Paper Due
--Prepare for exam over Islam and complete research paper
th
Research Paper Due—April 13
No Exceptions
th
April 13
—Islam Exam, Begin lectures over Judaism
--Readings: Smith's chapter on Judaism
th
April 20
—Lecture and Discussion over Judaism
--Readings: complete reading of Smith's chapter on Judaism
Read The Humanistic Manifesto I & II
th
April 27
--Lecture and Discussion over The Humanistic Manifesto I & II and prep for final
th
May 4 -- 6-8:00pm
FINAL EXAM Judaism
2
Further Reminders
Students Rights and Responsibilities
To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler,
please follow this link: http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html
Attendance and Make Policy
Attendance is required for this course and non-attendance will cause a grade reduction. No exam make-
ups are allowed; one exam missed will count as the lowest grade dropped. All written assignments (for
example, book reports, abstracts and/or research papers) are due on the date assigned. Late papers will
not be excused without serious justification. Broken printers or computers do not count as serious
justification. Students need to back up all written data.
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive grade
forgiveness with the registrar by the 12th day of class. Failure to do so will result in both the original and
repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates will receive
grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three course repeats; graduates, for two course repeats
during his/her career at UT Tyler.
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy
Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from dropping
more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses dropped at another
2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this rule, a dropped course is any
th
course that is dropped after the 12th day of class (January 26 ).
Exceptions to the 6-drop rule include, but are not limited to, the following: totally withdrawing from the
university; being administratively dropped from a course; dropping a course for a personal emergency;
dropping a course for documented change of work schedule; or dropping a course for active duty service
with the U.S. armed forces or Texas National Guard.
Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to the Registrar's Office and must be accompanied by
documentation of the extenuating circumstance. Please contact the Registrar's Office if you have any
questions.
Disability Services
In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodation must provide documentation of
his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. If you have a disability, including a learning
disability, for which you request an accommodation, please contact Ida MacDonald in the Disability
Support Services office in UC 282, or call (903) 566-7079.
Student Absence due to Religious Observance
Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to inform
the instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities
If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event sponsor) must
notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence. At that time the instructor
will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be completed.
Social Security and FERPA Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social security
numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students have an
identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted electronically.
3