SIAS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

School of Foreign Languages Course Syllabus

Introduction to Worldviews Spring 2014 Instructor: Dr. Greg Giles Email: gregandjean gmail.com We!site:

1 Course !escri"#ion$ Introduction to Worldviews is a p"ilosop"# course w"ic" studies t"e major worldviews w"ic" "ave s"aped t"e world$s cultures. Eac" worldview will !e anal#%ed regarding its view o& !asic realit#' "uman nature' t"e "uman pro!lem' "istor#' and moralit#. ("e course will also evaluate t"e concept o& worldviews as a &oundation &or "uman t"oug"t and li&est#le. )lasses will !e conducted in Englis". *ost o& t"e class readings are availa!le in )"inese and Englis". % &eneral Curriculu' Ob(ec#i)es$ The s#u*en# +ill, a. +nderstand t"e concept o& a worldview. !. +nderstand si, major worldviews including: traditional )"inese' animism' traditional Indian' t"eism' ancient Gree- "umanism' and naturalism. c. Identi&# modern cultural movements w"ic" e,press t"ese worldviews. d. +nderstand t"e strengt"s and wea-nesses o& eac" worldview. - S"ecific Ob(ec#i)es$ The s#u*en# +ill be able #o, a. Develop a worldview note!oo- !ased on readings and class presentations. !. .articipate in discussions !ased on readings and movies. c. /ecogni%e and evaluate t"e underl#ing worldviews in popular movies . Re/uire'en#s$ a. 0ttendance is re1uired &or all class periods. 0n une,cused a!sence will result in a deduction o& 2 points &rom t"e &inal grade2 an e,cused a!sence will result in a deduction o& 1 point &rom t"e &inal grade 3an o&&icial e,cuse note must !e provided4. 0n# student missing 156 or more o& t"e class "ours will !e dis1uali&ied according to universit# polic#. !. )lassroom !e"avior:

+sing translation devices is permitted in class. 0ll ot"er electronic devices 3p"ones' mp6s' etc.4 are not to !e used during class time.

(al-ing in class regarding t"e topic under discussion is encouraged. 7t"er unrelated tal-ing is unaccepta!le.

Students s"ould respect eac" ot"er and t"e teac"er !# pa#ing attention and respect&ul speec".

c. Students must read t"e assigned articles. W"ere possi!le t"ese s"ould !e read in )"inese. 8or Englis" language articles voca!ular# "elps will !e given in class. Tao te ching: )"apter: 1' 2' 11' 19' 1:' 22' 29' 6;' 4;. 4<' 9;' :0' :6' ::' :=' =;' ;1 The Analects: >oo- 4 Things Fall Apart: c"apter < Bhagavad Gita (excerpt) The story of Siddhartha The Bible: E,odus 20:1?202 .salm 262 *att"ew 92 @o"n 16:1?1=2 0cts 10:64? 46 Platos ep!blic" boo# $ The Apology: Socrates defense to the people of Athens The Ato%ists acco!nt of the origin of the &orld The Pale Bl!e 'ot * Assess'en#s A##en*ance 01123$ Ever# student starts t"e semester wit" 10 attendance points. Aou can lose points &or a!sences' or &or t"ings li-e !eing late' not participating' sleeping' disruptive !e"avior' or use o& electronic devices during class. Students w"o are late to class are responsi!le to sign in on t"e attendance s"eet during !rea-. Rea*ings 0423$ Eac" student s"ould read t"e te,t!oo- and ot"er assigned readings. 0 report o& "ow muc" is read will !e collected.. No#eboo5 0%123: Eac" student will complete a note!oo- anal#%ing t"e si, worldviews using papers provided in class. ("e answers to t"e anal#sis 1uestions will !e given in class. 6ournal 0%423 Eac" student s"ould write a personal re&lection a!out eac" o& t"e si, worldviews. ("e re&lection s"ould !e !ased on t"e assigned readings' class presentations and movies. ("e re&lection s"ould descri!e t"e student$s e,periences wit" t"is worldview' and an evaluation o& its strengt"s and wea-nesses. Final E7a' 0.123$ 0 &inal e,am is given to assess t"e per&ormance o& t"e

students at t"e end o& t"e course. 4 O#her e7"ec#a#ions: 0ll students are e,pected to do all o& t"eir own wor-. ("e universit#$s plagiarism and c"eating policies are in e&&ect. 8 9e#ho*s : 9a#erials$ a. *et"ods o& instruction: Becture using .ower.oint' discussion o& readings and movies. !. *aterials: ("e te,t!oo- &or t"is course consists o& = c"apters !ased ion t"e course ppts. ("e te,t!oo- is availa!le in !ot" Englis" and )"inese. 7t"er readings will !e assigned &or eac" unit. ("ese will !e availa!le online or will !e "anded out in class.

; Class Sche*ule$ Sche*u !a#e le <ee5 1 8e! 29 <ee5 % *ar 4 <ee5 - *ar 11 Course Con#en# Co class )ourse Intro' W"at is a worldviewD (raditional )"inese Worldview )"apter 1'2 (ao te c"ing 0nalects )"apter 6 ("ings &all apart )"apter 4 >"agavad Gita Sidd"art"a stor# )"apter 9 .lato$s /epu!lic ("e 0polog# )"apter : Selections >i!le &rom t"e
Assigne* rea*ings

<ee5 . *ar 1; <ee5 4 *ar 29 <ee5 8 0pr 1 <ee5 ; 0pr ;

)"inese: movie 0nimism 0nimism: *ovie (raditional India worldview

<ee5 = 0pr 19 <ee5 > 0pr 22

*onism *ovie Gree- Eumanism

<ee5 11 <ee5 11 <ee5 1% <ee5 1<ee5 1. <ee5 14 <ee5 18 <ee5 1;

0pr 2< *a# : *a# 16

("eism ("eism: movie Caturalism

)"apter = 0tomism ("e .ale >lue Dot

*a# 20 *a# 2= @une 6 @une 12 @une 1<

Caturalism: *ovie Evaluating worldviews55 /eview 8inal E,am NO CLASS NO CLASS