Philosophy: Philosophy East & West

Explores ways in which Eastern and Western philosophical traditions both differ and overlap. Uses the tools of philosophical argument and analysis. Content, readings, and assignments vary by section and instructor. Credit not awarded for both PHIL 1750 and versions of the course offered as PHIL 1010 to 1029.

Open to degree and PACE students

The aim of the course is to introduce you to two traditions of philosophy, namely the Anglo-American tradition and the Chinese tradition of philosophy. Through the examination of some of the fundamental issues arising from these two traditions, I hope to help you develop the philosophical skills of critical thinking, logical reasoning, rational discussion as well as attain a comparative perspective on certain important philosophical questions. The approach will be topical and comparative, i.e. focusing on particular issues rather than on individual philosophers or history of ideas, and examining various views from the two traditions on each specific issue. The topics covered will be: 1. Knowledge 2. Ethics 3. Religion

1. Two Examinations: The first one is in-class exam. The second one is to be held according to the university schedule of exams. Each exam is about an hour. (None of the exam is cumulative). 2. One 7-pages paper. 3. Class participation and required reading

The exams and paper each carries an equal weight of 33.3% of the final grade. Absence for 2/3 or more of the classes that I have taken random attendance will disqualify you from taking the final test. Active class participation will affect your grade positively, especially for the borderline case. The determination of the participation grade is at my discretion. Some considerations will also be given to signs of consistent and significant improvement.