- Docente: Saverio Marchignoli
- Credits: 6
- SSD: L-OR/17
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
-
Corso:
First cycle degree programme (L) in
Philosophy (cod. 9216)
Also valid for First cycle degree programme (L) in Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)
Learning outcomes
The course aims to provide the student with a basic knowledge of the topics and problems concerning the religious traditions and philosophical thought of East Asia. By its conclusion, the student will be able to discuss the subjects in both writing and orally employing the appropriate terminology and displaying a critical appreciation of the bibliographical material.
Course contents
Introduction:
1. The philosophical comparison and philosophical encounters between Europe and India: History of Orientalism, methods and aporias.
2. An ethical path crossing cultures (commented reading of key texts for the understanding of the ethical doctrines in South and East Asia).
Part One:
Logical-epistemological and metaphysical themes dealt with by major classical and post-classical Indian philosophical schools.
Part Two:
What is yoga? The nature of consciousness and meditative techniques.
Philosophical descriptions of the aesthetic and mystic experiences.
Readings/Bibliography
Sferra, F. (a cura di), Filosofie dell'India, Roma. Carocci, 2018 (for the examination only the reading of chapters 1, 9 and 10 is required).
- Franci, G.R., Yoga , Bologna 2008.
- Bori, P.C. / Marchignoli, S., Per un percorso etico tra culture, Roma 2004 (for the examination only the reading of Chinese and Indian texts is required).
- Marchignoli, S., L'India filosofica: un percorso tra temi e problemi del pensiero indiano, Bologna 2005 (a copy is always available at the library Giorgio R. Franci via Zamboni 33; the text can be bought, even as an electronic book, from the university service of the publisher Bonomo).
- Torella, R., Il pensiero dell'India. Un'introduzione, Roma 2008 (for the examination only the chapters 8, 9 and 10 are required)
Recommended reading:
-Franci, G.R., Yoga , Bologna 2008.
Teaching methods
The course consists of taught classes. The teacher will regularly use pdf files for commented text readings.
Assessment methods
Written and oral examination.
The written test precedes the oral exam.
The oral test consists of the discussion of a brief work carried out by the student (see below the list of themes for the elaborate) and in short talk from the correction of the answers to the open questions of the written test.
The written test consists of 2 parts:
Part One) Texts Recognition Test: The student will have to recognize at least 7 out of 10 tracks from the Indian and Chinese texts anthologized in A) Per un percorso etico tra culture, B) L'India filosofica and C) Sferra, F. (a cura di), Filosofie dell'India;
in detail (attention: Indian words are written without the usual diacritics):
A) Per un percorso etico tra culture: Il Grande Studio, Mencio, Daodejing, Bhagavadgita, Katha-upanisad, Discorso della messa in moto della ruota della legge, Brani dal Dhammapada: XII and XV, Sutra del cuore, “Editto” XII di Asoka;
B) from L'India filosofica: Nagarjuna: la dottrina delle due verità; Nagarjuna: critica dei mezzi di conoscenza; I Vaisesikasutra sulla cognizione dell'irrealtà; La relazione tra purusa e prakrti nel Samkhya;
C) from Sferra, F. (a cura di), Filosofie dell'India: Bhagavadgitabhasya di Sankara ad 18.66; Yuktidipika ad Samkhyakarika 2ab.
If the student does not pass the texts recognition test (the result is immediate) he / she will not be admitted to the last part of the exam.
Part two) Answer to three open questions.
Lastly, the student will have to hand over to the teacher, at the exam (not earlier), a very short written paper (up to 5,000 characters, or two pages approximately) on a topic chosen from the list published at the bottom of this section.
The oral examination consists in a brief discussion of this very short paper.
The paper will not be considered admissible if it does not have the following formal characteristics: 1) quotations always accompanied by the bibliographic reference of the source; 2) short final bibliography prepared by choosing and applying uniformly one of the bibliography models accepted in the academic publications.
Grading is based primarily on an assessment of the student's preparation, but will also take into account her/his ability of analysis and synthesis, clarity in both written and oral exposition, and use of an appropriate language.
More specifically:
- An comprehensive vision of the topics dealt with in the course, the capacity for their critical analysis, and the use of a precise and appropriate terminology, will be evaluated with excellent to good marks;
- A good / acceptable, but not in-depth knowledge of the subject, a limited ability in elaborating a synthesis and in producing an analysis, a use of an acceptable but not always accurate language, will be evaluated with marks ranging form mere pass level to average;
- The lack of knowledge of the topics dealt with, the lack of preparation in elaborating analysis and synthesis, the use of inaccurate terminology and the lack of familiarity with the course bibliography, will lead to the failure to pass the examination.
This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course “RELIGIONI E FILOSOFIE DELL'ASIA ORIENTALE (C.I.)". If the student has the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts (“Filosofie dell'India e dell'Asia orientale (1)" and “Religioni e filosofia dell'Asia orientale (1)“).
List of themes for the short written work (attention: Indian words are written without the usual diacritics):
Asoka and "religious pluralism"
The Bhagavadgita: general characteristics
Brahmana and sramana
Characteristics of Indian logic-epistemology
Comparison between Vedanta and Samkhya
Dignaga: general characteristics of his thought
Philosophies of Language in India
The three "yogas" of the Bhagavadgita
The "bhaktiyoga" in the Bhagavadgita
The Discourse of the Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dhamma
Karmayoga in the Bhagavadgita
The Nyaya-Vaisesika
The problem of the existence of the "aggregates" in Nyaya-Vaisesika
The inferential process according to the Nyaya
The relationship between purusa and prakrti in the Samkhya
Martinetti's interpretation of Samkhya
The Samkhya system: general characteristics
The "tetralemma" in Buddhist thought
The Vaisesika: general characteristics
Vedanta: general characteristics
The theme of "anatta" in Buddhism
The "bhakti" in Indian thought
Role of translators in the spread of Buddhism in China
The doctrine of the pre-existence of the effect in the cause
The doctrine of emptiness in Nagarjuna
The figure of the bodhisattva
Bhartrhari's philosophy of language
Liberation in the Samkhya
The "maya" in Sankara
The nature of yogic consciousness according to Hegel
The Purvamimamsa: general characteristics
The Purvamimamsa and the philosophical defense of the Vedic word
The Pratyabhijna school
Emptiness in Nagarjuna
The "adrsta"
The atman-brahman in the Upanisads
The 4 Noble Truths in the Pali Canon and Nagarjuna
The two truths in Nagarjuna
The aesthetics of Abhinavagupta
Outlines of the history of Buddhism in India
Outlines of the history of Jainism
Outlines of the history of logic in India
The inferential scheme in the Nyaya
Patanjali's yoga: general characteristics
Logic-epistemology of Dignaga
Nagarjuna: general characteristics of his thought
Sankara: general characteristics of his thought
Sankara and the Samkhya
Buddhist schools
History of Indian logic as seen by Europeans
Dispute theory and medicine
Theories of Consciousness in Indian Thought
Indian materialism
Office hours
See the website of Saverio Marchignoli