Learning outcomes

This course offers an introduction to Eastern thought and is mainly devoted to texts from ancient India. At the end of this course, students will be able to understand the importance of intercultural dialogue in our contemporary world and how the encounter with non-Western forms of thought enriches the exercise of thought. Students will also be able to tackle the main notions of Indian thought and relate texts from the Western tradition to those from the Eastern tradition. Finally, the student will be able to support intercultural dialogue on such important themes as the human condition, consciousness and the body.   

Goals

This course has three objectives:
 
1. To open students up to non-Western forms of thought and to question certain ethnocentric tendencies in thought.
 
2. To introduce students to the fundamental notions of Indian thought, such as the nature of the Self and of consciousness, the relationship with others and a conception of the body.
 
3. To make students aware of the importance of a dialogue between Eastern and Western thought in the contemporary world.
 

Content

After a general presentation of the different ‘perspectives’ offered by Indian thought, this course is divided into two chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the Vedic Upanishads, which make up the philosophical part of the Vedas and teach a specific conception of the human being based on an ecological awareness of everything that links him to nature, to others and ultimately to himself. Chapter II focuses on Patanjali's yogasutras. Also inspired by the Upanishads, the work of yoga aims to raise human beings to an awareness of their deepest nature and to enable them to practise a path on which they can move towards the liberation of their consciousness from all that conditions it, from suffering and from the restlessness of mental activities.

Teaching methods

Sessions take the form of text analysis and discussions between participants. Course notes and reference texts are provided as the sessions progress.
 

Assessment method

L'évaluation consiste dans un examen oral de 20 minutes.

Language of instruction

French
Training Study programme Block Credits Mandatory
Certificat d'université en philosophie Standard 0 2
Bachelor in Philosophy Standard 0 4
Certificat d'université en philosophie Standard 1 2
Bachelor in Philosophy Standard 3 4