Overview
Buddhist thinking about ideal political order including relationships between religion and state, monks and kings, morality and power, ethics and war, religious difference and the 'nation'. Buddhist political philosophy.
Often imagined as a pacific, other-worldly religion, Buddhism has for a long time been involved in social and political struggles throughout Asia. In Sri Lanka monastic groups have been involved in nationalist politics. In Thailand, Buddhist monks have involved themselves with environmental activism. In Cambodia and Korea, Buddhist temples served as key sites for anticolonial mobilisation. This paper examines the links between Buddhism and politics in the colonial and contemporary periods.
About this paper
| Paper title | Buddhism, State and Society (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Religious Studies |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1
(Distance learning)
Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $981.75 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One 200-level RELS or RELX paper
- Restriction
- RELS 436, RELX 336, RELX 436
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Theology
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the Religion website: www.otago.ac.nz/religion
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
Topics covered include:
- Buddhist kingship.
- Buddhist political philosophy.
- Buddhist secularism.
- Buddhism and law.
- Buddhism, race and nationalism.
- Buddhist perspectives on war and peace.
- Buddhist protest movements.
- Buddhism and violence.
- Buddhism, democracy and globalisation.
Assignment:
- Class prep, peer engagement & online discussion 20%
- Essay (incl. outline) 40%
- Final exam (2 hours) 40%
- Teaching Arrangements
One 2-hour lecture per week, plus fortnightly tutorials.
- Textbooks
All readings will be made available electronically.
- Course outline
- View sample course outline for RELS336
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Self-motivation, Research
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.- Learning Outcomes
By taking this course students will gain:
- A deep awareness of the differing ways in which Buddhists have imagined the ideal relationships between religion, politics, law and statecraft.
- A strong understanding of how Buddhism has been interwoven in Asian society and politics in South, Southeast, East and Himalayan Asia. This includes a better understanding of Asian history and culture more generally.
- A sophisticated knowledge of Buddhist approaches to important legal-political concepts such as democracy, secularism, justice, and law.
- Awareness of the complex ways in which Buddhism has intersected with race, violence, nationalism, politics and other topics.
- Direct experience in reading and analysing Buddhist texts in translation.