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.
| Paper title | Buddhism, State and Society |
|---|---|
| Paper code | RELS436 |
| Subject | Religious Studies |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2021, expected to be offered in 2024 (Distance learning) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,154.90 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $4,801.79 |
- Prerequisite
- One 300-level RELS or RELX paper
- Restriction
- RELS 336, RELX 336, RELX 436
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the Religion website: www.otago.ac.nz/religion
- Teaching staff
To be advised when paper next offered
- Paper Structure
- Topics include:
- Buddha's social and political background
- Buddhist righteous King
- Buddhist warfare
- Creating the Buddhist Empire
- Buddhist Law and Managing Buddhism
- Buddhism under Colonialism
- Buddhist Nationalism
- Modern Buddhist Politics
- Buddhism and Socialism
- Buddhist perspectives on war and peace
- Buddhist diplomacy and Buddhist nationalism
- Engaged Buddhism and social movements
- Buddhist environmentalism
- Teaching Arrangements
- One 2-hour lecture per week, plus one 2-hour seminar per week
- Textbooks
- A coursebook is being developed for this paper.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- By the end of the paper, students should be able to demonstrate a sound understanding
of:
- The Buddha's social and political background
- Buddhist kingship and alternative forms of governance
- Nationalism, Buddhism and the state
- Buddhism, Marxism and the Cold War
- Buddhist perspectives on war and peace
- Buddhist protest movements
- Buddhist economics and environmentalism
- Political implications of Buddhist meditational practice
