Asia is an area not only rich in culture, but serves as the cradle of various major civilizations of the world too. It takes thousands of years for them to shape up as we see it today. A study of Asian philosophy will reveal to us this crystallization process and will also inspire on us the way to shape our future. The course does not focus only on philosophy. Their associated origins, i.e., the corresponding beliefs, religious traditions, and the social functions of each tradition will also be discussed. It is interesting to learn through this course the differences in objectives and methodologies between different traditions, and how they interact or influence with one another, and in the end, the society. For better discussion, the course shall restrict the discussion on four major traditions: Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, since these are dominating philosophy in Asia for over thousands of years.

CILO-1: Critically assess core ideas, values, and practices of various Asian philosophical traditions. CILO-2: Understand the cultural, historical, and intellectual frameworks of various Asian philosophical traditions, including, for instance, Buddhism, Confucianism, or Hinduism. CILO-3: Discuss in writing and orally the place of various Asian philosophical traditions in contemporary social, political, and cultural contexts.