Krishnamurti

1. COURSE DATA

PHIL575 (22396) RS580 (22655) KRISHNAMURTI & CONTEMPORARY ASIAN PHILOSOPHY Spring 2014 TTH 11:00am-12:15pm P-145 Dr. S. A. Wawrytko “Don’t agree. Find out.”

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION

The long and eventful life experience of Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) spans, and later transcends, the categories of philosophy and religion. He was “discovered” by high ranking members of the Theosophical Society in his native India in 1909 and soon proclaimed to be the long-awaited World Teacher, incarnation of the Lord Maitreya, who would serve as a catalyst for spiritual evolution. Among his early talks (1926) we find this appropriately authoritative pronouncement: “ I belong to all people, to all who really love, to all who are suffering. And if you would walk, you must walk with me.” Twenty years later Krishnamurti walked away from leadership of the society that had bestowed wealth and fame on him. Proclaiming “Truth is a pathless land,” he vowed “to set man free” by championing revolutionary self-transformation for humankind. He spent the next five decades dialoguing with leading intellectuals, prominent scientists, powerful, political leaders, and ordinary people. Krishnamurti developed a rigorous epistemological methodology that questioned our claims to knowledge, truth, and morality while advocating “choiceless awareness” of reality as it truly is. He criticized the violent and self-destructive behaviors that pervaded the turbulent twentieth century, while offering innovative approaches to education in schools he founded in India, England, and America. His adeptness at transcending diverse cultures, traditions and cognitive divides truly qualifies him as a philosopher for an age of globalization.

3. CONTACTS

office AL428; 619-594-5455; TTH 11:45-12:15; TH 3:30-4; M 3-3:30 or by appointment email [e-mail] EMAIL ETIQUETTE: include your official NAME as it appears in class records, the CLASS in which you are enrolled, the SEMESTER enrolled; DO NOT expect a long response FILE ATTACHMENTS REQUIRE PRIOR APPROVAL

4. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

—regular attendance, based on weekly "Philosophical Commentaries" (10% of final grade); ASSIGNED READINGS SHOULD BE READ AND PREPARED PRIOR TO CLASS —two unit essay examinations (take-home)—600 points total (60%) —comprehensive, in-class final OR class presentation on an independently researched aspect of class materials, particularly related to Krishnamurti—300 points (30%) NOTE: Those receiving graduate credit are required to do both the presentation and the final exam REVIEW ALL GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENTS CAREFULLY! RESUBMISSIONS OF UNIT ESSAYS MUST BE RECEIVED IN CLASS NO LATER THAN THE LAST DAY OF CLASS

5. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

—introduce students to the resources of Asian philosophy — carefully examine the philosophical positions of key figures in contemporary Asian philosophies — reveal the cultural contexts of their doctrines in creatively inheriting, and/or challenging Asian philosophical traditions —consider the ways in which Asian philosophies can contribute to such perennial philosophical concerns as defining reality, truth, morality, and consciousness challenges of war, violence, suffering, and tolerance the meaning of love, sexuality, and death philosophy and science in the secular/sacred divide meditation, mindfulness, and transformation —explore the basis for the attraction these doctrines have for many in the world today

6. ORGANIZA- TIONAL RATIONALE

Asian philosophies remain a riddle wrapped in a conundrum to those steeped in the Amero-eurocentric worldview, even those who reside in Asia. Stereotypes of the mystical orient abound, stoked by misunderstandings and misinterpretations, perpetuated by well-meaning enthusiasts as well as calculating charlatans, whose “Metaphysical,” “Occult,” and “New Age” works saturate the web and crowd bookstore shelves. To cut through these distortions we need to get to the source, leaving aside the uninformed and/or unreliable commentaries. Our high profile philosophers (chosen for their name recognition, impressive philosophical training, and pedagogical creativity) sometimes contribute to the confusion by “dumbing down” their own messages, using a form of upaya or skillful means. Be prepared to plumb the depths!

7. MATERIALS & RESOURCES

REQUIRED Allan W. Anderson, A Wholly Different Way of Living (Krishnamurti Foundation) http://www.jiddu-krishnamurti.net/en/a-wholly-different-way-of-living; http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=krishnamurti+a+wholly+different+way+of+living&go=&qs=bs&form=QBVR Stuart Holroyd. Krishnamurti: The Man, The Mystery & The Message (Element, 1991). [out-of-print, pdfs posted on Blackboard] Krishnamurti, Total Freedom (Harper Collins, 1996) Wawrytko, “How Spiritualism Evolved to Meet the Darwinian Challenge: Religion, Science, and Self-Transformation in Krishnamurti’s Philosophy” (posted on Blackboard) OPTIONAL Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds (Parallax Press, 1991) Michael Krohnen, Kitchen Chronicles (Edwin House, 1999) ONLINE RESOURCES Other relevant materials will be posted on BLACKBOARD periodically IF INTERNET ACCESS IS A PROBLEM PLEASE SPEAK WITH THE INSTRUCTOR EARLY IN THE SEMESTER!

8. OVERVIEW OF VENUES, ENVIRON- MENTS, MEDIA

Lectures will be interspersed with active discussion sessions concerning scheduled readings. We also will view three global philosophers on videotape to compare their presentation styles and unique forms of interaction with their respective audiences. The composition of those audiences is of particular interest in assessing each philosopher. Free writing exercises or commentaries on assigned readings will be incorporated into class sessions on a weekly basis. Class attendance is assessed based on these in-class exercises. Half credit is given for commentaries which do not demonstrate an acquaintance with the reading. Questions for the take-home essay exams will be distributed two weeks prior to the due date, allowing for general discussion. Final student presentations require prior approval on the topic as well as prospectus (week 8) outline and tentative bibliography (week 10) rough draft (week 12) IF ANY OF THESE REQUIRED ELEMENTS IS MISSING THERE WILL BE NO PRESENTATION!

9. ASSESSMENT & GRADING	Evaluative Criteria for Essay Examinations 1# nearly nonexistent// 5 # average// 10 # exceptional C—you came to class and took adequate NOTES (you tell me what I told you) B—you came to class, took adequate notes AND demonstrate comprehension of the class MATERIALS A—you came to class, took adequate notes, demonstrate comprehension of class materials, AND show evidence of ORIGINAL THINKING COMPREHENSIVENESS did you answer the question? the whole question? and nothing but the question? CLARITY have you expressed yourself clearly? how well have you communicated your points? TEXTUAL SUPPORT have you demonstrated that you have read and understand class readings and other materials? CREATIVE INSIGHT have you gone beyond class discussions, contributing your own original thought? STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION have you planned out your discussion? have you offered logical arguments for your views? have you included evidence from the texts? ACCURACY/ANALYSIS have you given a faithful presentation of class material?
	PHYSICAL PRESENTATION have you checked your spelling, grammar, syntax? is your paper readable and orderly? does it look like a upper division university submission?
	GUIDELINES FOR ESSAY SUBMISSIONS, EXTENSIONS, & RE-SUBMISSIONS SUBMISSIONS INCLUDE A COMPLETED ESSAY EVALUATION FORM Essays must be turned in on the assigned due date, unless other arrangements have been made with the instructor. THIS IS NOT A CORRESPONDENCE CLASS! PROCEDURE 1. Online submissions preferred; submit a SINGLE file 2. The file name should include ONLY your surname first then the course number and the number of the exam 3. Format—Microsoft XP or rich text CONTENTS 1. Label your responses to correspond to the number of the question being answered. 2. Include page references for your text citations. 3. INCLUDE A COMPLETED EVALUATION FORM AT THE END EXTENSIONS Each student is entitled to ONE emergency extension of the due date, not to exceed one week from the original due date, again by prior arrangement with the instructor. Try to avoid contacting the instructor the day the assignment is due. A completed "Extension Certificate" should be turned in on the due date (one per customer) in lieu of the actual exam. RE-SUBMISSIONS Essays may be re-submitted for a change of grade. This policy is not intended to produce rewrites, but rather to allow for responses to questions raised in your original presentation. 1. Do NOT rewrite the original essay; no change of grade will be forthcoming if you simply correct grammatical inconsistencies and misspellings; 2. DO include the original essay, as corrected by the instructor, with your new submissions; 3. DO respond to points raised in the instructor's comments and supply any additional information requested to substantiate your arguments; 4. DO make use of class texts as evidence for your arguments. Prior to reworking your essay, it is recommended that you speak with the instructor to clarify what needs to be done in your particular case. There is no double jeopardy in force, meaning that your grade will not be lowered (although it may remain unchanged). Re-submissions of all essays will be accepted until last day of classes. KEEP A COPY OF ALL WORK
10. ACCOMMODA- TION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES	If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at [phone]. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.

11. SUPPORT FOR GENERAL ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT & SKILLS TRAINING	CHECK-LIST FOR ESSAY EXAMINATIONS This class is structured on the self-power principle!!! If you have difficulties completing the take-home assignments and/or are disappointed in your grade, pose the following questions to yourself and respond candidly. If you can honestly answer “yes” to all of them, we have something to talk about. If not, you need to work on your study habits. 1. Have I read the assigned articles AT LEAST once PRIOR TO class discussions? 2. Did I READ and FOLLOW the various Guidelines included in the Appendix of the main text? Did you keep in mind the Evaluative Criteria as you constructed your essay? 3. Did I MARK places in readings that were unclear or confusing? 4. Did I ASK for clarification in class OR outside of class? 5. Did I REREAD the articles PRIOR TO attempting to answer the exam questions? 6. Did I understand WHAT the exam was asking of me and HOW to accomplish these tasks? If not, did I ASK for clarification? 7. Did I OUTLINE my arguments prior to writing the exam? 8. Did I REVIEW and EDIT my rough draft(s) before turning in the assignment? 9. Did I start working on the exam in a TIMELY manner?
THE CRITICAL METHOD IS THE DISTINGUISHING MARK OF PHILOSOPHY!	GUIDELINES FOR READING PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS 1. WHAT is the subject under discussion, what problem or question is the author addressing? 2. WHY is this a problem or open question? WHY is the author concerned with the problem/question? 3. What solution is being proposed? 4. HOW has the author arrived at that solution? What arguments and evidence have been advanced? 5. Can we ACCEPT this solution? Why or why not?
	GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ESSAY EXAMINATIONS ANSWER THE QUESTION, THE WHOLE QUESTION, AND NOTHING BUT THE QUESTION I. SOURCES course texts class notes discussions/ both in and outside of class CREATIVE THINKING!!! Other sources, such an encyclopedias and websites, are NOT recommended, as they tend to result in added confusion for students. Concentrate on the class texts—these are your most reliable resources; I will be looking for these as I read your work. II. FORMAT outline your material beforehand WHAT do you want to say? HOW can it best be stated? WHY do you hold these views? ORGANIZE the material in argument form: "given these facts, X must be true". CREDIT your sources, using page references from the text; don't misrepresent the ideas of others as your own. There is a word for that—PLAGIARISM!!! III. CONTENT There are no absolutely right or wrong answers to the questions asked, only sound (true premises combined with validly drawn conclusions) or unsound arguments, that is, arguments that make varying degrees of sense and those that are nonsense. The aim of these kinds of questions is to give students the opportunity to deal with the theoretical and practical issues of philosophy, and in so doing demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge of the subject. In short, the aim is to invite you to PHILOSOPHIZE!
12 ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS	Assignments are oriented toward an essay format. However questions are often phrased in such a way as to engage the writer’s imagination and intuition along with intellectual acumen—dare to demonstrate your creativity!

13. STUDENT PRIVACY & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Every effort will be made to respect your privacy and intellectual property during the semester and beyond. Student approval will be sought before any work done for the class is made available to anyone other than the instructor. If students do not retrieve their papers, they are kept for a period of one year from the end of the semester and then disposed of in an ecologically friendly manner.

14. SOCIAL “CONTRACT”

THE LI OF THE CLASSROOM A civilized means to the end of promoting efficacious interchanges in a classroom environment, thereby maximizing your increasingly large tuition investment as well as the likelihood that you will (a) learn something from the class and (b) actually pass the class with a decent grade 1. ALWAYS check to be certain your CELL PHONE is disengaged and will not disturb the class 2. If you MUST ARRIVE LATE OR LEAVE EARLY please enter or exit the room in the least obtrusive manner, using a back entrance if possible and keeping disruptive noise to a minimum 3. ALWAYS ask permission to TAPE CLASS LECTURES; not to do so is a violation of the speaker’s intellectual property; if permission is granted it is made on the assumption that the recording will be for your personal use only. 4. Avoid PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS during class time 5. Please RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO LEAVE BEFORE CLASS IS OVER, which creates disruptions that do not allow your fellow students to hear the instructor's closing remarks 6. Use of COMPUTERS in the classroom is highly discouraged. Respect the right of your fellow students to be free from auditory and visual distractions emanating from your screen. SURFING THE NET DURING CLASS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE CLASS ATTENDANCE. Suggestions for additional points welcomed!

CLASS SCHEDULE

Jan 23 INTRODUCTION, COURSE OVERVIEW

Globalizing Philosophy—Being the Change PP

KRISHNAMURTI

(1895-1986)

INDIA’S “WORLD TEACHER” –OR NOT?

www.kinfonet.org

A Wholly Different Way of Living (WDW)

K: The Man, The Mystery & The Message (MMM)

Total Freedom (TF)

Jan 28 THE HISTORICAL SETTING

VIDEO “With a Silent Mind” (Mystic Fire Video)
Jan 30 overview of historical significance and interactions of

Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism

The Theosophical Society
READINGS Holroyd, Krishnamurti

Part One The Man and The Mystery

Feb 4, 6 Krishnamurti’s childhood in India

encounter with the Theosophical Society (MMM 1-3)

Feb 11, 13 self-definition and independence (MMM 4-7)

Wawrytko, “How Spiritualism Evolved to Meet the Darwinian Challenge: Religion, Science, and Self-Transformation in Krishnamurti’s Philosophy”

Religion, Science and Transformation PP
THE PHILOSOPHY OF KRISHNAMURTI

READINGS Holroyd, Krishnamurti

Feb 18,20 Part Two The Message (MMM chapters 8-12)
READINGS Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti

Feb 25, 27 Part 1, “Early Works” (TF)

March 4, 6 Part 2, “Insights into Everyday Life” (TF)

March 11, 13 Part 3, “Life’s Questions” (TF)

March 18, 20 Part 4, “You are the World” (TF)
KRISHNAMURTI IN CONVERSATION

Anderson, A Wholly Different Way of Living

March 25 I. Knowledge and the Transformation of Man II. Knowledge and Conflict in Human Relations (WDW)

March 27 III. What is Communication with Others?

IV. What is a Responsible Human Being? (WDW)
SPRING BREAK MARCH 31-APRIL 4
April 8 V. Order Comes from the Understanding of Our Disorder

VI. The Nature and Total Eradication of Fear (WDW)

April 10 VII. Understanding, Not Controlling Desire

VIII. Does Pleasure Bring Happiness? (WDW)

April 15 IX. Sorrow, Passion and Beauty

X. The Art of Listening (WDW)

April 17 XI. Being Hurt and Hurting Others

XII. Love, Sex and Pleasure (WDW)

April 22 XIII. A Different Way of Living

XIV. Death, Life and Love Are Indivisible (WDW)

April 24 XV. Religion, Authority and Education—Part I

XV. Religion, Authority and Education—Part II (WDW)

April 29 XVI. Meditation, a Quality of Attention

XVII Meditation and the Sacred Mind (DWD)

THE CONTINUING ATTRACTION OF KRISHNAMURTI

READINGS Holroyd, Krishnamurti

May 1 Part Three Developments and Applications (MMM 13-15)

the man and the burgeoning legend

the Krishnamurti Foundation of America (www.kfa.org)

May 6 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS—

DEEPER EXPLORATIONS
May 8 Review and Overview

May 13 FINAL EXAM, 1-3 p.m.

The XIVth DALAI LAMA

(1935-)

FREEDOM IN EXILE

www.dalailama.org

THICH NHAT HANH

(1926-)

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA

www.plumvillage.org
OPTIONAL TEXT

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds

(Parallax Press, 1991)

Wawrytko EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR ESSAY EXAMINATIONS	D deficient in resources (stream of consciousness? whatever!) 61-70	C regular attendance accurate notes (basically you tell me what I told you) 71-80	B plus comprehension of class materials, emphasis on primary sources 81-90	A plus evidence of original thinking, creative approach to topics 91-100
Comprehensiveness Did you answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question?
Clarity Have you expressed your thoughts clearly? Have you communicated your points well?
Textual Support Did you demonstrate your reading and comprehension of class materials?
Creative Insight Have you gone beyond class discussions, making unique observations?
Structure and Organization Have you planned out your discussions? Offered logical arguments for your claims? Included evidence from the texts?
Accuracy and Analysis Have you provided a faithful presentation of class topics?
not part of grade
Physical Presentation Have you checked spelling, grammar, syntax? Is your paper readable and orderly?