Philosophy

1) What is Atman? What is Brahman? What is the argument for the idea that they are completely
identical? If everything is fundamentally one, but appears to be many, what can we do to overcome
this? How does this relate to the ideas of samsara, and moksha? What do you find attractive or
unattractive about this view?

2) What are the Four Noble Truths and how do they relate to the concept of trishna? What is
anatman? How do these ideas give rise to Buddhist ethics? Do Buddhist ethics provide a good guide
for living, or do you think they are flawed in some way?

3) What is the concept of Ahimsa? What are some of the practical implications of that concept and
how seriously are they taken within Jainism? How does karma operate in the Jain system of belief
and what must be done in order to attain Siddhashila? Briefly describe one thing that you find
attractive about the Jain tradition and one thing you find problematic.

Write one of these essays on your own time and submit it to Carmen. Good papers will likely be 1.5 to 3 pages long. They must be double-spaced, 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, with 1” margins on all four sides

you will be invited to defend some piece of material that we considered in class. You need to clearly present the arguments you are assessing, show that you understand how people might object to them, and explain how you think the view can best respond to those objections