HISTORY OF KOREAN PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONS 1

This class presents an overview of Korean philosophy and religions in Korean history, particularly from Chosŏn dynasty (1392-1910) to the mid-20th century. This class covers diverse religious and philosophical topics such as shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity (Catholics and Protestantism), native religions like Tonghak (Eastern Learning), and Shintoism (Japanese native religion) within the historical context. Thus we will look at the concepts of religion, philosophy, thoughts, etc. This class ultimately will show that Korean religions and philosophy in Korean history form a universal world heritage, a topic that has worth studying carefully. Also, we will probe the diverse relationships between state and religion, a diverse relationship that features each society. Thus, in this class, we will probe the historical trajectory of Korean experiences in terms of religions and philosophies with comparative perspectives. Students are expected to participate in lively discussions with a careful reading of weekly assigned materials and to enjoy the original thoughts of Koreans on religions and philosophies.

Students will understand Korean religious and philosophical traditions so that they will see the roots of contemporary Korean religions and society.

Reading assigned materials before each class and raising questions during the class will be strongly encouraged.

* All reading assignments except books are reserved at the Palazzo Vendramin (DSAAM) entrance. Also, you can download academic articles from Google Scholar or Ca’ Foscari Library (SBA).

- Look at the MOODLE

100% Final Exam (two times in January 2025 One in June and one in August or September 2025)(Short answer questions & Essays).

written

30L: The student has a thorough understanding of the topics and issues presented in the course and the assigned readings.
28-30: The student almost masters the issues presented in the course and the assigned readings; he or she is capable of analyzing information and makes use of academic terminology;
26-27: The student has a good knowledge of the topics presented in the course and - to a lesser extent - in the assigned readings; he or she generally succeeds in analyzing information and is familiar with academic terminology;
24-25: The student does not always know thoroughly the topics presented in the course and the assigned readings; concepts are not always expressed through academic terminology;
22-23: The student has a mostly superficial knowledge of the topics presented in the course and the assigned readings; he or she is not always clear and generally lacks academic terminology;
18-21: The student has a superficial understanding of the topics presented in the course and the assigned readings; they are unclear and do not utilize academic terminology.

Lecture and Discussion. Usually, I use PowerPoint slides each week for my lecture, which will deal with reading assignments and more.

Bring many questions!