HUM 107World Philosophy

This course introduces students to philosophical thinking by exposing them to the basic human questions that characterize the philosophy of all cultures. Emphasizing the relevance of philosophy to everyday life in many non-Western societies, students will read works of Buddhist, Taoist, African, Latin American and Middle Eastern origin, and consider a variety of perspectives, including the voices of women, indigenous people and philosophical fiction. Works will be placed in historical, cultural and geographic context to reveal how much of what is known about these cultures is governed by stereotypes and misleading distortions. Classic themes of the Western philosophical tradition will be addressed, while stressing the universality of the search for meaning in life that drives all philosophical reflection.