Humanities (HUMN) 360
East Meets West (Revision 1)
Delivery Mode: Individualized study
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Humanities
Prerequisite: None.
Precluded Course: HUMN 200 (HUMN 360 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for HUMN 200.)
Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
HUMN 360 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Overview
HUMN 360 uses primary texts to examine the philosophy and literature of ancient India and ancient China, and then investigates some of the ways these Eastern ideas have influenced certain modern Western thinkers. The course focuses on the way Eastern concepts and values can bring into sharp relief political, economic, and human dilemmas currently facing the industrialized West. The principal religions and philosophies discussed are Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, together with short works by such European and American writers as Hermann Hesse, Aldous Huxley, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Robert Pirsig.
Outline
Part 1: Four Western Novelists
- Unit 1: Hermann Hesse's Search for the Way
- Unit 2: Robert Pirsig's Quest for Quality
- Unit 3: Aldous Huxley's Island of Sanity
- Unit 4: Ursula Le Guin's Allegory of Alternatives
Part 2: Ancient India
- Unit 5: The Hindu Tradition
- Unit 6: Buddhism
Part 3: Ancient China
- Unit 7: Confucianism
- Unit 8: Taoism
- Unit 9: Review
Part 4: East Meets West
- Unit 10: East Meets West
Part 5: Endings and Beginnings
- Unit 11: Endings and Beginnings
Evaluation
To receive credit for HUMN 360, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Essay 1 | Essay 2 | Mid-course Test | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 30% | 15% | 40% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Hesse, Hermann. 1971. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam.
Hesse, Hermann. 1972. The Journey to the East. New York: Bantam.
Huxley, Aldous. 1972. Island. New York: Harper and Row.
Le Guin, Ursula. 1976. The Word for World is Forest. New York: Berkely.
Le Guin, Ursula. 1975. The Dispossessed. New York: Avon.
Le Guin, Ursula. 1973. The Lathe of Heaven. New York: Avon.
Lin Yutang, ed. 1971. The Wisdom of China and India. New York: Bantam.
Pirsig, Robert. 1976. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. New York: Bantam.
Other Materials
The course materials include a study guide and student manual.
Challenge for Credit Course Overview
The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.
Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
- Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures
Challenge Evaluation
To receive credit for the HUMN 360 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the entire challenge examination.
| Part I: Exam | Part II: Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50% | 100% |
Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 1.
Last updated by SAS 02/14/2013 08:07:51
