Course Outline: BP207 Early Buddhist Ethics, 2016/2017

Basic Data
Program: 
Bachelor of Arts (Buddhist Studies)
Semester: 
Academic Year 2016/2017
Credit / status: 
3 credits / Core Subject
Course Organization: 

This course of lectures is based on the basic doctrinal and ethical concepts presented in the Pali Canon arranged as follows:

  • Introduction to Ethics or Moral philosophy
  • Nature of Buddhist Ethics
  • Place of Ethics in Buddhism
  • Non-soul theory and Buddhist Ethics)
  • Ethical significance of Paticca-samuppada
  • Criteria of Buddhist Ethics
  • Moral sense and motive factors of moral sense
  • Motivation
  • Individual ethics and its impact on the society
  • Mid-term examination
  • Buddhist social ethics
  • Ethical significance of the theory of Kamma
  • Four cardinal virtues
  • Ethical values of Four Treatments (catu sangahavatthu)
  • Modern ethics and Buddhist ethics
  • Revision for the examination
Course Requirements: 
  • 1. Attendance to lectures 80%
  • 2. One assignment
  • 3. One presentation
  • 4. Final Examination
Allocation of Marks: 
  • Class participation and conduct 5%
  • One assignment 15%
  • One presentation 20%
  • Final Examination 60%
Course Objectives: 

Students acquire a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the basic doctrinal and ethical concepts of Early Buddhism.

Grading: 

All tests, assignments and examinations are graded as follows with grade point and numerical marks:

Grade Performance Grade value Percentage Equivalence
A+ Excellent 4.0 90-100
A Almost Excellent 3.75 85-89
A- Fairly Excellent 3.5 80-84
B+ Very Good 3.25 75-79
B Good 3.0 70-74
B- Fairly Good 2.75 65-69
C+ Fair 2.5 60-64
C Satisfactory 2.25 55-59
C- Minimum Satisfactory 2.0 50-54
D+ Fairly Poor 1.5 40-49
D Poor 1.0 30-39
F Fail 0.0 29 or less
I Incomplete
W Withdrawn
WF Withdrawn because of failure
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