ASIA 109HWhat is The Self?

3 credits · Asian Studies · Penn State

What is the self? Are you your body? Your identities? Your consciousness? This course explores diverse views of "the self" from a variety of different global religious and philosophical perspectives. Topics may include Asian traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Confucianism; Abrahamic traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; as well as indigenous traditions such as shamanism, Native American religions, and Shinto. The class may discuss, but will not prioritize, perspectives from psychology and other modern disciplines. Which specific religions are covered will depend on the instructor's fields of specialization, but the course will emphasize cross-cultural comparisons on a global scale.