Cabrillo College Claudia Close Non-Western Philosophical Traditions – Philo. 14 Fall 2018

Paper #1: Hinduism

This assignment is designed to not only help deepen your understanding of Hinduism, but also to see how this ancient tradition can still speak to us in a contemporary context. Begin by reading the sections in our text relating to Hinduism and the attached background information from the BBC. Pick one of the following concepts: Atman, Dharma, or Karma. Then respond to the following prompts. The completed assignment should be two pages long, not counting endnotes, (approximately 1300 words) using 12 pt. fonts and single spacing with one inch margins. Please follow the assigned format as exemplified at the end of this document. Each answer should be separated, numbered and proportionate to the number of points possible. This assignment is worth a total of 60 points.

Your completed assignment is due on the 4th of October.

Keep Scrolling Down – Detailed instructions, rubrics and a sample completed assignment are on the pages following the Background!

Prompts:

1. Target Concept: Identify which of the 3 concepts that you have chosen. (5 pts)

2. Explanation of the Concept: Define and develop and explanation of the target concept using our assigned texts and other relevant and credible resources to support your interpretation. In this section, use of primary Hindu sources is required. (Our optional text, Koller’s A Sourcebook in Asian Philosophy should be particularly helpful here.) Please cite all sources. (20 points)

3. Identify the target contemporary issue & source: The issue/problem may be but does not have to be concerning an event in India – it could be any issue or event anywhere in the world. Your contemporary issue should be one that has been recently covered as news in reputable media sources such as the LA Times, the NY Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, BBC News, The Guardian, or news from any of the following wire services - The Associated Press, Reuters, or Bloomberg News. Be sure to clearly state the issue and to cite your target news article properly. (5 points)

4. Application of the Concept to a Contemporary Issue: Discuss how an understanding of the concept chosen could reveal a new perspective or insight into the problem/issue. (20 points)

5. Reflective Analysis: What have you learned from applying your chosen Hindu concept to this issue? Briefly defend your answer without resorting to a repetition of points made in previous sections. (10 points)

Background1: Paper #1

Hindu concepts2

By Professor Gavin Flood

Last updated 2009-08-24

Atman

Atman means 'eternal self'. The atman refers to the real self beyond ego or false self. It is

often referred to as 'spirit' or 'soul' and indicates our true self or essence which underlies

our existence.

There are many interesting perspectives on the self in Hinduism ranging from the self as

eternal servant of God to the self as being identified with God. The understanding of the self

as eternal supports the idea of reincarnation in that the same eternal being can inhabit

temporary bodies.

The idea of atman entails the idea of the self as a spiritual rather than material being and

thus there is a strong dimension of Hinduism which emphasizes detachment from the

material world and promotes practices such as asceticism. Thus it could be said that in this

world, a spiritual being, the atman, has a human experience rather than a human being

having a spiritual experience.

Dharma

Dharma is an important term in Indian religions. In Hinduism it means 'duty', 'virtue',

'morality', even 'religion' and it refers to the power which upholds the universe and society.

Hindus generally believe that dharma was revealed in the Vedas although a more common

word there for 'universal law' or 'righteousness' is rita. Dharma is the power that maintains

society, it makes the grass grow, the sun shine, and makes us moral people or rather gives

humans the opportunity to act virtuously.

But acting virtuously does not mean precisely the same for everyone; different people have

different obligations and duties according to their age, gender, and social position. Dharma

is universal but it is also particular and operates within concrete circumstances. Each person

1 Please note that you are not limited to the background offered. It is anticipated that significant additional reading will be necessary to complete this assignment satisfactorily. You may feel free to use any relevant credible/reliable source as evidence for your arguments. Please provide full citation for all research. 2 Flood, Gavin. “Religions - Hinduism: Hindu Concepts.” BBC Religions, BBC, 24 Aug. 2009, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/concepts/concepts_1.shtml

therefore has their own dharma known as sva-dharma. What is correct for a woman might

not be for a man or what is correct for an adult might not be for a child.

The importance of sva-dharma is illustrated well by the Bhagavad Gita. This text, set before

the great battle of the Mahabharata, depicts the hero Arjuna riding in his chariot driven by

his charioteer Krishna between the great armies. The warrior Arjuna questions Krishna

about why he should fight in the battle. Surely, he asks, killing one's relatives and teachers

is wrong and so he refuses to fight.

Krishna assures him that this particular battle is righteous and he must fight as his duty or

dharma as a warrior. Arjuna's sva-dharma was to fight in the battle because he was a

warrior, but he must fight with detachment from the results of his actions and within the

rules of the warriors' dharma. Indeed, not to act according to one's own dharma is wrong

and called adharma.

Correct action in accordance with dharma is also understood as service to humanity and to

God. The idea of what has become known as sanatana dharma can be traced back to

the puranas - texts of antiquity. Those who adhere to this idea of one's eternal dharma or

constitution, claim that it transcends other mundane dharmas - that it is the para dharma,

the ultimate dharma of the self. It is often associated with bhakti movements, who link an

attitude of eternal service to a personal deity.

(This section edited)

Karma and Samsara

Karma is a Sanskrit word whose literal meaning is 'action'. It refers to the law that every

action has an equal reaction either immediately or at some point in the future. Good or

virtuous actions, actions in harmony with dharma, will have good reactions or responses

and bad actions, actions against dharma, will have the opposite effect.

In Hinduism karma operates not only in this lifetime but across lifetimes: the results of an

action might only be experienced after the present life in a new life.

Hindus believe that human beings can create good or bad consequences for their actions

and might reap the rewards of action in this life, in a future human rebirth or reap the

rewards of action in a heavenly or hell realm in which the self is reborn for a period of time.

This process of reincarnation is called samsara, a continuous cycle in which the soul is

reborn over and over again according to the law of action and reaction. At death many

Hindus believe the soul is carried by a subtle body into a new physical body which can be a

human or non-human form (an animal or divine being). The goal of liberation (moksha) is

to make us free from this cycle of action and reaction, and from rebirth.

Keep scrolling down for rubrics and a sample completed assignment!

General Suggestions for Writing Case Studies3

How not to write your paper:

I. Focus & Relevance Be sure that you understand the assignment and have understood each prompt. Your responses should be focused on the prompts I’ve provided & not the assignment you wish I had given! Look at the completed paper for some ideas.

II. Format You should copy & paste or re-type only the first part of the prompt (the portion in bold type). Please number each response corresponding to the assigned prompt. Papers should be 2 pages, using 12pt. fonts and 1 inch margins all around. There should be an extra space separating your responses to each prompt. Again, please reference the completed sample paper and follow the format exemplified.

III. Tone/Voice Ever since George Carlin pointed out that “using your own words” would result in a

private and hence meaningless expressions, I’ve had to give up on the phrase, however a certain degree of originality is still important. Your task is to explain a concept as if you were the Teaching Assistant for this class. If you simply repeat the text or my lecture, you haven’t helped your imaginary student. You need to clarify the argument/concept in a way that demonstrates that you really understand it and can express the same ideas in a way that is different than has already been explained by the text or by me.

IV. Adequate and Balanced Defense of Your Argument In questions four and five you are asked to make an argument. Your thesis should be stated clearly within the first couple of sentences of each response. It is important to ensure that your application is consistent with the philosophical tradition and that you support that application with a well-thought-out defense.

3 Please note that these guidelines are for my class assignments. Individual instructors may have other format preferences and

you should consult with your teacher for the details before completing your assignment.

V. Quotes Quoting is a way of supporting your interpretation of an argument or theory. Relevance to your response and to the prompt posed is critical. Quotes can be edited but be careful not to take the quote out of context, thus altering the intent of the author. The length of the quote must be appropriate to the length of the assignment; short papers require shorter quotes. Quotes illustrating the philosophical tradition must include references drawn the primary source material, not exclusively from the secondary commentary of the author of our text. All quotes require full citation. You may not use quotes that I’ve already used in my lectures or power-point slides!

VI. Length Part of the criteria for success is efficient use of the space allowed. If you write a single page for a two page assignment, you have not satisfied this criterion. However, this is not an invitation to use the additional space for stream-of-consciousness or irrelevant information not pertinent to the assigned issue. If you are having difficulties with the length, it is usually because you have not recognized or developed sufficiently the various issues involved. Conversely, if your draft is too long, you need to whittle it down to just the relevant essentials, perhaps editing out the anecdotes or redundancies; more is not always better! I am very willing to help if you submit drafts sufficiently before the due date.

VII. Rough Drafts I have invited all of you to bring rough drafts of your completed assignment in for a preview reading. I do not offer re-writes after I have graded your papers. Rough drafts are brought in during my office hours or by appointment and I only read them in person - with the student present. Please do not submit rough drafts electronically nor should you drop them off in my box. I support pro-active measures that encourage preparation and thought and with rough draft readings, both the student and I should benefit with the end result being a better final draft. If your work satisfies my criteria (see rubrics following) for “A” level work, and if the draft is formatted and printed in final draft format, I will sign off on the draft, guaranteeing those students somewhere between 100% and 90% of the points possible for this assignment. Your cut-off for rough draft submissions is 24 hours prior to the due date; I will read no rough drafts the day of or the day prior to the due date.

But, Wait – There’s More Help – Keep Scrolling Down!

Standards (Rubrics) for Grading Papers

The excellent paper (100-90% of points) will exhibit the following qualities: Prompt 1:

Target concept is clearly identified. Target concept is drawn from list provided in instructions.

Prompt 2:

Concept is clearly explained. Language used in explanation is not derivative, plagiarized or too close of a

paraphrase without proper citation. Sufficient support is offered for explanation/interpretation of the concept. Support offered includes references from primary Hindu (for Papers #2 & #3 from

Confucian, Daoist or Buddhist) philosophic literature. Quotes are not too numerous and the length of quotes are appropriate to the length

of the section and overall assignment. All quotes and close paraphrases are properly cited as endnotes. No immediate personal bias is evidenced.

Prompt 3:

Target issue is clearly identified. Target issue is contemporary – occurring within the past one to two years. Target news source for the issue is clearly stated and properly cited. Target news source is generally credible & reliable – and the article is not an op-ed.

Prompt 4:

A clear explanation is offered for why this target issue is relevant. The target issue is, in fact, reasonably relevant The concept chosen has been appropriately applied to the issue Adequate support for central claims has been provided. The use of the concept is consistent with the philosophic treatment of it. Language used in explanation is not derivative, plagiarized or too close of a

paraphrase without proper citation as endnotes. No immediate personal bias is evidenced.

Prompt 5:

Thesis is clearly stated within the first couple of sentences Discussion is not repetitive of any previous section.

Overall Impressions:

Paper presents evidence of a thoughtful and deliberative approach. Language is clear and explanations/arguments are original

Effective use has been made of space allowed with the length of each section proportionate to the number of points possible for that section.

Paper reflects careful consideration and effective use of background material provided.

Paper reflects that the author has explored the issue well beyond the background material provided

The paper is scholarly, with effective use of the essays and relevant philosophical tradition.

There is good logic flow within the sections and from one section to another. Quotes have been provided which are relevant – supporting arguments made, are of

appropriate length, are cited properly as endnotes, are principally from primary source material and quotes are not those which have been used in lectures.

Assignment format has been followed.

Good (89-80% points) The good paper will demonstrate all the above qualities but perhaps to a lesser degree or, will demonstrate some of the above qualities excellently, but not all of the qualities will be presented at a consistently high level. Satisfactory (79-70% points) The satisfactory paper will present all of the above qualities but not as strongly as the good paper or, some qualities may be stronger with some not as strong. Insight is not usually present. Needs Work (69-60% points) This paper is weak on many of the desired qualities. Really Needs Work – Pretty Much Unacceptable (59-0% points) This paper presents few if any of the desired qualities. Good (89-80% points) The good paper will demonstrate all the above qualities but perhaps to a lesser degree or, will demonstrate some of the above qualities excellently, but not all of the qualities will be presented at a consistently high level. Satisfactory (79-70% points) The satisfactory paper will present all of the above qualities but not as strongly as the good paper or, some qualities may be stronger with some not as strong. Insight is not usually present. Needs Work (69-60% points) This paper is weak on many of the desired qualities.

Really Needs Work – Pretty Much Unacceptable (59-0% points) This paper presents few if any of the desired qualities.

Keep scrolling down for a sample completed assignment!

Cabrillo College Sophia Philein Nonwestern Philosophy – Philo. 14 Fall 2018

Paper #X: Islam

1. Target Concept: Charity (Zakat & Sadaqah)

2. Explanation of the Concept: There are two forms of charity discussed in Islamic traditions: the mandatory Zakat (also spelled Zakah) and all charitable acts of kindness called, Sadaqah. Zakat, as the third pillar of Islam, is the mandatory tithing of 2.5% of one’s wealth required of all devout Muslims. i It is held that even if one is relatively poor, one can still help others. The Arabic word, Zakat, means “purification” and may be distinguished from Sadaqah in both form and purpose.ii In the Quran, Muslims are commanded, “You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat). Any good you send forth on behalf of your souls, you will find it at GOD. GOD is seer of everything you do.”iii It is as such a self-regarding virtue. Zakat is an exercise of moral discipline which benefits oneself in terms of demonstrating one’s submission and obedience to God’s commandments. One can further benefit in terms of distancing oneself from attachment to worldly goods. Zakat offers the opportunity to become deserving of God’s blessings and to be mindful of what is really important. One is assured that God will reward such acts. The recipients of Zakat are also specified: “Righteousness is …(in) one who …gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask (for help), and for freeing slaves….”iv So it follows that this is also an other-regarding virtue, and that the need of the recipient for this help is an important dimension of the value of the act itself. One should not be giving money to those who do not need it nor should one seek to keep wealth within a wealthy community. The more inclusive and general Arabic word used for charity is Sadaqah. Though often used interchangeably with Zakat, Sadaqah implies a voluntary, spontaneous or supererogatory giving.v There are numerous references in the Quran and in the Hadiths regarding the importance of love of God and by extension, of one’s fellow person. Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote that love is the universe’s “ultimate energy.”vi Further, especially among the Sufi, this love is “manifested typically through sharing the concerns and sorrows of others….”vii Properly motivated then, Sadaqah is one of the truest exercises of love and power possible for an individual. It implies a virtue of selflessness, of suppression of the ego that leads to peace within oneself. Seeing oneself connected to all is the necessary condition for this truer form of love. Finally, Islam suggests an entirely different attitude towards the entitlement of wealth. In his text, Asian Philosophies, Koller writes, “The underlying assumption is that everything belongs to God and that all wealth is held in trusteeship for the well-being of all God’s creatures.”viii Western society often holds that one is entitled to one’s wealth because one has acquired it legitimately or because one has legitimately earned it.ix The corollary follows from this view, that if one is entitled to wealth, then one is entitled to disperse it entirely at will. However, for devout Muslims, those worldly goods are not ours, they are God’s. This means that the proper stewardship and dispersal of these goods is an imperative and that one is only holding these goods temporarily for God and others. Viewing wealth as something one is entitled to hold, using it to indulge oneself, results in a kind of spiritual and moral sickness that can have both immediate and eternal consequences.

3. Identification of the Contemporary Issue: Worldwide Wealth Inequality

Source: The Guardian, ““Richest 1% on Target to Own Two-Thirds of All Wealth by 2030.” x

4. Application of the Concept to a Contemporary Issue: The increasing levels of worldwide wealth inequality seems inextricably tied to the most challenging problems that we face today: global climate change, the refugee crisis, the increasing number of children who suffer from hunger and food insecurity, contamination of the oceans, the land and groundwater and, even the increasing polarization of politics. I will argue that if we were to take the Islamic concept of charity in its fullest sense much more seriously, many of these challenges could be ameliorated to some and, perhaps even to a significant degree. The giving of Zakat is treated as a means of maintaining social stability and peace – the failure to do so invites serious problems socially, economically and politically. “And avoid an upheaval (trial), which will not strike those who have transgressed, among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty.”xi As illustrative of this point, it could be argued that wealth inequality was at the very core of the French and Russian revolutions. The World Bank has presented strong data linking hunger to food riots and political instability.xii Investigative journalist, Alfred Henry Lewis (1855-1914) is credited with coining the phrase ‘there are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy’.xiii This is clearly one of the more avoidable reasons driving political instability and world-wide population migrations. Yves Daccord of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Switzerland, argued that in the cases of famine in Africa and the Middle East, “The truth is that these tragic situations are all, in differing degrees, man-made and all are to a large extent preventable. The main cause of hunger – and of wider humanitarian need – in all four countries is protracted (and intractable) armed conflict.”xiv One of the passages I found most interesting was on how Zakat was seen as a means to combat waste: “Eat of its fruit when it yields, give its due (zakat) on the day of its harvest, and be not wasteful (excessive). Indeed, He does not like those who are wasteful (commit excess).xv This is a wonderful response to the contemporary crisis we find ourselves in regarding the outrageous waste of food and natural resources. Lastly, the concept of Sadaqah suggests an entirely new level of corporate social responsibility.xvi The profits earned should not be viewed as belonging exclusively to the shareholders or the executives. According to Quranic tradition, these profits ultimately belong to God and thus to all beings. Salma Taman argued that corporate social responsibility, “lies at the very heart of the Islamic faith and law. Properly understood, CSR (corporate social responsibility) is not a recommendation, but rather an obligation for every Muslim.”xvii Multinational corporations are uniquely positioned to break through the boundaries established by popular nationalism. Were they to take this concept of Sadaqah and non-entitlement seriously, these corporations are thus uniquely positioned to greatly ameliorate much suffering in the poorest nations of the world. And, they have the money to do so.xviii The profit margins are particularly striking when one also considers the rate of bloat for corporate executive compensation including the rapid rise of long term incentives.xix These disastrous trends in increased profit margin expectation and executive compensation can be directly tied to the tragic rise of the so-called “working poor” - those who have full-time jobs but still cannot afford the most basic of necessities.xx This is a phenomenon that is clearly not consistent with a robust understanding of corporate social responsibility. 5. Reflective Analysis: I am sometimes haunted by the Gordon Gekko “Greed is good” speech delivered by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film, “Wall Street.”xxi I have argued that the Islamic concept of charity is a good reply to that 80’s mantra however, I don’t believe that it goes far enough. Islamic charity is required only of Muslims and normally limited to Islamic recipients. Charity, if it is to really work, must be universalized – be a mandate for all those who have the capacity and directed towards all people – towards all living beings. Wealth inequality cannot be perpetuated by religious orientation any more than it should be by zip code. I really like Peter Singer’s principle of charity, “if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it.”xxii

i “The 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold and silver, and commercial items. There are other rates for farm and mining produce, and for animals.” “Religions – Zakat: Charity.” BBC Religions, BBC, 9 September 2009, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/zakat.shtml ii Hassan Ali Elajjar, “Islam: God's Message of Guidance to Humanity, II.3 Giving Zakat (Charity), The Third Islamic Duty,” Al-Jazeerah, 8 April 2017, http://www.aljazeerah.info/Islamic%20Editorials/2015/May/Giving%20Zakat,%20Charity,%20The%20Third%20Islamic%20Duty%20By%20Hassan%20Ali%20El-Najjar.htm iii “Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem - القرآن الكريم.” Surah Az-Zumar [39:9], 2016 QURAN.COM, (Al-Baqara, 2: 110), https://quran.com/search?q=zakah iv Ibid. (Al-Baqara, 2: 177) v “Sadaqah,” The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, Oxford Islamic Studies Online, Oxford University Press, http://oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2040?_hi=0&_pos=17 vi Koller, John M, Asian Philosophies, 6th ed. Pearson Education Inc., 2012. vii Ibid. viiiibid. ix Nozick, Robert, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Basic Books, Inc., Perseus Books, L.L.C., 1974 x Savage, Michael. “Richest 1% on Target to Own Two-Thirds of All Wealth by 2030.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 Apr. 2018, www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/07/global-inequality-tipping-point-2030. xi “Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem - القرآن الكريم.” Surah Az-Zumar [39:9], 2016 QURAN.COM, (Al-Anfal, 8: 25), https://quran.com/search?q=zakah xii “Food Price Watch, May 2014: First Quarterly Increase Since August 2012; The Role of Food Prices in

Food Riots.” World Bank, Issue 17, Year 5, May 2014,

www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/publication/food-price-watch-may-2014. xiii Lewis, Alfred Henry, Cosmopolitan Magazine. March, 1906 xiv Daccord, Yves, “Famine in Africa and the Middle East: a preventable tragedy,” Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 3 March 2017, http://news.trust.org/item/20170303102842-0ajpf/ xv “Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem - الكريم القرآن.” Surah Az-Zumar [39:9], 2016 QURAN.COM, (Al-Ana'am, 6: 141), https://quran.com/search?q=zakah xvi Corporate social responsibility has been defined by the European Commission as "a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interactions with their stake holders on a voluntary basis. Commission Green Paper Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility, at j 20, COM (2001) 366 final (July 18, 2001) xvii Taman, Salma, “THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ISLAMIC LAW,” Indiana International & Comparative Law Review, Vol 21-3 https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/iiclr/pdf/vol21p481.pdf xviii “Corporate Profits in the United States averaged 444.02 USD Billion from 1950 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1920 USD Billion in the first quarter of 2018.” “United States Corporate Profits | 1950-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar.” Trading Economics, 2018, https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/corporate-profits xix In 2017 the Economic Policy Institute published a study comparing growth of CEO compensation to workers’ wages and found that, “CEO pay continues to be very, very high and has grown far faster in recent decades than typical worker pay….CEO compensation has risen by 807 or 937 percent … from 1978 to 2016. At 937 percent, that rise is more than 70 percent faster than the rise in the stock market.” A typical worker’s annual compensation over the same period rose at the rate of 11.2%.” Karabell, Shellie. “Executive Compensation Is Out Of Control. What Now?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 Feb. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/shelliekarabell/2018/02/14/executive-compensation-is-out-of-control-what-now/ . xx “Who are the working poor in America? Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Center for Poverty Research, University of California, Davis,2016 https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/who-are-working-poor-america xxi Wall Street, Dir. Oliver Stone, Perf. Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, and Tamara Tunie, 20th Century Fox 1987 xxii Singer, Peter, “Famine Affluence and Morality,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, vol. 1, no. 1 (Spring 1972), pp. 229-243 https://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1972----.htm