RELG 292 - Buddhist Environmentalism

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
This course explores the conjunction of Buddhism and environmentalism. In the first part of the course, we consider advocates of Buddhist environmentalism in the West, many of whom take the tack of a critique of capitalism. We will consider how Buddhist environmentalist agendas are responsive to current structures of political economy. In Part II, we consider critics of the Buddhism-environmentalism conjunction, who raise the objection that historical Buddhists never held commitments like modern-day environmentalists. Our job will involve making sense of these criticisms on our way to a historically responsible description of what a modern Buddhist environmentalism might be.

This course is appropriate for new students.