PHIL20760

Housing stress, future uncertainty, and the pull of quick fixes can feel overwhelming; these pressures echo concerns that Buddhist philosophy has long raised about why life feels unsatisfactory and how people make sense of it.

This module introduces students with no prior background to the core teachings and philosophical principles of Buddhism. Its purpose is twofold: to introduce students to Buddhist thought and to show how classic ideas illuminate contemporary pressures in study, work, and everyday life.

We begin with the historical and cultural setting of Buddhism, the life of Siddhattha Gotama (the later Buddha), and the development of the major Buddhist traditions. From this foundation, the module moves to the Four Noble Truths, the centre of the Buddha’s teaching. We examine the nature of dukkha (the Pali term often translated as suffering and including discomfort and discontentment), its origins, its cessation, and the route to liberation through the Eightfold Path. Along the way, students meet and use key concepts, e.g. impermanence, no-self, and kamma (“karma” in Sanskrit), and connect these ideas to modern stressors and challenges.

The approach combines clear theory with experience-based learning. Students complete short reflective exercises, work through brief case studies, and take part in guided meditations. These activities support academic understanding and encourage careful self-observation, better decision-making, and more skilful communication.

By the end of the module, students hold a coherent picture of core Buddhist philosophy and can explain, analyse, and apply its central claims in academic contexts and in everyday situations.