In Hinduism, the four stages of life each consist of certain duties and requirements. Discuss how these stages offer a guideline for ethical behaviour. *Note how these stages are only available to the

The following are guidelines to help you construct a technically sound, well-argued critical

essay on the topic you select.

General rule of thumb for a religious studies paper: avoid

“confessional” language

As an academic discipline in the humanities and soci al sciences, the study of religion adheres to a

non-confessional approach when engaging with various traditions. In plain terms, this means that we

do not privilege one tradition over another. A non-confe ssional approach is distinct from theology, in

that it generally does not hold one’s personal be liefs or commitments to be relevant to their

argument. While faith-claims and personal allegian ces are important to individuals, the academic

study of religion aims to examine the phenomenon of religion in a neutral fashion, drawing on

various methods and theories that are common to the humanities and social science (i.e.,

sociological, anthropological, psychological, etc. ). And so, for example, while an individual may

believe that Mohammad is the messenger of God, or that Jesus Christ died for the sins of humanity,

we, as a discipline, seek to avoid such professi ons of faith in the interests of impartiality and

academic rigour. To be clear, we do not wish to denigrate theology or personal beliefs in any way,

but rather to promote a method of inquiry that enabl es us to speak of all traditions using the same

methods and tools across t he board. If, for example, we were to privilege a Confuc ian worldview in

our approach to Hinduism, we would be prejudicing our analysis from the start.

One technique to avoid confessional language is as fo llows: until you are comfortable speaking of

all religions in a neutral, academic fashion, it is recommended that for essays and essay questions

you choose to write on a tradition(s) other than your own. This way, you will be able to separate your

analysis from your personal beliefs, which may prej udice your interpretation. If you do choose to

write on a tradition that you personally believe in, try and take a 3

rd person perspective in your

analysis. For example, instead of writing that Jesus Christ performed several miracles and that this

affirms his teachings and divinity, you would add the caveat, “according to the Christian tradition […]

Jesus’ miracles are proof of the trut h of his ministry and of his word.” To put it differently, since your

peers come from a variety of backgrounds (e.g., Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, agnostic, etc.), one

cannot assume that a “confessiona l” or “insiders” point of view will be shared by all. Maintaining a

critical distance from an insider’s perspective is one of key distinctions between the study of and

theology.

In this course, we are interested in exploring the conduct, principles, and worldview of

various religious traditions in order to better understand and explain how the foundational

period of a given religious tradition informs believers on what is ethically good, just, and

true. In short, we are interested in exploring the question of how people understand

religion, whether that tradition is our own or someone else’s. If you have any further

questions on how to avoid non-confessional language, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Content and critical thinking

It is crucial that your essay paper engage in what is commonly referred to as “critical thinking.” While

there are different ways to inte rpret what these means, for the purposes of this course I will be

looking for an analysis that goes beyond mere regurgitation of “fact” and shows an engagement with

the nuances of a particular question. So, for example, if you were writing on how the 5 Pillars of

Islam promotes ethical behaviour, you would need to not only outline the basic parameters, but go

into some detail exploring why this constitutes et hical behaviour for practitioners of Islam. It is

therefore crucial that in your analysis, that you clearly layout: 1) an understanding of the question in

general; 2) how this relates to the worldview of the tradition in question; and 3) why or how this

constitutes ethical behaviour. You will need to draw on at least 4 academic sources in support of you

argument. For the sake of clarity, these steps are further elaborated upon below:

1. You will want to begin your essay by clearly outlining the parameters of the question that you

are attempting to answer. While this may seem redundant, it is imperative that you are clear to

yourself and to your instructor/reader that you actually understand what it is that you are

addressing and how you are going to proceed. Y our textbook is a good place to start for this,

though you will need to elaborate these points by using a variety of sources.

2. *One of our main goals in this course is to gain a better understanding of how ethical practices

relate to and are justified by the particular worldview in que stion. I cannot stress enough the

importance of this point. To put it in concrete terms, when we talk of a particular religious

practice we are not just speaking about preferences for a certain type of behaviour, but rather an

ethical imperative that is informed by a particular view of the world. So, for example, if we were

to talk about the commitment to ahimsa that we find in Jainism (i.e., non-violence toward all

living beings, which requires vegetarianism) in Christian terms, it might appear odd or even

extreme to a typical Western audience. The reason that Jains believe it wrong to eat animals is

intimately linked with their religious worldview. We therefore need to analyze and assess this

ethical practice in light of its corresponding worldview, in order to do it justice and for it to

make sense. In marking your paper, I will be looking for a link to the appropriate worldview as

part of my assessment. This connection constitu tes an important aspect of what I mean by

“critical thinking.”

3. Related to step number two (above), I will be l ooking for an explanation and analysis of how the

topic in question constitutes ethical behaviour. In your response I am not simply looking for a re-

iteration or definition of “what” the question means (this will be covered in step one), but rather

an engagement with how you understand a given et hical principle and its relation to the

worldview of that particular tradi tion. In drawing on sources, you will want to use the ideas that

other scholars have discussed on this question in order to further elaborate your point and to

provide nuance to your answer.

Note: Your references must come from academic sources. While the internet can be a useful tool in

trying to sort out certain ideas, it is less reliabl e than the library in providing you with “scholarly”

information. Play it safe and stick to sources from the library. If you come across an internet link that

you find useful, be sure to run it by me before using it. If you have any further questions about

sourcing, please do not hesitate to write me for clarification.

How to write a thesis statement

Your thesis is an introductory statement that will clarify the question that you are looking to address,

along with the key points or details of your ar gument and the method that you will employ. So, for

example, if you were writing on the Christian notion of “love,” you might proceed as follows:

In this paper I wish to explore/address the Christi an notion of love and how it pertains to Christian

ethics more generally. By looking at the format ive tradition, including the Gospels, and certain

Letters of Paul, I will show how this notion of lo ve is crucial to Christian ethical understanding.

Moreover, in my response, I will show how this notion of love relates to the Christian worldview, and

will be drawing on sources from thinkers X, Y, and Z in support of my argument. In my response I

will pay close attention to the argument made by thinker X, who argues that the principles of charity

and forgiveness are the cornerstone of Christian belief. Ethics in World Religions RLGN 1420 Assignment 3 3

Marks breakdown

• Referencing ( 5%): You need at least 4 academic sources in addition to the Young and Van

Voorst texts. While it will be useful to draw on these texts, they are only a starting point for your

research. You may use either MLA, Chicago, or APA referencing style.

• Spelling and Grammar ( 10%): While 10% may seem high for spelling and grammar, I have an

ulterior motive in mind. Student who pay close attention to spelling and grammar, going over

their papers a number of times to look for mistak es, also pay attention to structure, content, and

critical thinking. By reviewing your paper fo r grammar and spelling you will also be revising the

substance of your argument.

• Structure and Content ( 60%): Here I will be looking for a well organized paper, which includes a

thesis (introduction), body, and conclusion, and that covers the important criteria that I have

listed above.

• Critical Thinking ( 25%): As mentioned above, you will also be marked on your ability to think

critically by linking ethical behaviour to worl dview, while drawing on 4 external sources in

support of your argument.