REL 245(F) Tibetan Civilization*

Often depicted in novels and movies as a mythical and ideal country, Shangri-La, Tibet has had the dubious privilege of being the focus of Western orientalism. This course examines some of the sources of this mythology and analyzes some of the motives in the Western representation of Tibet. This course does not focus, however, only on "our" ways of representing the other, but seeks to represent "them" in a less narcissistic way. We will focus more particularly on the cultural and historical aspects of Tibetan civilization. We will examine first the early history of Tibet and the introduction of Buddhism in this country. We will consider also the stages in the development of Tibetan Buddhism. But we will focus mostly on the later period of the history of Tibet, examining the more recent tragic events and the future perspectives that these events open for the Tibetan civilization. Readings: D. Lopez, Prisoners of Shangrila, D. Snellgrove and H. Richardson, A Cultural History of Tibet, T. Shakaba, Tibet, a Political History, Munford, Himalayan Dialogue, Samuel, Civilized Shamans, Goldstein, The Snow Lion and the Dragon. Requirements: two 5- to 6-page papers. No prerequisites.

Hour: DREYFUS