For this assignment, you will articulate the ways in which Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews answer the below key questions.
What is ultimate reality? What is the problem of life?
What is the solution to redress the problem? What is our ultimate purpose?
How should we live in this world? What is the technique for reaching that goal/solution?
CITING:
You are not required to consult any sources beyond the course materials provided in Canvas (though you’re welcome to!). In case you draw from any other sources, please cite them in the footnotes following the Chicago Manuel of Style (Links to an external site.).
For primary sources, you must review the Primary Source Reading page for each religion and follow the citation format specified under Citation Guideline. Be sure to consistently and properly cite your sources and include exact pages, paragraphs, chapter and verses, and/or time signatures. Failure to include all three types of sources and/or to cite the sources properly will lower your grade.
SECTION A: Short introduction
Clearly state which religions you are analyzing with a summary of the main points and structure of your paper.
*Tip* Avoid beginning with vague, overgeneralized, abstract, hackneyed, and/or indefensible assertions like: “Throughout history…,” “All of humanity,” “The Bible is a very complex book,” “People hold various opinions,” or the like. Instead, write something concrete about the topic straight away.
SECTION B: Main Body
This is where you flesh out your argument. Although you can structure this section however you like, I suggest breaking down this section into three main parts like the below. Use the questions I’ve included here to guide your thinking and writing.
What is the fundamental problem? What is ultimate reality?
Is there a God or some kind of “ultimate” being or impersonal force (or both/neither)? What is s/he/it/they like, do, and/or want? Is it something that can be identified with the world we live in, or is it separate? Is it benevolent, malignant, or unknown? How does one gain knowledge of it? Why isn’t human existence as it stands optimal? Why, and in what ways, do people error/suffer/whither? Is there something they don’t understand or fail to see? Why might this be a problem? Do people have the power to do something about it?
What is the solution to redress the problem? What is our ultimate purpose?
If life is less than optimal or problematic in one way or another, is there a solution? What would be the alternate reality or remedy that might solve the problem? If life is optimal, can it stay that way? When and how can it be maintained or threatened? What exactly is meant by the terms used to describe the telos or desired destination or state (e.g., moksha, nirvana, heaven, salvation, liberation, etc.)? What is it that people are looking for, and what might it be like to get there (e.g., heaven, nirvana, etc.)?
How do we get to the solution? How should we live in this world? To whom should we look up?
Once we know the problem and the solution, how does one get there? Is there just one way, or are there many ways or “paths”? Is “salvation/liberation” something people can achieve, or does it require help from a higher power(s)? How did exemplars chart the path toward that goal, and will they lend a helping hand? If so, when and how?
*Tip* Every claim you make must be supported by specific evidence from the sources (whether primary or secondary), cited correctly. You do not have space to go off topic. Take care not to make unwarranted assertions: demonstrate your point. You do not need to agree with or believe in the topic/interpretation you are analyzing or what other scholars say about it—you only need to be able to explain what the writer is doing based on your close reading of the texts.
SECTION C: Short conclusion
Your conclusion can also be just one or two sentence(s) that sums up what you have shown in the paper.
*Tip* In a well-written piece, the reader should be able to see logical progression, i.e., various points should be related to and build on each other, and the conclusion should naturally flow from the body. Once you write your conclusion, go back and see if your analysis properly supports the conclusion.
