Department of Religious Studies

How do we decide what to do in a difficult situation? What is “evil,” and how do we confront it? This course explores how ancient Indians answered these questions in the Mahābhārata, a foundational text of Indian civilization. This epic offers tremendous mythic and psychological insight into the human condition, while providing some damn good stories along the way. We’ll talk about what our duty is as human beings, and how we can figure that out. Students will become better readers, thinkers, and writers as we study this important work. Grades are based mostly on five short assignments, a class presentation, and a research project.