Syllabus

• Unit 1: Introduction to Buddhist Reasoning and Debate (Laying the Groundwork for Logical Inquiry)
• 1 What is Buddhist Reasoning? – Its historical and philosophical significance.
• 2 The Role of Debate in Buddhist Thought – Why debate matters in intellectual traditions.
• 3 Preliminaries for Buddhist Debate – Key terminologies and concepts.
• 4 The Human Condition in Buddhist Philosophy – How logic is used for self-inquiry.
• 5 Reasoning in the Buddhist Context – The link between logic, ethics, and enlightenment.
• 6 Introduction to Key Logical Structures – The basics of comparison, inference, and analysis.
• 7 Understanding the Four Possibilities in Logical Structures – Exploring inclusion, exclusion, and neutrality.
• 8 The Three Possibilities – Core logical categories and their significance.
• 9 Logical Categories in Everyday Thinking – How Buddhist logic can refine modern reasoning.
• 10 Practical Exercise – Identifying Buddhist reasoning patterns in real-world debates.

• Unit 2: Foundations of Buddhist Logic and Argumentation (The Structure of Thought and Syllogistic Reasoning)
• 11 Introduction to the Buddhist Syllogism – Argument forms and components.
• 12 Statements of Qualities vs. Statements of Pervasion – Two key modes of reasoning.
• 13 What Statements of Pervasion Imply – Logical progression and necessity.
• 14 Elements of a Valid Syllogism – Subject, predicate, and logical connection.
• 15 Correct and Incorrect Signs in Logical Argumentation – Identifying strong and weak reasoning.
• 16 Understanding Forward Pervasion and Counterpervasion – Directionality in inference.
• 17 The Only Two Valid Syllogistic Forms – How arguments are structured.
• 18 The Three Types of Correct Signs – Effect, Nature, and Nonobservation signs.
• 19 Debate Practice: Constructing and Analyzing Syllogisms – Applying theoretical knowledge.
• 20 The Epistemological Foundations of Buddhist Logic – How knowledge is validated.

• Unit 3: Buddhist Ontology and Logical Categories (Understanding Reality Through Logical Classification)
• 21 Basic Buddhist Ontology – The classification of reality.
• 22 The Concept of Selflessness in Buddhist Thought – Refuting inherent identity.
• 23 Types of Existents and Non-existents – What exists and what doesn’t.
• 24 The Seven Divisions of Existents – A structured approach to understanding reality.
• 25 The Three Types of Functioning Things – Matter, Consciousness, and Nonassociated Factors.
• 26 External and Internal Matter – Classification and characteristics.
• 27 The Role of Consciousness in Logical Perception – How the mind processes reality.
• 28 Sense Consciousnesses vs. Mental Consciousnesses – Their functions and implications.
• 29 Mutual Inclusion and Exclusion in Ontology – Logical relationships between categories.
• 30 Exercise: Applying Ontological Categories to Modern Issues – Social and ethical analysis.

• Unit 4: Valid Cognition and Reasoning in Debate (How We Know What We Know – The Basis of Rational Thought)
• 31 Consciousness and Its Role in Perception – The Buddhist approach to knowing.
• 32 Direct Perceivers and Thought Consciousnesses – Understanding cognition.
• 33 Unpacking Wrong Consciousness and Uncertain Knowledge – Avoiding cognitive mistakes.
• 34 Inferential Cognition and Its Role in Reasoning – When perception is not enough.
• 35 Valid Cognition in Buddhist Epistemology – Establishing certainty.
• 36 Analyzing the Three Spheres: Agent, Action, and Object – Their logical relationships.
• 37 Choosing a Debate Partner – How to structure meaningful dialogue.
• 38 Debating the Nature of Reality – Constructing and deconstructing arguments.
• 39 Misfires in Debate: Rhetoric, Bullying, and Logical Fallacies – Identifying poor reasoning.
• 40 Case Study: Applying Buddhist Reasoning to Contemporary Issues – Ethical dilemmas and policy discussions.

• Unit 5: Interactive Debate and Practical Engagement (Applying Buddhist Logic in Discussion and Inquiry)
• 41 The Purpose of Debate in Buddhist Thought – Seeking truth over victory.
• 42 Roles of the Challenger and the Defender – Structure of a Buddhist debate.
• 43 The Three Purposes of Debate – Learning, analysis, and refutation.
• 44 Defining Key Debate Structures – Logical frameworks.
• 45 One and Different: How We Categorize Concepts – Logical predicates in debate.
• 46 Consequences in Debate – Understanding implications of statements.
• 47 Step-by-Step Debate Procedures – Practical applications.
• 48 Building Strong Argumentation Skills – Enhancing philosophical discourse.
• 49 Interactive Debate Session – Engaging in structured argumentation.
• 50 Final Discussion and Course Reflection – Applying skills beyond Buddhist reasoning.