Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - HUM 101W D900

Introduction to Global Humanities (3)

Class Number: 2545

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Surrey

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduction to issues and concepts central to the study of the humanities around the world. Through exposure to primary materials drawn from different periods, disciplines, and regions, students will become acquainted with a range of topics and ideas relating to the study of the human condition, human values, and human experience. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Self-Cultivation and the Art of Living


This course introduces students to the humanities through a cross-cultural survey of discourses and practices of ‘how to live.’ It examines historical and contemporary writings about ‘self-cultivation’ or ‘personal growth’—ways by which individuals and groups deepen, challenge, and transform their perceptions and capacities for action in harmony with moral-ethical, philosophical, or religious ideals.  

The course material spans a range from ancient Greco-Roman, South Asian, and East Asian philosophers, Christian and Muslim ascetics, and Renaissance mages, to modern bodymind cultivaters including yogis and martial artists, consciousness explorers, social and environmental activists, and Wellness influencers.  

Students will be challenged to develop their own form of self-improvement practice, and to think about how today’s world both demands such practice and shapes and constrains the forms it can take. Readings of ancient texts and contemporary writings will be complemented by practical exercises, writing and presentation assignments, and a practice project. 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:


In taking this course, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate, through iterative writing exercises, class presentations, and other assignments, an ability to read, write, research, develop arguments, present (verbally and in writing), and critically analyze written material as appropriate for a university-level Humanities course.
  • Respond to challenges, with the aid of concepts and practices from various cultural contexts, to critically consider their own assumptions about the meaning of life, the good life, religion/spirituality, the nature of the self, and the capacity for personal growth; and gain tools for critical assessment and evaluation of claims regarding these topics.
  • Engage in a sustained manner in a psychological, psycho-physical, or ‘spiritual’ practice of their choice, reflect on that engagement through multiple lenses, and introduce this practice to other students through an appropriate pedagogical format.
  • Gain some proficiency with a historically and culturally informed, comparative perspective on spiritual and philosophical practice, to which they have been introduced throughout the course. This perspective will be rooted in current literature in philosophy, religious studies, and the social sciences, with reference to research in consciousness studies, the psychology of happiness and well-being, and the spiritual and ‘post-secular’ turns in religious and cultural studies.

Grading

  • Attendance, participation, and Canvas posts 15%
  • Midterm in-class exam 10%
  • Practice project 55%
  • Final exam (during exam period) 20%

NOTES:

This course fulfills the Global Humanities requirements for the  


The Practice project (scaffolded):
Practice proposal 5%
Practice progress report 5%
Group presentation 5%
Paper (auto-ethnography & critical analysis) proposal 5%
Paper first draft 10%
Paper final draft 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All readings will be provided in Canvas. They will include short readings from across the world’s religio-spiritual traditions, as well as philosophical and critical readings from the ancient world (such as Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations and the Bhagavad Gita) to the modern and contemporary (Henry David Thoreau, Robin Wall Kimmerer, David Foster Wallace). Students should expect between 35 and 45 pages of reading material, of varying difficulty, per week.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.