Undergraduate Course: God in Philosophy: Plato to Hume (THET08010)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Theology and Ethics |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.div.ed.ac.uk/courses |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | An introduction to philosophical theology and some issues in the philosophy of religion, especially the question of how to inquire into 'God' philosophically. Lectures, seminars and set texts in this course treat a range of philosophers in the Western tradition from Plato to the Enlightenment. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | At least 80 credits at level 8. |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students especially welcome. Students should usually have at least 1 introductory level course in theology or religious studies at grade B or above at university level. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the main texts set for tutorials, and show an ability to summarise a significant body of material concisely and clearly.
2. Demonstrate an ability to summarise the principal arguments on the main themes and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Show an ability to differentiate the views of the principal philosophers and those of their interpreters and to identify challenges in interpreting the philosophical texts.
4. Show an ability to structure an argument, to use correct grammar in expressing philosophical ideas, and to support claims with reference to specific named primary and secondary texts. |
Assessment Information
COURSEWORK : 2000-word Book Review (10%); AND
2000-word Essay (30%).
Degree EXAM (60%).
In order to pass this course, you must obtain a minimum of 40% in the coursework (Book Review and Essay) and in the exam. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Plato (The Form of the Good)
Week 3: Aristotle (Metaphysics)
Week 4: Augustine (Faith and Reason)
Week 5: Anselm (Ontological Argument)
Week 6: Aquinas (Analogy)
Week 7: Scotus (Natural and Supernatural Knowledge)
Week 8: Descartes (Proofs for the Existence of God)
Week 9: Spinoza (The One Substance)
Week 10: Leibniz (Proofs for the Existence of God)
Week 11: Hume (Critique of Natural Theology) |
| Transferable skills |
Ability to summarise difficult material;
Ability to structure arguments logically;
Ability to interpret set texts;
Ability to produce a properly referenced essay. |
| Reading list |
A Course Reader will be available from the School of Divinity Office at the start of the semester. This will include excerpts from primary texts that will form the focus of the lectures. It will also include the set tutorial texts.
Cambridge Companion to Plato, chapter 9
Cambridge Companion to Aristotle, chapter 3
Cambridge Companion to Augustine, chapter 2
Cambridge Companion to Anselm, chapter 7
Cambridge Companion to Aquinas, chapter 9
Cambridge Companion to Scotus, chapter 7
Cambridge Companion to Descartes, chapter 6
Cambridge Companion to Spinoza, chapter 8
Cambridge Companion to Leibniz, chapter 10
Cambridge Companion to Hume, chapter 15
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Two lectures (Mon and Tue) on primary texts.
One tutorial (Thur) on the week's Cambridge Companion chapter. |
| Keywords | God, Philosophy, Faith, Reason |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Nick Adams
Tel: (0131 6)50 8975
Email: euctrn31@hotmail.co.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Joanne Cannon
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: |
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