Undergraduate Course: God in Philosophy: Plato to Hume (THET08010)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | 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. |
| Course description |
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: Leibniz (Proofs for the Existence of God)
Week 10: Locke (on Faith and Reason)
Week 11: Hume (Critique of Natural Theology)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | 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. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
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 identify key terms and their meanings, 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.
5. Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings.
6. Demonstrate good judgement about how to judge the relative importance of items on course bibliographies, and of arguments made in individual works.
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Reading List
All course readings are available online via Learn.
There are set primary texts each week as follows:
Plato Republic VI.506-513; VII 514-523
Aristotle Metaphysics XII (¿) 6-10
Augustine Confessions 1.4.4 (to start, and then) Confessions X; De Trinitate V
Anselm Proslogion: Preface, I-III
Aquinas Summa Theologiae 1a.2.3, 1a.12.12-13, 1a13 1-6
Scotus Ordinatio (selections)
Descartes Meditations III
Leibniz ¿Principles of Nature and Grace, Based on Reason¿
Locke ¿Of Faith and Reason¿
Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding X
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, VII, IX |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
http://www.div.ed.ac.uk/courses |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Ability to summarise difficult material;
Ability to structure arguments logically;
Ability to interpret set texts;
Ability to produce a properly referenced essay. |
| Keywords | GodPhil |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Nick Adams
Tel: (0131 6)50 8918
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: |
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