Postgraduate Course: Philosophy of Religion (PHIL11026)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course will cover a range of issues in contemporary philosophy of religion. Topics covered will include reason and faith; the nature of religious language; issues connected with the idea of God, including the concepts of eternity and omnipotence; arguments for belief in God (including ontological, cosmological and teleological arguments); the problem of evil; the relation of religion to morality.
Shared with the UG course Philosophy of Religion PHIL10007.
For courses co-taught with undergraduate students and with no remaining undergraduate spaces left, a maximum of 8 MSc students can join the course. Priority will be given to MSc students who wish to take the course for credit on a first come first served basis after matriculation. |
| Course description |
Topics for the course:
Reason and Faith, or, 'What has Philosophy to do with Religion?'
Religious Language
Concepts of God - An Introduction
Eternity
Omnipotence
Ontological Arguments
Cosmological Arguments
Arguments from Design
Religious Experience
Problems of Evil
Religion and morality
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 8 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 2500 word essay.
Essay deadline: Thursday 21st April 2016 by 12 noon.
Word limit: 2500 words maximum (excluding references)
Return deadline: Friday 13th May 2016 |
| Feedback |
- Weekly tutorial groups shared with undergraduate students
- Additional fortnightly MSc-only tutorial groups
- Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay by week 6 deadline on Turnitin via Learn. The essay cannot be draft of summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
Formative essay deadline: Thursday 25th February 2016 by 12 noon
Return deadline: Friday 18th March 2016 |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- an understanding of some major issues in the philosophy of religion
- an understanding of how these issues relate to continuing debates
- an ability to read closely, analyse and criticise philosophical texts
- the ability to present and defend arguments
- the ability to understand and analyse arguments.
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Reading List
I. Reason and Faith.
Primary reading: Swinburne, Faith and Reason, especially Chs 3, 4 and epilogue.
II. Religious Language.
Primary reading: A. Flew, and R.M. Hare, 'Theology and Falsification', in A. Flew and A. MacIntyre, eds, New Essays in Philosophical Theology, and in B. Mitchell, ed., The Philosophy of Religion.
III. Concepts of God: an introduction.
Primary reading: Morris, Our Idea of God, Ch. 2
IV. The Concept of God: Omnipotence.
Primary reading: Geach, 'Omnipotence', Philosophy 1973
V . The Concept of God: Eternity.
Primary Reading: Hasker, God, Time and Knowledge, Chs 8 and 9.
VI. Reasons for Believing in God: Ontological Arguments.
Primary reading: Barnes, The Ontological Argument, Ch, 1.
VII. Reasons for Believing in God: Cosmological Arguments.
Primary reading: Mackie, The Miracle of Theism, Ch. 5.
VIII. Reasons for Believing in God: Arguments from Design.
Primary reading: Swinburne, 'The Argument from Design', Philosophy 1968, and in Houston
IX. Reasons for Believing in God: Religious Experience.
Primary Reading: Swinburne, Existence, Ch 13.
X. Reasons for not Believing in God: Problems of Evil.
Primary reading: Swinburne, The Existence of God, Ch. 11
XI. Religion and Morality.
Primary reading: Mackie, The Miracle of Theism, Ch 6; Clark, The Mysteries of Religion, Ch 6 (especially the first section).
Additional reading available on Learn. |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn page |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course is taught by Dr Andrew Mason.
The course has a 1 hour lecture and 2 x 1 hour tutorial teaching arrangement in place; students must go to ALL lectures and choose only ONE tutorial group. Students do not attend both shared tutorial groups. Courses may also have additional postgraduate-only tutorials. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Theodore Scaltsas
Tel: (0131 6)50 3649
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: |
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