Atheism
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| THEO1015 | Philosophy | 1 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- THEO1015
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module will investigate the phenomenon of atheism, both traditional or ‘old’ and the cultural phenomenon sometimes referred to as ‘new atheism, place it in a broader historical and intellectual context. Where does it come from? What are the sources and roots of contemporary atheism? How can we explain the transition in Western society from belief as norm to agnosticism or atheism as the majority position? What are the most convincing arguments for atheism, and what are its most radical and interesting versions? The module will include examination of recent writers (e.g. Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens), atheists of the Enlightenment, and thinkers such as Nietzsche and Feuerbach. Secularization and various ways in which scholars have tried to understand it will be explored. We will finish with an examination of Atheism in the Middle East.
Target Students
Available for all Level 1 students including subsidiary, liberal arts, and exchange students
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: 2,200 to 2,500 word essay
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To examine atheism, both historical and contemporary, from a variety of perspectives.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
- Gain a good general knowledge of atheism as a social and intellectual phenomenon.
Intellectual skills:
- Gain a capacity to understand a contemporary phenomenon in a broader historical and intellectual context.
- Be able to evaluate arguments.
Professional Practical skills:
- Cross-cultural thinking.
Transferable skills:
- Engage in thoughtful discussion orally and in writing of contested issues.