The Philosophy of Religion Level 2

Code

THEO2001

School

Philosophy

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Spring UK

Summary

There will be some exploration of significant problems in the philosophy of religion, such as the credibility of the existence of God, the relation between religion and science, the relation between religion and morality, the problem of evil, and the possibility of an after-life. There will be further exploration of significant themes, such as the nature of being, of faith, of religious experience, of religious language, and of religious love. There will also be some study of major thinkers in the tradition, such as Plato, Anselm, Aquinas, Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, Bergson, Stein and Weil and others.

Target Students

Available to all Level 2 students including subsidiary, Liberal Arts, and exchange students

Classes

• One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
• One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks

Assessment

• 50% Coursework 1: Essay of 2000 words (max)
• 50% Coursework 2: Essay of 2000 words (max)

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:
Knowledge and understanding of philosophical reflection on religious faith in the Western tradition.

Knowledge and understanding of significant philosophical debates surrounding religious thought.

Be able to show independence in thought, and critical self-awareness about one's own beliefs, commitments and prejudices.

Be able to use IT and computer skills for communication and word processing.

Be able to make discriminating use of a full range of library resources in order to identify appropriate source material, compile bibliographies, and inform research.

Be able to attend to reproduce accurately, reflect on and interact with the ideas and arguments of others.

Transferable (key) skills:
Be able to communicate ideas, principles and theories and develop an argument clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.

The capacity to give a clear and accurate account of a subject, to develop arguments, and to engage in debate and dialogue with a sensitive understanding for differing viewpoints.

The ability to pursue independent, scholarly study by formulating problems, selecting and analysing material, exercising critical judgement, and evaluating one's own perspective.

Intellectual skills:
The ability to summarise, analyse and evaluate a range of both primary and secondary sources, demonstrating an awareness of key issues arising from them.

Knowledge and understanding of a range of philosophical viewpoints on religion, including their interaction with relevant historical and cultural factors, sufficient for critical engagement with such viewpoints and the constructive and critical exposition of an argument for a particular position.

Conveners

• Dr Conor Cunningham