Philosophy and Religion
Course Descriptions
Spring 2010
PHIL 218: Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of religion presupposes neither the perspective of the believer nor that of the non-believer but approaches religion from a critical (question asking), usually rational, ideally impartial point of view. Taking a philosophical perspective on religion fosters questions such as: What should be made of the different referring terms for the divine? Do they purportedly identify the same or different referents? What if anything is God? What attributes (characteristics) can simultaneously be attributed to God? What could or could not, must or must not God be, do, or know? Does the concept of God entail perfection and, if so, what conception of perfection? i.e. what “divine attributes” are com-possible? Is there a God? Are any arguments for or against God’s existence sound? What if anything can be properly said of God? What is the relationship, if any, between God and morality? If God commands it how might one know it and ought one to do it? What are some of the explanations of religion that deny the existence of a god? Can miracles be defined, and if they can, are they possible? Might continuing personal existence after death be possible or is the idea unintelligible? Is belief a matter of rational choice, will, and/or an important epistemic attitude for which we carry moral responsibility? What about religious exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism?
You will find that philosophy of religion offers one of the great laboratories for philosophical reasoning as there is little by way of fact-of-the-matter and much is at stake. The course requirements include two short analytical papers, one formally presented critical review of a major work in the philosophy of religion, a mid-term and a final exam.
PHIL 250: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
The course develops a symbolic language for evaluating deductive arguments. Two-thirds of the course focuses on formal proofs.
PHIL 262: Problems in Applied Ethics
This
course is devoted to the philosophical examination of some of the most pressing
ethical issues in medicine, business, and public policy. Students will first
be introduced to the basics of moral theory, and will then apply this theory to
the study and critical assessment of a variety of particular (and highly
controversial) ethical disputes within these professions. Students will be
challenged to form their own well-defended views on these issues, and to
develop the skills necessary to continue forming such views for themselves
outside of the classroom.
PHIL 330: Moral Theory
Moral theory is a branch of philosophy
concerned with the nature of rightness, wrongness and the good life. This
course is an advanced examination of classical and contemporary work in
meta-ethics and normative ethical theory, with some attention to the
implementation of moral theories in practice. We begin with three
fundamental questions of moral theorizing, “Is morality relative?” “Are we just
selfish?” and “Does morality depend upon religion?” Subsequently, we
examine several influential moral theories, concentrating on virtue ethics,
utilitarianism and deontological ethics. Throughout the course, we will
examine such questions as, “What is the nature of right and wrong?” “Why be
moral?” “What are the components of human flourishing?” “Who or what is
morally considerable?” and “Are moral judgments gendered?”
This course aims not only to
deepen student understanding of influential moral philosophies but also to
improve students' philosophical writing and speaking abilities. All
students will participate in a group presentation on a philosophical text,
compose a philosophical essay as a term paper, and write expository and
critical essay exams. Throughout the semester, students should also
participate actively in class discussions and voice their views on issues
discussed in the readings.
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PHIL 340: Ancient Greek Philosophy This course traces philosophical problems raised by the pre-Socratics, Parmenides, Heraclitus, Pythagoras and the Sophists through their treatment by Plato and Aristotle. Emphasis is placed on selected writings of Plata and Aristotle.
PHIL 341: Modern Philosophy This course examines philosophical trends between 1600 and 1785 through a careful examination of René Descartes’s Meditations, George Berkeley’s Principles of Human Knowledge, David Hume’s Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, and Immanuel Kant’s Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics.
PHIL 344: Existentialism Careful examination and critical evaluation of the thought of Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and Jean Paul Sartre. Our main objective will be to explore, in detail, these thinkers’ distinct accounts of the peculiar kind of existence characteristic of the finite human self, as well as their diverse approaches to basic existential problems: the problem of finding (or creating) meaning in life, the challenge of existing authentically, and so forth. Along the way, we will also briefly examine what some contemporary analytic philosophers have had to say about certain existential questions: whether and in what sense human existence can have any ultimate significance, whether permanent death would add to or subtract from the meaningfulness of life, and so on. |
PHIL 390: Philosophical Consequences of Classical and Deviant LogicsThis course will cover some of the fundamentals of classical logic in more depth than is possible in an introductory course, some deviant (non-classical) logics, and some important philosophical issues these logics raise. We'll begin by reviewing the basics of classical sentential logic and the predicate logic, and then turn to some of the metatheory of classical logic. Next we will cover some naive set theory, and some of Cantor's revolutionary work on infinities. Armed with this background, we will then study some non-classical logics -- at least one modal logic, at least one many-valued logic, and some intutionistic logic. Here, as throughout the class, we will look both at the technical and the philosophical side of the logic we are studying.
PHIL 475: Philosophy Seminar
(topic: Universals)
Those
who spend time with the problem of universals find themselves worrying about
two big questions: (a) whether there is more than one individual of a
certain type, and (b) if so, in virtue of what features of reality these
individuals can be grouped together as instances of that type. Though
many of us have strong intuitions about the correct answer to (a), working out
the details of (b) often leads us in surprising directions. To help us
formulate our own philosophically defensible responses to these questions, we
will critically examine the history of the problem of universals, with
significant attention given to Ancient, Medieval, and 20th century accounts.
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This course discusses the literature of the New Testament in light of the historical, social and religious conditions from which it emerged. Particular attention is given to historical issues related to Jesus and the origins of Christianity. |
REL 218: Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of religion presupposes neither the perspective of the believer nor that of the non-believer but approaches religion from a critical (question asking), usually rational, ideally impartial point of view. Taking a philosophical perspective on religion fosters questions such as: What should be made of the different referring terms for the divine? Do they purportedly identify the same or different referents? What if anything is God? What attributes (characteristics) can simultaneously be attributed to God? What could or could not, must or must not God be, do, or know? Does the concept of God entail perfection and, if so, what conception of perfection? i.e. what “divine attributes” are com-possible? Is there a God? Are any arguments for or against God’s existence sound? What if anything can be properly said of God? What is the relationship, if any, between God and morality? If God commands it how might one know it and ought one to do it? What are some of the explanations of religion that deny the existence of a god? Can miracles be defined, and if they can, are they possible? Might continuing personal existence after death be possible or is the idea unintelligible? Is belief a matter of rational choice, will, and/or an important epistemic attitude for which we carry moral responsibility? What about religious exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism?
You will find that philosophy of religion offers one of the great laboratories for philosophical reasoning as there is little by way of fact-of-the-matter and much is at stake. The course requirements include two short analytical papers, one formally presented critical review of a major work in the philosophy of religion, a mid-term and a final exam.
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This course will provide a historical survey of the relationship between religion and the sciences; offer overviews of scientific and theological theory; examine the development of theory formation; focus on issues in astronomy, physics and biology; explore the ethical implications of scientific and religious theories; and trace developments.
REL 300: African American Religion The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the broad contours of the African American religious experience, its history, practices, and communities, with a consideration of the intersection of race and religion in America. Through the close reading of primary texts and increased familiarity with significant scholarly literature, students will gain a basic mastery of the fundamental categories in black religion. Students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their acquired expertise through class discussion and writing assignments, as well as a research presentation.
REL 300: Mind and Reality in Buddhist Philosophy A course for students who have already taken PHIL/REL 385, Buddhist Thought. With that background assumed, we will be able to go into greater depth in focusing upon key issues and texts in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Focal issues will be chosen from such issues as: the meaning of anatman and its implications for human personhood; the nature of Mind in Yogacara and Zen; the nature of reality as seen in early Buddhism, emptiness and Chinese schools of thought; the meaning of Buddhist non-dualism; whether Nagarjuna avoids espousing a view of his own (as he claims); whether the Buddha nature doctrine violates the principle of anatman. We will emphasize the direct reading of original texts, sometimes with commentaries; there may also be secondary philosophical articles assigned. The class will be small and discussion-based. |
REL 325: Catholicism in the Modern World
This course studies the roots, origin, and
historical development of Christianity with special emphasis upon the
transformation of Catholic Christianity in the 20th century. In effect,
an intellectual revolution has occurred in Catholic theology and philosophy
because of the following elements in the modern world:
• the development of
historical and form criticism as ways of interpreting scripture,
• the acknowledgment of the
insights of biology and anthropology on the evolution of the human species from
pre-human ancestors,
• the acknowledgment of the
insights of sociology of knowledge affecting any claim as to absolute truth,
the influence of the Enlightenment upon our modern consciousness,
• and the influence of
Existentialism, Pragmatism, and Process Philosophy upon the theology of human
existence and morality.
It was only in the 1960's
that Vatican Council II changed the Catholic Church from a Church of cultural
confinement, particularly of the European variety, to a genuine world Church.
A key element in the course is the Second Vatican Council’s new openness
to the salvific value of both Protestant Christianity and non-Christian
religions. So, the course includes consideration of Catholicism in relation to
these other approaches to God and morality. Outstanding contemporary
theologians and philosophers, both Catholic and Protestant, are resources for
the text and for the lectures, covering traditional and contemporary concepts
of God, of scripture, of Jesus, of the Church, of morality, and of
spirituality. Thinkers covered include Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Karl
Rahner, Bernard Haring, Gabriel Marcel, C. S. Lewis (an Episcopalian), John
McQuarrie (an Episcopalian), Karl Barth (a Presbyterian theologian), Gabriel
Vahanian (a death of God theologian), and Lettie Russell (a Presbyterian theologian).
Different schools of theology covered in the text include traditional
theology, Process Theology, Existential Theology, Transcendental (Hegelian)
Thomism, and Liberation Theology.