1 KING S COLLEGE LONDON DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES ACADEMIC YEAR MODULE SYLLABUS 4AAT1501 THINKING ABOUT EVIL

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1 1 KING S COLLEGE LONDON DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES ACADEMIC YEAR MODULE SYLLABUS 4AAT1501 THINKING ABOUT EVIL 1. Basic Information Module Level: 4 Credit Value: 15 credits Lecturer: Professor Ben Quash; Dr Tony Milligan GTA Semester: Two Day and Time: Lectures on Tuesdays 14:00-15:00, followed by seminars 15:00-16:00 Dates: Lectures begin on January 19 th 2016 Note: no lectures or seminars in Reading Week (w/c February 22 nd ) Room: See timetable Office hours Ben Quash, Room 3.27 Virginia Woolf Building, Monday 16:00-17:00 Friday 10:30-11:30 Tony Milligan, Room 3.42 Virginia Woolf Building, Tuesday 13:00 Friday 13:00 2. Outline of module aims, learning outcomes and content (a) Module educational aims The aim of this module is to offer an introduction to the problem of evil in philosophical and theological thought. In doing so, the module aims to provide: a clarification of the problem and a clarification of terms; an introduction to key approaches in philosophy to the problem of evil; a clarification of the problem of theodicy; an introduction to key approaches to evil and suffering taken by Christianity and other world religions; an introduction to some scientific approaches to evil (b) Module learning outcomes Generic skills: Ability to analyse texts and arguments Ability to summarise and present arguments Ability to research, plan and present essays to specified deadlines Module specific skills: Students should 1

2 2 become familiar with some key concepts of moral philosophy become familiar with the perspectives of some world religions concerning the problem of evil understand contemporary approaches to the problem of evil develop a critical sense of the relevance of theological and philosophical thinking for contemporary life and thought (c) Module content: description and teaching plan The module begins by introducing the problem of evil in the Christian tradition, and clarifying key questions and concepts. We will then attempt a more focused analysis of some influential responses to the problem of evil, beginning with Augustine and then moving to the 20 th -century debate between John Hick and a series of critics. In the second half of the module we will consider some alternative responses to evil and suffering, surveying a range of perspectives. Sources will include Leibniz s theodicy; Schopenhauer s philosophical reflections on suffering; a range of scientific work on the psychology of evil; and debates about Hannah Arendt s idea of the banality of evil. This module will be delivered by one lecture and one seminar per week. Attendance at lectures and seminars is compulsory. Lectures will introduce topics and readings, and there will be a short question period at the end of each lecture. Seminars will be student-led, under the supervision of the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). The aim of seminars is to facilitate discussion, reflection and debate on core texts, and also to promote understanding and interpretation of these texts. Students should prepare for seminars by reading core and recommended texts and making notes on these in response to a series of questions. This preparation will form the basis of seminar discussion. Each student will be offered constructive feedback on the first assessed essay in a one-to-one tutorial. This feedback is an important part of the learning process and all students are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to receive feedback. Lecture topics: January 19 th 2016 January 26 th 2016 February 2 nd 2016 February 9 th 2016 February 16 th 2016 February 23 rd 2016 March 1 st 2016 March 8 th 2016 March 15 th 2016 March 22 nd 2016 What is evil and why is it a problem? Augustine on evil John Hick s response to Augustine The 20 th -century theodicy debate Review of topics and essay planning READING WEEK NO LECTURE Leibniz s theodicy Schopenhauer: philosophy of suffering The psychology of evil Hannah Arendt: the banality of evil 2

3 3 March 29 th 2016 Review of topics and essay planning 3. Assessment (a) Nature of assessment There is no formative assessment (i.e. assessment that students are expected to submit, but which does not count towards the final module mark), but only two compulsory elements of summative assessment, both of which contribute to the final module mark: 1 x 2500-word coursework essay, under a title chosen from a selection provided by the lecturer. This essay is worth 40% of the overall module mark. 1 x 3000-word final essay, under a title chosen from a selection provided by the lecturer. This essay is worth 60% of the overall module mark. (b) Coursework essay deadlines The deadline for the submission of the first assessed coursework essay BEFORE 4pm on Monday, February 29 th. You will then receive feedback on your essay on KEATS no later than Tuesday March 29 th. The deadline for the submission of the second (final) assessed coursework essay is BEFORE 4pm on Tuesday, May 3 rd. You will then receive feedback on your essay on KEATS no later than Friday 3 rd June. (c) Scope of assessment The first coursework essay questions generally relate to some topics covered in the first half of the module. Final coursework questions normally deal with most of the remaining topics. (d) How to impress the examiners In the assessed coursework essays, successful students will need to demonstrate a nuanced grasp of any topic, an awareness of its context and a capacity to develop a well-reasoned argument that is convincingly supported by reference to suitable evidence and is presented in a structured manner using clear English. Make sure that you consult the generic Undergraduate Marking Criteria document. Poor English (e.g. grammar, punctuation and spelling) will lead to loss of marks. Inadequate scholarly presentation of the assessed coursework essay (e.g. over the styles of footnotes/endnotes and bibliography) will similarly be penalized. Discussion of the best approaches to meeting these requirements forms part of the teaching programme in the module. Students should seek advice if they are unsure of anything. (e) Submitting coursework Essays should be submitted electronically on KEATS. All essays will be checked by electronic plagiarism detection software. Please note the following important information: 3

4 4 (i) Your essay must not exceed the word limit. The limit includes all footnotes/endnotes, but excludes the bibliography, which you should provide. There is a 5% tolerance: no penalty will be incurred for essays that are up to 5% over the word limit. Beyond that tolerance band, two marks will be deducted for every 5% of excess words until 50% is reached. After 50%, three marks will normally be deducted for each further 5% of excess words. (ii) Your essay must consistently be set out in accordance with a recognized citation system. You are strongly encouraged to follow the College s ISS Citing References guide, which can be accessed via the website. Accurate citation of sources, in such a manner as to enable a reader easily to identify and locate them, is very important in academic writing. Please note that the presentation of your work, including the standard of English and the quality of source referencing and bibliographical provision, has a strong bearing on the mark given for it. (iii) The first page of the submitted coursework essay must be a School of Arts & Humanities cover-sheet (downloadable via the departmental handbook), with the requisite information inserted completely and accurately. Pay careful attention when giving your candidate number, which changes for each academic year, as your work cannot be attributed to you on the College systems if this information is either incomplete or wrong. (iv) It must be submitted via the assessment submission section of the KEATS area for the module, by the published deadline. Late submissions will be treated as follows unless an extension has been granted by the Chair of the BA Programme Board of Examiners on the basis of an Extension Request Form (ERF), supplied with supporting evidence, or comes to be granted retrospectively: o Work submitted within 24 hours after the original deadline will be marked, but the mark for this element will be capped at 40%. o Work submitted more than 24 hours of the original deadline will not be marked, and the submission will receive a mark of zero. An extension may be granted retrospectively, providing the ERF and supporting documentation is submitted no later than 2 weeks after the published coursework submission deadline. Note that extensions cannot be granted by individual module teachers. ERFs and NEAs can be downloaded from the Policy Zone of the College website. Please also note the following points: (i) Check that you understand the rules for submitting assessed coursework. Be aware that the deadline for this submission is FINAL. (ii) Check that you understand College rules on plagiarism. Information about plagiarism is available via the College website, at: and you should also have been enrolled on a KEATS plagiarism module. (iii) Collusion also counts as misconduct. Think twice before circulating your work to other students. (f) Marking policy Work submitted for this module will be assessed according to Model 3, as modified by the BA Programme Board of Examiners. For a definition of this model, check the Marking Policy part of the departmental web pages, which can be found at: spx 4

5 5 The examiners following Model 3 will apply the generic Undergraduate Marking Criteria, which can be found at: (g) Essay questions Essay 1 (1.) Explain and evaluate Augustine s response to the problem of evil, with reference to The City of God. (2.) How effective is John Hick s response to the Augustinian type of theodicy? (3.) What, in your view, have been the strongest critiques of John Hick s theodicy, and why? Essay 2 (1.) How convincing is Schopenhauer s response to the Christian tradition of theodicy? (2.) To what extent does the situationist analysis of evil proposed by Philip Zimbardo undermine Christian accounts of sin and wrongdoing? (3.) What does Hannah Arendt mean by the banality of evil, and how convincing is her analysis of Eichmann s crimes and trial? 4. Assessment for Study Abroad Students Study Abroad students follow the same pattern of assessment as KCL students for this module. 5. What to bring to lectures and seminars Apart from materials that will enable you to take notes, bring this module syllabus to every lecture. It is very important that you bring to seminars the designated reading for that session, together with the notes you have made in preparation for the seminar discussion. 6. KEATS All resources and information relating to this module are on KEATS. Core and recommended reading for each week of the module is on KEATS, and it is your responsibility to check and keep up with this reading. KEATS is also used for coursework submission, marking and feedback, so it is essential to use KEATS during the whole course of the module. 7. Assistance We are always willing to discuss your work and to answer questions. Please contact us as follows: ben.quash@kcl.ac.uk; Telephone: +44 (0)

6 6 Telephone: +44 (0) OR come to see one of us during our office hours (listed above) Please in advance to fix a time if possible. 8. Lecture handouts Printed copies of lecture handouts will be distributed at each lecture. Electronic copies will be available on KEATS, together with core and recommended reading. It is your responsibility to print out core readings and to bring them to the seminars. 9. Reading list Introductory reading: John Hick, Evil and the God of Love Stephen T. Davis (ed.), Encountering Evil (Edinburgh, T & T Clark, 1981) Paul Kahn, Out of Eden: Adam and Eve and the Problem of Evil (Princeton University Press, 2007) Mary Midgley, Wickedness: A Philosophical Essay (London: Routledge, 1984) George Pattison, A Short Course in the Philosophy of Religion, chapters 8 and 9 Further reading: Marilyn McCord Adams, God and Evil: Polarities of a Problem, Philosophical Studies, Vol. 69, No. 2/3 (March 1993), Paul Ricoeur, Evil: A Challenge to Philosophy and Theology (London: Continuum 2007) Richard Kearney, Evil, Monstrosity and the Sublime in Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia 57 (2001), Carol Kates, A Nietzschean Theodicy, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Vol. 55, No. 2 (April 2004), James A. Keller, The Hiddenness of God and the Problem of Evil, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Feb. 1995), George D. Chryssides, Evil and the Problem of God, Religious Studies, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Dec. 1987), Robin May Schott, Feminist Philosophy and the Problem of Evil, Hypatia Vol. 18, No. 1 (Winter 2003), 1-9 Robin May Schott, Review of Neiman, Evil in Modern Thought, Hypatia Vol. 18, No. 2 (Spring 2003), Terry Eagleton, On Evil (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010) Simon Baron-Cohen, Zero Degrees of Empathy: A New Theory of Human Cruelty and Kindness (London: Penguin 2011) Some relevant novels: Albert Camus, The Plague Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha George Orwell, Animal Farm and 1984 William Golding, Lord of the Flies Bret Easton Ellis, Glamorama You are also expected to make use of the College s library and databases to locate other relevant literature. JSTOR is a good place to begin searching for relevant journal articles. 6