SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

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1 Voyage: Fall 2013 Discipline: Philosophy PHIL 1610: Philosophy of Religion Division: Lower Faculty Name: Brian R. Clack SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS Pre-requisites: One lower division philosophy course COURSE DESCRIPTION The purpose of this class is to consider central philosophical questions arising from the nature of religious belief. We will explore such matters as the nature and existence of God, the character of the miraculous, differing conceptions of immortality found among the world s religions, and the problems posed by religious pluralism. Throughout, the class will emphasize two crucial matters: the importance of reason and argument (hence the significance of analyzing arguments both for and against the existence of God); and the great diversity of religious ideas. COURSE OBJECTIVES Students should be able to: 1. Explain one philosophical argument for the existence of God (e.g., the cosmological argument, the ontological argument, or the teleological (design) argument. 2. Explain one philosophical argument for atheism (e.g., the problem of evil or one of the naturalistic explanations of belief in God). 3. Describe at least two competing interpretations of a divine attribute (such as eternality, omnipotence, or omniscience). 4. Explain the specific set of issues raised by religious diversity, and display an awareness of the various conceptions of divinity and immortality to be found in the world s religions. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Beverley Clack & Brian R. Clack TITLE: The Philosophy of Religion: A Critical Introduction PUBLISHER: Polity Press ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2 nd edition, 2008 AUTHOR: Steven M. Cahn TITLE: Reason and Religions: Philosophy Looks at the World s Religious Beliefs PUBLISHER: Cengage / Wadsworth ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 1 st edition,

2 TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE A1- August 27: What is Religion? How is the concept of religion to be defined? Is there are an essence of religion underlying all the various manifestations of religion in the world? How might that essence best be understood? READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 1:1; William Alston, What is Religion?, in Cahn. A2-August 29: Dostoyevsky s Challenge and the Problem of Evil The single biggest challenge facing the rationality of belief in the God of monotheistic faith is the problem of evil. In this session we will consider the structure of the problem of evil, particularly as this is presented both by David Hume and by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This session will also provide the context for the St Petersburg field lab (details of which are provided below). READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:1; David Hume, Dialogues, Parts X & XI, in Cahn; Fyodor Dostoyevsky, selections from The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment (available in electronic course folder). August 30-September 1: St. Petersburg A3- September 3: Theological responses to the Problem of Evil In this session we look at the standard theological responses to evil: theodicies and the free will defense. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:1; Cahn, sections September 4-7: Hamburg A4- September 9: The Concept of God: Omnipotence and Omniscience In this session we look at two central attributes and consider the philosophical problems associated with each. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:2; Cahn, sections 2,3, 6-8. ASSIGNMENT DUE: Field lab essay on Dostoyevsky and the problem of evil. September 10-12: Antwerp September 13-15: Le Havre A5- September 17: The Concept of God: Eternity and Immutability Two further attributes of God are analyzed. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:2; Cahn, sections 4 & 5. September 18: Arrive & Depart Galway September 19: In Transit September 20-21: Dublin A6- September 23: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The next four sessions address the standard arguments for the existence of God READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:1, pp ; Cahn, sections

3 September 25-27: Lisbon September 28-30: Cadiz A7- October 1: The Islamic Tradition in Philosophy of Religion and the Kalam Argument for the Existence of God READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:1, pp ; Cahn, sections October 3-6: Casablanca A8- October 7: The Teleological Argument for the Existence of God READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:1, pp ; Cahn, sections A9- October 9: Further Arguments for the Existence of God: Morality and Religious Experience READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:1, pp ; Cahn, sections 26 & 27. A10- October 12: Prudential Arguments: Pascal and James We consider here prudential (or strategic) arguments for believing in God. Rather than advancing a proof of God s existence, these arguments suggest that belief in God is, in one way or another, a better bet than atheism. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 2:1, pp ; Cahn, sections October 13-16: Tema A11- October 18: Arguments against the Existence of God: Hume s Natural History of Religion; Tylor, Frazer and Primitive Religion In the next three sessions we consider those arguments against the existence of God, which stress the epistemically disreputable manner in which religious beliefs arise: either from primitive thought processes, class conflict, or wish-driven thinking. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:2, pp A12- October 21: Arguments against the Existence of God: Feuerbach and Marx READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:2, pp ; selections from Feuerbach and Marx (available in electronic course folder). October 23-27: Cape Town A13- October 28: Arguments against the Existence of God: Freud READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:2, pp ; Sigmund Freud, selections from The Future of an Illusion & Civilization and its Discontents (available in electronic course folder). A14- October 31: MID-TERM TEST: Arguments for and against the existence of God. A15- November 2: Problems of Religious Language (I): Reference The next two sessions explore the peculiarities of religious language, for example how words drawn from the human realm can refer to God, and whether religious discourse lacks any cognitive significance. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:3, pp ; Cahn, sections

4 A16- November 5: Problems of Religious Language: (II): Verification READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 3:3, pp ; Cahn, section 68. November 7-9: Buenos Aires November 10-12: Montevideo A17- November 13: Prayer READING: Cahn, sections 39 & 40 A18- November 15: Miracles READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 5:1; Cahn, sections 41 & 42. ASSIGNMENT DUE: 5 page paper. November 16-18: Rio de Janeiro A19- November 20: Problems of Religious Diversity READING: Cahn, sections A20- November 22: Non-Supernatural Religion READING: Clack & Clack, chapters 4 & 6; Cahn, sections A21- November 25: (enter Amazon) Life after Death (I): Bodily Resurrection and the Survival of the Disembodied Soul Our final three sessions will address differing conceptions of life after death. We will look at the details of each conception, and assess the plausibility and desirability of each. READING: Clack & Clack, chapter 5:2; Cahn, sections 77-79; H. H. Price, Two Conceptions of the Next World (available in electronic course folder). November 27-29: Manaus A22- December 1: (exit Amazon) Life after Death (II): Reincarnation and Nirvana READING: Cahn, sections A23- December 3: Life after Death (III): Heaven and Hell READING: Cahn, sections A24- December 10: A Day Finals; Journal also due this day 4

5 FIELD WORK FIELD LAB (At least 20 percent of the contact hours for each course, to be led by the instructor.) Attendance and participation in the Field Lab is MANDATORY. First Choice: St. Petersburg: Visit to the Dostoyevsky museum and the Winter Palace. This ties in with the first part of the class in which Dostoyevsky's account of evil in his novel The Brothers Karamazov will provide the context for our consideration of the challenge posed by evil and suffering to the rationality and propriety of belief in God. Second Choice: Casablanca: We would spend the day at the White Mosque and the field lab would be related to an important theme of the class, namely, the Islamic contribution to philosophy of religion. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS After completion of the field lab in St. Petersburg, students will complete an essay on Fyodor Dostoyevsky and the problem of evil. In addition to the specific field lab assignment, students will keep a voyage journal. Here, students will respond to class- and port-specific philosophical prompts that will be generated organically during the voyage and assigned before debarkation at each port. The journal and the field lab assignment will be graded separately. A detailed breakdown of percentages can be found below. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Grades will be based upon five assessed pieces of work: (1) Field lab essay on Dostoyevsky and the problem of evil (10%) (2) A mid-term test on the arguments for and against the existence of God (20%) (3) A five-page paper (topics to be provided later) (30%) (4) A journal relating to field assignments (10%) (5) The final examination (30%) Class participation mat also figure in the determination of grades. RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Sigmund Freud TITLE: The Future of an Illusion PUBLISHER: Norton ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 1989 AUTHOR: David Hume TITLE: Dialogues and Natural History of Religion PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN #: DATE:

6 AUTHOR: John Hick TITLE: An Interpretation of Religion PUBLISHER: Yale University Press ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: Second edition, 2005 AUTHOR: Chad Meister and Paul Copan TITLE: The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion PUBLISHER: Routledge ISBN #: DATE: 2012 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS AUTHOR: Fyodor Dostoyevsky CHAPTER TITLE: Part II, book V, chapter 4 titled, Rebellion BOOK TITLE: The Brothers Karamazov PUBLISHER: Penguin ISBN #: AUTHOR: Fyodor Dostoyevsky CHAPTER TITLE: Part I, chapter 5. BOOK TITLE: Crime and Punishment PUBLISHER: Penguin ISBN #: PAGES: AUTHOR: Sigmund Freud CHAPTER TITLE: Chapter 6 BOOK TITLE: Future of an Illusion Any edition AUTHOR: Sigmund Freud CHAPTER TITLE: Chapter 2 BOOK TITLE: Civilization and its Discontents Any edition AUTHOR: H.H. Price CHAPTER TITLE: Two Conceptions of the Next World BOOK TITLE: Essays in the Philosophy of Religion EDITION: Oxford University Press, 1972 PAGES: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES No additional resources required. 6

7 HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 7