Philosophy o f Religion Course Description Philosophy of religion is the study of the human condition insofar as it relates to faith; or it is the philosophical study of the meaning or essence of religion, religious thinking, or religious practices. Unlike Sunday School or a theology class, which usually take scripture, tradition, or mystical experience as basic authorities, a course on the philosophy of religion examines arguments for the plausibility, truth, or meaning of religious claims. Believers and non-believers, theists and atheists, scientists, priests, and psychologists may all engage in the philosophy of religion. Questions considered include the prospect of a God; hopes for an afterlife or eternal identity; the possibility of miracles; political uses and abuses of religion; and religion s cultural, anthropological, or evolutionary significance. This course focuses primarily on the Western tradition, but the class should interest anyone wondering about human attempts to stretch knowledge beyond the ordinary; about the relationship between faith, science, and the unknown; about the limits of knowledge and the right or lack thereof to have faith; or, finally, about the significance of human ideas regarding the world into which we have been thrown. Learning Outcomes In this course, the student will develop the skills necessary to: examine the most pressing questions in philosophy of religion, such as some of the arguments for and against God s existence and the rationality of religious belief; develop proficiency in one particular area of philosophy of religion of the student s choice; strengthen critical, philosophical thinking skills, and to practice fairness and charity in philosophical dialogue; define and assess on one s own conception of religious belief in light of philosophical analysis. Course Number PHIL 4230 01 Meeting Times MWF 10:10-11 Instructor John V. Garner, Ph.D., jgarner@westga.edu Office TLC 2249, (678) 839-4886 Office Hours M 12:10-12:40 and 3:20-5:50; W 12:10-12:40 and 3:20-3:45; F 12:10-3:45 and by appointment
These course-specific learning outcomes contribute to the departmental learning outcomes of the Philosophy Program by enabling students better to: incorporate a philosophical position in oral and written communications; critically outline and analyze philosophical issues; exhibit critical thinking skills. Course Requirements Exams I and II (33%) Quizzes (15%) Engagements I-III (18%) Attendance & Participation (7%) Final Paper (17%) Course Requirement Details Grading Scale A (90% or above) B (80 to 89%) C (70 to 79%) D (60 to 69%) F (59 or below) Exams There will be two exams, each one testing the material from the previous section. The exam format consists of writing questions as well as multiple choice. A scantron form may be required. No make-up exams will be given. For in-class exams, students more than 15 minutes late to class may not take the test and therefore fail. No hats, no cell phones, no bathroom breaks are allowed. Any student observed using any kind of technology during an exam will fail that exam. Other rules may apply and will be announced before the exam. Engagements Engagements are forms of writing in which the student provides exposition, explanation, or interpretation of a thinker s main points while also contributing thoughts of the student s own, plus arguments to support those thoughts. Several styles of writing will be used in these engagements, and these styles aim to engender academic skills such as argument interpretation, perspectival shifts, literature review, and construction of pointed counter-arguments. Specific requirements differ from case to case and prompts and rubrics will be provided. Typically, these writings will be no more than about 1,000 words. Final Paper Final Papers will be research projects conducted on a major theme studied in the course. A research plan, a paper outline, and a final draft will all be required in stages. The final draft of the paper will be 2,000-3,000 words. More details will be provided in the project guidelines and prompt. Quizzes There are two kinds of quizzes, those which are planned and announced and taken online (on Course Den) before class, and those which are unannounced and taken in class. Quizzes are short (no more than 5-10 minutes is usually required, though 20 minutes is allowed for online quizzes) and test whether students have read and/or worked through the assigned material. We will have a practice online quiz which will allow you to make sure you know how to operate the system. Never use a non-standard browser, iphone, Android, etc. to take a quiz; use a normal computer and a standard browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). Take the quiz in one sitting; you only get one attempt, and you cannot exit and return to a quiz after opening. Since 1/6 th of the quiz grades will be dropped, I will allow no make-up quizzes unless these two conditions hold: (1) you have contacted ITS; and (2) they contact me and inform me that there was indeed a technical problem. (It is your responsibility to contact ITS or Course Den help if you have problems with the system. I cannot respond to emails about technology related matters.) Online quizzes will be posted and open for at least 24 hours in advance of the close date/time. Grades for quizzes will be announced immediately upon completion; but correct answers may or may not be visible online. Generally, they will be visible once the quiz closes (click the down arrow beside the quiz, then submissions, then attempt 1 on the next page). Attendance/Participation This portion of the grade involves the assessment of the student s overall attendance record, of the student s level of commitment as evidenced via quiz or homework assignments, and of the student s verbal participation, especially in conversations, class work, and/or blogs throughout the
semester. If blog posts/comments are employed in the course, they will be announced (with specific guidelines posted) at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline. Students with no absences will receive a 1 point increase on their final grades. One absence only will yield a 1/2 point increase. Additional Policy Details and Miscellany Attendance Attendance will be kept, and it is the students responsibility to make sure their own attendance record coincides with the professor s. Students should attend all classes, but are permitted to miss up to three without penalty (no questions asked). Every absence after the third (up to the seventh) will result in a reduction of the attendance/participation grade by 10 points per absence. At eight absences a student will be given a failing grade for the class. I generally am uninterested in excuses, so never email me to excuse or explain an absence. Please note: Students who leave class and do not return will be counted absent. Students who leave class and return should not make a habit of this; if they do, they will be counted absent. Each case of tardiness or failure to bring the required reading to class counts as half an absence. Texting and other Disturbances Texting, web surfing, instant messaging, using a phone, or any other class disturbances constitute a violation of the definition of attendance above. Each time you distract yourself in class, expect to be called out and/or marked absent; you can accrue more than one absence per day this way. Unless a student receives permission from the instructor, all electronic devices should be turned off for the duration of class. If there is an emergency situation where someone is expecting a call, the professor should be notified prior to class and students should receive the call outside the classroom. Extra Credit Extra credit opportunities are not given. Honors Conversion Honors conversion is possible for this class. See me for more information. Severe Weather Policy For questions about what to do in case of severe weather, see the UWG website: http://www.westga.edu/police/index_2277.php Cheating and Plagiarism The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course. Papers submitted in other courses (whether college, high school, etc.) may not be submitted again for this course. All cases of plagiarism will be reported to the Department of English and Philosophy as well as to the University itself. All cases will be prosecuted. Web- and Course Den-based tools may be used by your professor to detect plagiarism. Please survey these links for more information: http://www.westga.edu/english/index_267.php; http://www.westga.edu/assetsdept/vpaa/facultyhandbook04sept2014.pdf; http://www.westga.edu/assetssa/handbook/student_handbook_final_w-o_student_conduct_2014-2015_%28aug_22%29.pdf Other Schoolwide Syllabus Policies Please review the following each semester: http://www.westga.edu/assetsdept/vpaa/common_language_for_course_syllabi.pdf Other Policies The following file gives you important information about your rights and responsibilities in this class, including information about: Americans with Disabilities Act; UWG Email Policy; Credit Hour Policy; Honor Code for UWG. Because these statements are updated as federal, state, university, and accreditation standards change, you should review the information each semester. The file: http://www.westga.edu/assetsdept/vpaa/common_language_for_course_syllabi.pdf
Texts Required: o Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Hackett, ISBN: 978-0872204027 o Kant, Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason, Hackett, ISBN: 978-0872209763 o Freud, Future of an Illusion, W. W. Norton and Co., ISBN: 978-0393008319 o Murdoch, The Sovereignty of Good, Routledge, ISBN: 978-0415253994 o Girard, I See Satan Fall Like Lightning, Orbis, ISBN: 978-1570753190 Recommended: o John Hick, The Existence of God: From Plato to A.J. Ayer on the Question Does God exist? (Macmillan, 1964), ISBN: 978-0020854500. SCHEDULE OF CLASSES (subject to change) PART I: Reason and Religious Claims August 10 August 12 August 15 August 17 August 19 August 22 August 24 August 26 August 29 August 31 September 2 September 5 September 7 September 9 September 12 September 14 September 16 Introduction *Hume, Dialogues, I-III Hume, Dialogues, IV-VIII Hume, Dialogues, IX; Aquinas, The Five Ways *Avicenna, God as Necessary Being and Kalam *Descartes, Meditation V Hume, Dialogues, X-XI; The Book of Job *Leibniz, Vindication ; The Book of Job *Leibniz, Vindication ; Voltaire, Candide (selection) Engagement I Due in Class Hume, Dialogues, XII *Pascal, The Wager *Clifford, The Ethics of Belief *James, The Will to Believe *James, The Will to Believe TBA WRITING EXAM I Part II: Critical Interpretations of Religion September 19 September 21 September 23 September 26 September 28 September 30 *Kant, Orientation Engagement II Due in Class *Kant, Categorical Imperative and Postulates Kant, Religion, Preface and Ch. 1, pt. 1 Kant, Religion, Ch. 1, pt. 2 Kant, Religion, Ch. 2 Kant, Religion, Ch. 3 (parts)
October 3 October 5 October 7 October 10 October 12 October 14 October 17 October 19 October 21 Kant, Religion, Ch. 4 Kant, Religion, Ch. 4 *Feuerbach, Lecture 30 *Nietzsche, TBA Freud, Future, Chs. 1-3 Freud, Future, Chs. 4-6 Freud, Future, Chs. 7-9 Freud, Future, Chs. 10 Engagement III Due in Class Part III: The Human Significance of Religion October 24 October 26 October 28 October 31 November 2 November 4 November 7 November 9 November 11 November 14 November 16 November 18 November 21 November 23 November 25 November 28 November 30 December 2 Final Exam Day WRITING EXAM II *Plato, Euthyphro; Republic VI (extract) Murdoch, Sovereignty, Ch. 1 Murdoch, Sovereignty, Ch. 2 Murdoch, Sovereignty, Ch. 3 *Levinas, Philosophy and the Idea of the Infinite *Levinas, God Beyond Being *Girard, Reader, Ch. 1-2 Girard, Satan, Part I Final Research Plan Due *King, TBA; Fortune, Violence Girard, Satan, Part I-II Girard, Satan, Part II Final Paper Outlines Due Girard, Satan, Part III Girard, Satan, Part III TBA Paper Discussions in Class FINAL PAPERS DUE