Suffolk Community College Department of Philosophy

Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus Department of Communications and Arts

PL30: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Prof. Marc R. Fellenz PL30-2948, Spring 2005

Email: Office: Office hours: [email protected] Sagtikos 110, 851-6539  M/F: 12:30-1:45 [email protected] Mailbox: Sagtikos 201  T/Th: 12:30-1:45, 5:00-6:00  W: by appointment

I. COURSE OUTLINE

. Course Objectives:

 To clarify the epistemological status of religious beliefs and pursue their analysis in a philosophical context;  To understand the central tenets of traditional theism and the philosophical controversies they have inspired;  To examine the alternatives to traditional theism, such as pantheism and process theism;  To explore the arguments for disbelief, including the problem of evil;  To practice analyzing and defending your theological beliefs in a philosophical manner.

. Texts:

 David Shatz, Philosophy and Faith: A Philosophy of Religion Reader (required).

. Requirements:

 Attendance: Since the material for all assignments and exams will come primarily from class lecture and discussion, attendance is extremely important. You will be withdrawn if you have more than four unexcused absences; if you are not passing at the time you last attended you will receive an F for the class.

 Assignments (51% of the final grade): These include three 4-page papers. These assignments will challenge you to form positions concerning the readings and lectures. They will not test your ability to summarize or recall the material covered in class, nor are they research projects. Clarity and originality of thought, quality of argument and writing will be the criteria for grading the assignments. They must be typed, and will not be accepted after their designated due dates.

 Exams (each worth 15% of the final grade): There will be midterm and final exams. They will be in-class, essay-style exams that will test your comprehension of the readings and lectures.

 Class participation (19% of the final grade): This means active participation, including initiating discussion, answering questions, and seeking help (in class, during office hours, or by email). You may also earn credit by participating in Philosophy Club meetings. Mere class attendance does not qualify as participation!

. Academic honesty:

The easy availability of the Internet and other electronic research tools has led to an alarming rise in plagiarism. Your work in this and all classes is expected to be your own. Any student caught submitting plagiarized work will receive a failing grade for the assignment, and will be referred for academic discipline. PL30-2948 Spring 2005

II. SYLLABUS

Dates Topic Reading 1/25- Introduction: defining religion and philosophy. xiv-xvii 2/3 Difficulties in defining religion. Religious belief in relation to opinion and knowledge. The nature of philosophy in general and the scope of the philosophy of religion. The fundamental branches of philosophy and their relevance to religion. 2/8- Faith and reason: the epistemology of religious belief. 7.1-7.4 2/15 Can religious beliefs be rationally defended? Do they need to be? Fideism, foundationalism, evidentialism, and reformed epistemology. Assignment #1 will be handed out 2/15. 2/17- The concept of God: definitions and problems. 1.3; 3/1 Anselmian (perfect being) theism: the three “omnis” and the philosophical complexities 1.6-1.10 they raise. Divine omniscience and human freedom. God’s temporal standing. Omnipotence and the challenge of process theology. “Negative” theology. Bultmann’s 2.1, 2.2; “demythologizing.” 2.7 3/3- Arguments for the existence of God. 4.1-4.14; 3/15 The ontological, cosmological and design arguments. The evidence of religious 6.2, 6.3 experience. Assignment #1 due 3/3. Assignment #2 will be handed out 3/15. 3/17 Review for midterm. 3/22 Midterm exam. 3/24, The soul and personal immortality. 6.5-6.7 4/5- How essential is belief in an afterlife for religion? The concept of soul and the mind-body 4/12 problem. Arguments for and against the existence of an immortal soul as the seat of personhood. Assignment #2 due 4/12. 3/29, No class. 3/31 4/14- Religious ethics. 3.4-3.8 4/21 Virtues emphasized in religious systems of ethics: compassion, forgiveness, nonviolence. The moral argument for God’s existence. The divine command theory of morality. Assignment #3 will be handed out 4/19. 4/26- Arguments for disbelief. 5.1-5.10 5/5 The problem of evil: is the existence of natural and moral evil compatible with the existence of a perfect God? The various attempts at theodicy: Punishment, soul-making, free will, natural law. Psychological explanations of religious belief. Assignment #3 due 5/5. 5/10 Review for final. 5/12 Final exam.