Philosophy of Religion Syllabus Spring 2011
Philosophy of Religion, Spring 2011; Jeffrey Wattles, instructor
41010/12867/001 TR 2:15-3:30 Bowman 315
51010/10142/001 TR 2:15-3:30 Bowman 315
Text:
Evaluation
We are a community of inquiry, and our interaction has a life of its own; so you are expected to attend regularly (unless you are sick), be on time, have the reading done, and be ready to participate. If you must miss more than a couple classes, let me know. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes from someone else, to ask the instructor if you still have questions, and to ask the instructor for whatever may have been handed back during your absence. In case of an epidemic or other emergency, arrangements will be made for computer-based interaction. If you miss four weeks of class, how can I pass you? Finally, in some cases, there are materials to read and print out and bring with you from the website. There are two websites to know:
(1) The old website, now fixed: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~jwattles/classes.htm
(2) The new website under construction: http://sites.google.com/a/kent.edu/jwattles.
The grade is based on participation (10 points); a seminar report (10); two papers (30 points each); two quizzes, the last of which is the final examination (10 points each). Longer papers are expected of graduate students as well as a complete reading of every paper and document assigned.
Papers must be well written to receive a C or above (or a B for graduate students). For a quick introduction to some of the standards, see the link on the home page of the new website. Writing—a skill that schools sometimes fail to teach—is important for your career, especially when so much communication is mediated by machines. English is a first or second language in many nations, and to use the language well is a service to our world. If I don’t fuss about writing, you should see what some folks hand in! So I fuss, and I generally get quite decent writing. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Writing Center (http://dept.kent.edu/english/WritingCent/writngcenter.htm). Speaking of communication, the University obliges you to check your kent.edu e-mail (or whatever address may be used on Flashline). If I have messages to send to the whole class, e.g., to change an assignment, or keep in touch in an emergency, I will use those addresses.
My office hours are MWF, 9:50-10:45 and 11:50-12:00 and TR 1:00-2:00 (Bowman 320H) and by appointment (330-672-0276; e-mail: jwattles@kent.edu).
University policy 3342-3-01.8 deals with the problem of academic dishonesty, cheating, and plagiarism. None of these will be tolerated in this class. The sanctions provided in this policy will be used to deal with any violations. If you have any questions, please read the policy at http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/policydetails.cfm?customel_datapageid_1976529=2037779.
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).
University policy requires all students to be officially registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not officially registered for a course by published deadlines should not be attending classes and will not receive credit or a grade for the course. Each student must confirm enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in FlashLine) prior to the deadline indicated. Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline.
The Philosophy Department Grievance Procedure for handling student grievances is in conformity with the Student Academic Complaint Policy and Procedures set down as University Policy 3342-4-16 in the University Policy Register. For information concerning the details of the grievance procedure, please see the Departmental Chairperson.
Schedule of Activities
Introductions
11 JANUARY Week 1. Historical introduction: the “quarrel between philosophy and poetry” in Greece and religions of the Middle East, synthesized by Philo. Questionnaire about student background and interests.
13 Systematic introduction: the implications for philosophy of religion of a philosophy of living in truth, beauty, and goodness.
Religion and science
18 Week 2 Religion and science: Darwin’s virtues and cosmology’s puzzles.
20 William Lane Craig, “The cosmological argument” (esp. 88d, 89c, and 93c-end) and Quentin Smith, “A naturalistic account of the universe” (esp. 156-58.1 and 166.1).
25 Week 3 Jeffrey Wattles, “Teleology past and present” http://www.personal.kent.edu/~jwattles/telos.htm.
27 Robin Collins, “The teleological argument.”
1 FEBRUARY Week 4 John Polkinghorne, “Religion and science.”
3 Teleological issues in the philosophy of biology, psychology, and history.
The coherence of theism
8 Week 5 Paper 1 due. Proofs for the existence of God in the light of the interrelation of intuition, reason, and wisdom.
10 Graham Oppy, “The ontological argument,” (esp. Anselm 114b, Descartes, 118b-119b, Plantinga 120b-121a, Gaunilo 123a, and conclusion 124b-c).
15 Week 6 Charles Taliaferro, “The coherence of theism.”
17 Quiz 1
22 Week 7 Robin Le Poidevin, “The impossibility of God?”
24 Katherine A. Rogers, “God, Time, and Freedom.”
Spiritual experience
1 MARCH Week 8 René van Woudenberg, “Reformed epistemology.”
3 William Mann, “The epistemology of religious experience.”
8 Week 9 Gavin Flood, “Eastern philosophy of religion.”
10 Jeffrey Wattles, “Dialectic and Religious Experience in [Tanabe Hajime’s] Philosophy as Metanoetics” (Go to the new website, to Comparative Religious Thought, to Buddhism, to Tanabe Hajime—the full text): http://sites.google.com/a/kent.edu/jwattles/home/comparative-religious-thought/buddhism/tanabe-hajime--the-full-text
15 Week 10 Bruce Ellis Benson, “Continental philosophy of religion.”
17 Jeffrey Wattles, “Husserl and the phenomenology of religious experience”: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~jwattles/relexprh.htm.
28 Week 11 Jeffrey Wattles, Spiritual experience (text to be distributed).
31 Pamela Sue Anderson, “Feminist philosophy of religion.”
Religion and aesthetics
5 APRIL Week 12 John Muir and a religious aesthetics of nature.
7 Religion and the arts.
Religion and ethics
12 Week 13 Paul K. Moser, “Divine hiddenness, death, and meaning.”
14 Paul Draper, “The Argument from Evil”; theodicy
19 Week 14 Paul Copan, “The moral argument”; the Euthyphro dilemma.
21 Second Paper due. The golden rule and religious ethics.
26 Week 15 . . . discussion continued.
28 Questions regarding love.
Final Examination 12:45-3:00 Thursday, May 5