| Course title | Topics in the History of Philosophy 1 (Global Philosophy of Religion) |
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| Course code | KFI/NTHP1 |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminar |
| Level of course | Master |
| Year of study | not specified |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 5 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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Lecture 1: Worldviews and Religion (Exclusivism, antipathy, subjectivism, pluralism, inclusivism, and henofideism) (pp. 29-43) Lecture 2: Religious Metaphysics without God (Argument from impermanence in Buddhism) (pp. 44-59) Lecture 3: Religious Metaphysics with God (St. Anselm's ontological argument and the 5 Ways of God's existence in St. Thomas Aquinas) (pp. 60-93) Lecture 4: The Problem of Evil (The Augustinian theodicy, Irenaean soul-making theodicy, the Leibnizian theodicy) (pp. 94-109) Lecture 5: Embodiment, Gender and God (the feminine divine metaphors of Sallie McFague, St. Teresa of Avila, the archetypes of Carl Jung, and the power of symbolic language in Paul Tillich) (pp. 110-123) Lecture 6: Life after Death (Cartesian dualism and the problem of the self versus the Buddhist teaching of no self) (pp. 124-142) Lecture 7: Religious Experience (argument from scriptural authority and the mystical characteristics of Otto, William James, and Kant's argument for rational religion) (pp. 143-158) Lecture 8: Using Science to Argue Against Religion (The atheism of Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, and Feuerbach vs. the physics of compatible model of Einstein, Paul Davies, Karen Armstrong) (159-171) Lecture 9: Morality, Ethics and Religion (the deontological ethics of Kant, the consequentialist ethics of Mill, and the moral argument for God's existence) (pp. 172-191) Lecture 10: Prudential Arg. (Pascal's wager, religion as a live option in James, and the prudential argument for the eightfold path in Buddhism) (192-203) Lecture 11: The argument from love (eros, philia and agape love in Tillich, John of the Cross, and King, and the universal love of Mo Tzu) (222-231) Lecture 12: The meaning of life (the existentialist responses of Camus, Fromm, Merton, and the XIV Dalai Lama) (216-221) REQUIRED TEXT: Runzo, Joseph. Global Philosophy of Religion. Oneworld, 2001. RECOMMENDED LIST: Heschel, Abraham J. I Asked for Wonder. Edited by Samuel H. Dresner, Crossroad, 1983. His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Path of Wisdom, Path of Peace. Translated by Christine M. Grimm, Crossroad, 2005.
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
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| Learning outcomes |
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Global Philosophy of Religion Topics: This course will examine basic problems of religious belief and will offer critical analysis of proposed solutions to some of these problems. In a global society like ours we need to learn and also to understand different philosophical approaches to religion, especially using Eastern (Hindu and Buddhist) and Western (Judeo-Christian and Muslim) schools of thought. The purpose of this course is to explore Eastern and Western philosophical and religious beliefs in their particular historical contexts and their major impact in today's world. We will address important issues such as: religious pluralism and interfaith dialog; God's existence; the problem of evil; gender, sex and the language of God; life after death; religious and mystical experience; religion and modernity; the interface of science and religion (ecology); morality and ethics (war and peace); religion and politics; reason and faith; love and the meaning of life (the quest after happiness). Each seminar class will cover a major argument and possible themes in the academic study of philosophy of religion.
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| Prerequisites |
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unspecified
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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unspecified
Students are expected to do the following if they want to get a good grade at the end of the semester: Attend classes (10%): Students are expected to attend classes and sign up on the sheet of paper at the beginning of the class. My policy of attendance is that students may miss up to 2 out of the 13 classes without any penalties. But once the student misses one more class the overall grade will drop one letter grade from A to B to C to D to F unless the student brings me proof of documentation from a doctor in case of illness. The student may fail the class if he or she misses a total of 6 classes which is almost half of the semester. Then, the student will need to repeat the class. Active participation in class (10%): Students are required to read all the material before coming to class. Be ready to actively participate in class discussions by sharing their thoughts with the professor and their classmates. How so? By asking good questions and sharing your opinions based on the reading material and your own research on the given topics. 7 short papers (10% each paper=70%): Students are required to submit 7 short papers (2 pages minimum and 3 pages maximum) based on the assigned readings from Runzo's textbook. Which weakness and which strength did you find in each argument mentioned in the required chapters (see syllabus in Moodle)? Deadlines are important. Students will drop a letter grade each day it is delayed and is not submitted at the beginning of class. Oral Presentation (10%): Students will present orally one approved topic for research during the Exam week. NOTE: In this seminar class there are no exams or quizzes but there are plenty of activities to learn from on how to improve your written and oral skills in English and to advance in your academic knowledge of the subject. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Philosophy (2019) | Category: Philosophy, theology | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Philosophy (2019) | Category: Philosophy, theology | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Philosophy (2019) | Category: Philosophy, theology | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |