PHL2670

Philosophy of religion

Graham Oppy

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester Clayton
* Prerequisite: A first-year sequence in philosophy

Objectives On successfully completing the subject students should have a good understanding of some central issues in the philosophical discussion of religious belief.

Synopsis The subject will concentrate on assessment of the claim that the world was created by one or more deities. Traditional arguments for and against the existence of deities -- such as ontological arguments, design arguments, moral arguments, arguments from miracles, arguments from revelation, scripture and experience, arguments from evil, Pascal's Wager, arguments from the incompatibility of divine attributes, arguments from the will to believe, and so on -- will be considered.

Assessment Two essays (2500 words each): 40% each
* One 1-hour examination: 20%
* One essay may optionally be replaced by a two-hour examination.

Prescribed texts

A collection of readings available from the department and on reserve in the Sir Louis Matheson Library