PHIL 215 - Introduction to Philosophy of Religion

Credits: 3

Description
An introductory philosophical examination of some claims and problems within the Western tradition including, but not limited to, the nature of God, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, divine foreknowledge and human freedom, arguments for/against personal immortality, and faith/reason as alternative avenues to belief.

Student Learning Outcomes

To familiarize students with some of the most influential arguments which have been advanced in respect of the core claims of the Western religious tradition.
To improve student knowledge of the core concepts and vocabulary of philosophy, this is, for example, concepts such as the a priori versus a posteriori, necessary and sufficient conditions, the epistemological versus the ontological perspective, deductive validity, deductive certainty versus inductive probability, analogy, proof versus deduction, the hypothetico-deductive method of evaluation, etc.
To improve the ability of the student to think critically. This entails improving their ability to identify inconsistencies in sets of claims, to identify the presumptions of claims, and to identify the implications of claims.
To improve the ability of the students to think objectively, that is, dispassionately, about their own religious convictions.

Prerequisite: None