PHI-20017 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module will introduce students to a range of philosophical issues that concern all monotheistic religions. The first set of issues centres around the divine nature, who is typically held to be an omnipotent, omniscient, beneficent, immutable spirit, who is perfectly rational, perfectly good, and perfectly free. We aim to see whether there could be such a being, by looking at difficulties with some of these concepts and also by examining whether they could be jointly instantiated. The second issue that will be explored is the evidence for the existence of God. We will look at some of the traditional arguments for and against his existence: arguments from the design of the universe, the nature of religious experience, the occurrence of miracles, the prevalence of suffering. The third issue we shall look at concerns the nature of religious faith and its relation to reason.

To examine three issues that concern all monotheistic religions:
The first is the nature of God, who is typically held to be an omnipotent, omniscient, beneficent, immutable spirit, who is perfectly rational, perfectly good, and perfectly free. We aim to see whether there could be such a being, by looking at difficulties in some of these concepts and also by examining whether they could be jointly instantiated.
The second issue is the evidence for the existence of God. We will look at some of the traditional arguments for and against his existence: arguments from the design of the universe, the nature of religious experience, the occurrence of miracles, the prevalence of suffering.
The third issue is the nature of religious faith and its relation to reason.

Intended Learning Outcomes

articulate clearly and fully the central arguments concerning the existence and nature of God, and the relation between religious beliefs and reason: 1,2
develop a plausible, justified and intellectually independent response to the central, well established problems and issues relating to the nature and existence of God: 1,2
identify and critically assess the underlying assumptions of the central arguments involved, and identify and appraise alternatives: 1,2

Study hours

15 1-hour lectures,
5 1-hour tutorials,
3 hours for the open-book assessment
30 hours (6/tutorial) tutorial preparation,
33.5 hours essay preparation, and 33.5 hours private study including preparation for the open-book assessment
30 hours independent research

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment