Philosophy of Religion
Yale-NUS College, Fall 2023
Key Information
- Instructor: Andrew M. Bailey (email)
- Time: 16:00-17:20, Tue/Fri
- Place: Classroom 13
- Office Hours: By appointment (my office is in Saga, Floor 2, in the suite nearest to Tower B)
Module Description
In this module, we will examine some central philosophical issues concerning religious belief and practice. Much, but not all, of our focus will be on topics relevant to the intersection of the great Abrahamic religions -- Judaism, Islam, and Christianity -- especially classical theism, the view that there is an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent creator of the cosmos.
Topics may include the problem of evil, petitionary prayer, and religious experience. Most reading assignments will draw from contemporary Anglophone philosophical sources (esp. journal articles), supplemented with some literature.
Questions and Topics
The module will revolve around some questions in the philosophy of religion, including:
- Is classical theism true? Does God exist? Is there, after all, an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent creator of the cosmos?
- If classical theism is true, then there is a perfectly good, all-knowing, and all-powerful god. But our world appears rife with gratuitous evils -- suffering, injustice, and the like. Can these appearances be reconciled with classical theism? Do they provide convincing evidence against that thesis?
- There is a cosmos, and there is life. The cosmos appears to be, furthermore, rather hospitable to life and in some surprising ways. Does this apparent fine-tuning provide evidence for theism?
- To engage in petitionary prayer is to ask for things from gods or ghosts or angels or saints dead and gone. This practice is central to a great many religious traditions. But is it reasonable or good or necessary? After all, if there were beneficent gods or ghosts or saints watching over us, why would they need a request on our part to prompt intervention?
- The world is rife with religious disagreement. People can't seem to agree on whether there is any God at all, much less what that God is like and what we should do if there is indeed a God. It is tempting to conclude on the basis of this disagreement that we simply aren't very good at discerning the truth when it comes to religious matters. Is that right? And does this widespread disagreement suggest a convincing argument for religious skepticism?
- Religious practice is often characterized as involving
faith . What is, faith, exactly, and can it be reasonable? How does it relate to other states like knowing and hoping? Can religious experience form a credible basis for faith? - Does classical theism support the view that we are immaterial souls?
- Suppose classical theism is true. Is there good reason to believe, then, that we are creatures of fiction, mere inhabitants in a divine mind?
- Does God have a gender? How could we tell?
- What is the relationship between God and morality?
Policies and Assignments
Guiding Principles
In this module, as in all others, I will aim to both challenge and exercise care for students.
This module will -- as one might expect for a 3000-level module -- be pitched somewhere between a 4000-level philosophy module intended exclusively for majors and an introductory 2000-level philosophy module or PPT. Students who have never taken a philosophy module can expect to find topics and readings challenging. Several units within the module will make substantive use of formal reasoning skills introduced in QR (probabilistic reasoning in a Bayesian framework). It will benefit many to brush up on Bayes' Theorem before the third week of this module.Evaluation
Your grade for the module will be determined by the following activities (click for details):
- Prepare: 5%
- Engage: 45%
- Write: 50%
Class Attendance
You may miss up to two class meetings without penalty. Beyond that, each unexcused absence will count against your Engagement grade. You may ameliorate up to one unexcused absence with an additional Prep.
Academic Integrity
I tend to be an easy-going professor. Exceptions to this rule tend to involve intellectual fraud. Avoid intellectual fraud, submit only your own best work, and cite your sources. Use of generative tools should be explicitly acknowledged. Talk with me if you have any questions on this matter. Consider yourself warned; there will be no further warning.
Accommodations
If you have a condition that interferes with your ability to participate in this module, you may be entitled to accommodation. Please contact your Assistant Dean of Students to secure such accommodation.
Schedule and Readings
You need not purchase any books for this module. If you have trouble accessing the readings, or if printing them imposes difficulties, email me.