O'Sullivan, Brendan2009-02-262009-02-262005-08-30http://hdl.handle.net/10267/3500This syllabus was submitted to the Rhodes College Office of Academic Affairs by the course instructor.The idea of God, and religion more generally, has had a profound impact on civilization. In a study of God, there are many perspectives one might adopt—historical, anthropological, sociological, psychological, personal, or philosophical. In this course, as its name indicates, we will adopt a philosophical perspective. We will study God and religion using reason alone, unaided by sacred texts or church tradition. Our focus will be on ‘classical theism’, according to which God is an absolutely perfect being. (Classical theism’s major representatives are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.) Our primary task will be to answer one, disarmingly simple, question: Is it rational to believe that such a god exists? In addressing this question, I have several objectives for this course. They can be divided into two categories. Skills: 1. To teach you how to read a philosophy essay a. (This may sound easy. I assure you that it is not) 2. To teach you how to present a philosophical argument clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing. 3. To teach you how to assess critically an argument. 4. To foster your ability to think critically and constructively about your own (and others’) religious views. 5. To foster your ability to do philosophy independently.en-USRhodes College owns the rights to the archival digital images in this repository. Images are made available for educational use only and may not be used for any non-educational or commercial purpose. Approved educational uses include private research and scholarship, teaching, and student projects. For additional information please contact archives@rhodes.edu. Fees may apply.Philosophy, Department ofSyllabusCurriculumAcademic departmentsText2005 FallSyllabus