PHIL 327 Philosophy and Religion - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Examines the relationship between philosophy and religion from the perspective of different philosophical and religious traditions. Topics include: the nature of ultimate reality, arguments for and against the existence of God or gods, competing philosophical and religious accounts of life after death, religious pluralism and diversity.

Course Overview

This course explores philosophical debates within different religious traditions. We address questions about the nature of ultimate reality, the true nature of the self, and what happens after we die. We see how philosophers use argument to address reasonable disagreement about religious questions – both within religious traditions, and between those traditions.

The course is in four parts. Part One (weeks 1 to 3) explores the nature, existence, and possibility of God within Abrahamic Monotheist religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). We focus on modern interpretations of the influential modal ontological argument, introduced by the medieval Christian philosopher Anselm in his Proslogion.

Part Two (weeks 4 to 6) explores the true nature of the self, and its relationship to ultimate reality, within Karma-based religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism). We focus on contrasts between the Buddhist claim that there is no enduring self (anatman) and the Advaita Vedanta claim that the true self (atman) is eternal and is identical to ultimate reality (Brahman).

Part Three (week 7 to 9) explores philosophical questions about the afterlife within three particular religious contexts. These are: John Locke’s development of a memory-based account of personal identity to explain how God can justly punish people after they have been resurrected; debates within Mahayana Buddhism about the coherence of the Bodhisattva’s vow to be reborn to save other sentient beings from suffering; and the importance of ghosts and ancestors in Chinese folk religion.

Part Four (week 10 to 12) explores philosophical debates about the afterlife than span different religious contexts. We compare metaphysical and moral arguments for particular views about life after death; and we ask how people can live together in a society where there is disagreement about the present interests, rights, and ontological situation of the dead.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Philosophy Restriction: PHIL 207

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Understand and critically evaluate the role of argument and reason within particular religious traditions. (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
Understand and critically evaluate central philosophical debates about ultimate reality and life after death. (Capability 3, 4 and 6)
Understand the role of philosophy within Abrahamic Monotheist religions. (Capability 3 and 4)
Understand the role of philosophy within karma-based religions. (Capability 3 and 4)
Compare and contrast philosophical arguments in different religious contexts. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Appreciate the need for reason and argument in response to reasonable disagreement about religion. (Capability 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
Construct and defend your own philosophical arguments about religious questions. (Capability 4, 5, 6 and 8)
Explain and defend your own intuitions, values, and arguments in a constructive dialogue that engages with the positions of others. (Capability 4, 6, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Essays, short assignments, quizzes	100%	Individual Coursework
	100%

There is no final examination. Assessment will be entirely individual coursework, consisting of essays, short assignments, and quizzes.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures and a 1 hour discussion session per week during the teaching semester, as well as 4 hours per week of reading and thinking about the content. Work on the coursework assignments will require additional hours, but is intended to be manageable within the 10 hours per week average allowance of time to be spent on the course.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Lectures will be available as recordings. Tutorials will not be available as recordings.

All assessment can be submitted online.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

This is a new version of this course.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 3:	Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4:	Critical Thinking
Capability 5:	Solution Seeking
Capability 6:	Communication
Capability 7:	Collaboration
Capability 8:	Ethics and Professionalism

PHIL 327 : Philosophy and Religion

Arts

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)