Philosophy of Religion

Instructor: Meg Wallace, PhD.
Office: Caldwell 206B
Office Phone: 919-926-7291
Office Hours:  TBA and by appointment.

Email: megw@email.unc.edu
Course Webpage: http://www.unc.edu/~megw/Phil134SSI09
Where: Caldwell 105
When: M-F 11:30am-1:00pm

Required Texts

There are no required texts for this course. All readings will be on-line and can be found on this webpage here. Linked readings will be in the following sorts of formats: html, doc, and pdf. Please make sure that you can access these types of files. Also, there will occasionally be readings that are linked through JSTOR; you will need to be on campus or working through the University's proxy server in order to access them. Please get in touch with me if you are having difficulty accessing any of the material.

Course Description

This is an introductory course designed to give you a brief overview of some of the main issues in Philosophy of Religion. We will be addressing such questions as whether God exists, whether God even could exist (i.e., is the idea of God even coherent?), and what it would mean if God either did or didn't exist. In particular, we will be looking at some of the main arguments for and against the claim that God exists. We will also discuss what sort of attributes God has or might have, and why, as well as the connection between God and morality and God and the meaning of life. Finally, we will be addressing the difference and tension--if there is any--between faith and reason, religion and science, etc.

 
Course Requirements

(i) 3  Exams

There will be three exams throughout the semester--two midterms and one final. The midterms will be on Wednesday, May 27 and Wednesday, June 10, during our regular class time. The final will be on Monday, June 15, 11:30-2:30. All exams will be comprehensive, in short answer/long essay format. More details about the exams will be given in class. 

(ii) Participation

You are expected to read the assignments, think carefully about the readings, attend class, and attend class prepared. A significant part of your grade will be allotted for participation, which includes coming to class, taking part in class discussions, turning in class assignments, coming to office hours, corresponding via email when necessary, etc.


Grades

Your final grade in this course will be broken down as follows:

Midterm I                      30%           
Midterm II                     30%
Final                              30%
Participation                   10%


Caveat: You must pass the final exam, and you must turn in all of the required assignments, in order to pass the class.


Honor Code

It is expected that everyone in the class has read, understood, and obeys UNC's Honor Code, which you can read on-line here.


General Advice

Philosophy is oftentimes difficult. You may find that you need to read an article several times before you even have a sense of what the article is about. Please don't get frustrated—you’ll discover that having patience and working through such arduous material will be incredibly rewarding. However, chances are that even reading and re-reading the material will not be enough. That is why I encourage every single one of you to see me in my office hours whenever you feel you need the extra help. I have two hours a week specifically allotted for meeting with students, but feel free to make an appointment with me if another time would be more convenient. Also, I am open to having group meetings or study sessions outside of class time whenever you feel such a meeting would be beneficial.

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